Focus the Nation

about		competitions		organizers HQ		forum		media room		partners		support us		contact			LOG IN

(Word document download)

This is a sample agenda that is designed to engage over 100 faculty members, as well as students, staff and community members as teach-in presenters. Download this document, taylor it to your campus, and then start filling in faculty names who you can ask to present! Note the structure below is just a suggestion. Each team is free to organize any kind of educational event—ranging from showing a movie and having a discussion—to this kind of engaging, campus-wide teach-in. But these times demand that, as educators, we be truly ambitious. As David Orr told us recently, on global warming, “time is not our friend”. So do consider using this teach-in model.

Many schools participating in Focus the Nation will be bringing in outside speakers as keynoters. But we urge organizers to involve their own faculty broadly as educators on this day. Faculty participation across the curriculum is critical to building a teach-in that engages thousands or even tens of thousands of students on campuses across the country. Although it sounds daunting, recruiting dozens of faculty to serve as educators should be a fairly easy task. In the model below, faculty are asked to talk for only ten minutes about topics related to global warming from the perspective of their discipline. Many faculty are deeply concerned, and will welcome the opportunity to bring their disciplinary expertise to bear.

GRIST has kindly provided relevant articles for many of the sessions below. (word document download)

Monday, January 28th 2008
All day	VOTING ON STUDENT AND CITIZEN ENDORSED NATIONAL POLICY: Voting begins for the National Student Agenda on Climate Change. All week, teams of students encourage voting in front of dining halls during meal time. The ballot will be developed through an open, on-line discussion process in the fall.
All day	VOTER REGISTRATION is encouraged through the week.

Wednesday, January 30th 2008
All day	SUSTAINABILITY FAIR BEGINS: This fair includes posters reporting on campus initiatives; student art and research projects; technology and vehicle demonstrations; and community projects.
8:00 – 9:00 pm (Estern)	National Focus the Nation Webcast: This webcast will feature Professor Stephen Schneider from Stanford University and will lay the groundwork for the teach-in.
9:00 – 10:00 pm	World Cafe: Small group discussion moderated by faculty, staff & students. (World Café model). Question: Can the US stabilize CO2 emissions by 2016? If so, what would this require?
10:00 – 10:30 pm	Large group convenes with report backs.
10:30 – 11:30 pm	Student-produced theater and music.

NOTE: The suggested sessions below are largely staffed by faculty from the school, many of whom are “non-experts” on global warming. Instead, faculty are asked to speak for 10 minutes on their disciplines’ perspective on a variety of topics, reserving 20-25 minutes for discussion. On this day, faculty across the campus need to be STRONGLY encouraged to travel with their classes to these interdisciplinary sessions, and the more local faculty are involved directly in presenting, the more faculty are likely to attend with their classes. At large universities, a program like the one below can engage more than 10,000 students. This may seem ambitious, but the model here is relatively easy to organize—with the program set, and rooms reserved, an organizing team need only plug faculty members into the session slots. Local faculty involvement is critical to real institutional engagement, launching an educational process that will need to last for decades.

Thursday, January 31st, 2008
7:00 - 8:00 am	Bike/carpool contest.
8:00 – 9:00 am	Session 1A: Obstacles to Change Denial: Professor of Psychology The Media: Professor of Communications Technological lock-in: Professor of Engineering Session 1B: Climate and Social Justice Local Impacts of Fossil Fuels: Member of the community Global Impacts of Fossil Fuels: Professor of Anthropology International Treaties and Equity: Professor of Political Science Session 1C: Changing the Climate for Business How Business is Engaging: Local Business leader The Sustainability Paradigm: Professor of Business Changing Corporate Culture: Professor of Sociology
	Session 1D: Apocalypse or Opportunity? Climate and Collapse: Professor of History Science Fiction Lenses: Professor of English The Answer: 450 or 650 ppm: Professor of Environmental Studies Session 1E: Global Warming in (Your State Here) Impacts: Professor of Environmental Science Opportunities: Professor of Economics Politics: Member of the State Legislature Session 1F: “Peak Oil” and the end of suburbia Are we peaking?: Professor of Geology Alternative Fuels: Professor of Environmental Studies The End of Suburbia?: Professor of Film
	Session 1G: Saving for the Future Energy Efficiency on Campus: Facilities Manager The 2030 Challenge: Professor of Architecture Obstacles to Saving Energy: Professor of Economics Session 1H: Climate and the Law Kyoto and Beyond: Professor of International Affairs Can California Drive the US?: Professor of Law What’s Up in Washington?: Professor of Political Science Session 1I: A Big Tent for Solutions Faith Community: Professor of Religious Studies Rural Development: Professor of Agricultural Studies National Security: Professor of International Relations
9:10 – 10:10 am	Session 2A: Life Without Polar Bears? Iconic Images: Professor of Art Our Moral Future: Professor of Religious Studies Habitat Protection?: Professor of Biology Session 2B: Local Responses Food and Global Warming: Food Service Representative The Campus Footprint/Campus Initiatives: Student analyst Local & State Government: Member of the State House of Representatives Session 2C: Technology Revolutions. How Fast? Tipping Points: Professor of Mathematics Cell Phones and Solar Cells: Professor of Business Creating a Culture of Cool: Professor of Psychology
	Session 2D: Food and the Future Agricultural Overview: Professor of Biology Managing Water: Professor of Economics Population, Climate, Food: Professor of Political Science Session 2E: The Global Warming Play Student-produced theater about global warming. Discussion leader: Professor(s) of Theater Session 2F: Different Countries, Different Responses Country W: Professor of Foreign Languages Country X: Professor of Area Studies Country Y&Z: Professor of International Affairs
	Session 2G: Wind Energy: Potential and Obstacles Zero to Sixty in Twenty-Five Years: Professor of Economics Cape Wind — Speed Bump or End of the Road?: Professor of Political Science Blight or Beauty?: Professor of Art Session 2H: Faith and Climate Roundtable including College Chaplain, and representatives from student faith organizations. Session 2I: Can we Get Paid to Save the Planet? Learn Chinese: Professor of Foreign Languages Science Journalism: Professor of Communications Engineering is Sexy Again: Professor of Engineering
10:20 – 11:20 am	Session 3A: What About China? Energy Needs: Professor of Environmental Studies Domestic Pressures: Professor of Asian Studies International Treaties: Professor of International Affairs Session 3B: Models: Future and Past How Climate Models Work: Professor of Computer Science Representing the Paleo-Record: Joint—Professor of Geology w/Professor of Art The Future Economy: Professor of Economics or Business Session 3C: Beyond Gridlock: Social Movements Gridlock is the Norm: Professor of Political Science Social Movements: Is this one? Professor of Sociology Shall We Overcome?: Professor of Music
	Session 3D: The Century of Ecological Design Building Like Nature: Professor of Art History Modeling Ecological Systems: Professor of Computer Science Manufacturing Like Nature: Local business leader Session 3E: Clean Coal? Nuclear Futures? The student debate team presents Pro & Con for coal and nuclear Session 3F: The Ocean Ocean Acidification: Professor of Chemistry Ocean Sinks: Professor of Biology Imagining Sea Level Rise. Professor of Communication
	Session 3G: Solar Power: Magic Bullet? Overview: Professor of Physics Achieving Scale Economies: Professor of Economics Imagining a Distributed Power Revolution: Professor of Sociology Session 3H: Can we Afford to Stop Global Warming? Overview: Professor of Economics Is This the Relevant Question?: Professor of History Winners, Losers and Building the Coalition: Professor of Political Science Session 3I: We Can Do It! Mobilizing for WWII: Professor of History Landing on the Moon: Professor of Political Science Closing the Ozone Hole: Professor of Environmental Studies
11:30 – 12:50 pm	All college picnic (held in the gym?), featuring a “low carbon” menu, and student produced music and theater.
1:00 – 2:00 pm	Session 4A: Tipping Points—Climate, Politics, Economics Abrupt Change: Professor of Geology Social Movements: Professor of Sociology Technology Revolutions: Professor of Economics, Sociology or Business Session 4B: Noah: Lessons for a Century of Extinction? Metaphor: Professor of English Waiting for signs: Professor of Religious Studies Ark Design: Professor of Biology Session 4C: The “Addiction” to Fossil Fuels Are We Really Addicted?: Professor of Psychology Lessons from Cigarettes: Professor of Public Health Changing Light Bulbs — Does it Lead to Voting?: Professor of Political Science
	Session 4D: America’s Love Affair Cars and Us: Professor of Psychology or Art Less Car?: Professor of Sociology Clean Car?: Professor of Economics Session 4E: Climate, Conflict, Refugees Darfur: Professor of African Studies India and Bengladesh: Professor of Asian Studies New Orleans: Professor of Sociology Session 4F: Presidential Candidates Debate! Students stage a mock debate between leading Presidential Candidates, and… Tony Blair
	Session 4G: Geothermal Power Overview: Professor of Physics Local Potential: Professor of Geology How It Costs Out: Facilities Manager or Local Businessperson Session 4H: Motivating Action Art?: Professor of Theater Morality?: Professor of Philosophy Money?: Professor of Business Media?: Professor of Communication Leadership?: Professor of Political Science Session 4I: Diversity Shaping Solutions Native Americans on the Front Lines: Professor of Native American Studies. Black Leadership for a Just Transition: Professor of Sociology Asian and Latino Connections: Professor of Area Studies.
2:10 – 3:10 pm	Session 5A: Climate and the Developing World Gender Impacts: Professor of Women’s Studies Disaster Relief: Professor of Public Health Water in South America: Professor of Latin American Studies Session 5B: Footprints and Offsets The College Footprint: Student Presenter Air Travel—Alternatives?: Professor of Engineering Offsets—Smokescreen or Helpful Fix?: Professor of Economics Session 5C: Ecological Tipping Points Ice Sheet Collapse: Professor of Geology Fire-driven Deforestation of the Amazon: Professor of Biology Methane from Tundra and Oceans: Professor of Chemistry
	Session 5D: Hurricanes: Katrina, Mitch… and beyond Hurricane Futures: Professor of Atmospheric Science. Mitch: Professor of Latin American Studies. Katrina: Professor of History Session 5E: Climate Solutions and the Poor A “SkyTrust” Check for Everyone?: Professor of Economics Transit: Professor of Engineering Biofuels versus Food?: Professor of Political Science Session 5F: Faith and Climate Roundtable including College Chaplain, and representatives from student faith organizations.
	Session 5G: Dreaming Solutions This session includes descriptions of “on-the drawing boards” solutions that excite the imagination. Options might include flying giant windmills in the jet stream ECONOMIST.COM, making biodiesel from algae grown on animal waste UNH BIODIESEL GROUP, creating portable, small scale wood-burning generators fed by forest thinning SPRINGER LINK,as well as the variety of “geoengineering” ideas in currency—always recognizing the potential for unintended consequences. Session 5H: Education for the Century Ahead Rethinking Education in a Warmer World: Professor of Environmental Studies Will Educating Kids Educate Parents?: Professor of Education Continuing to Focus the Nation: Member of the Focus Organizing Committee Session 5I: Young People Pushing the Limits Roundtable discussion with leaders from the campus climate movement.
3:30 – 5:30 pm	THE GREATEST GENERATION Remarks from the President of the College: “The Heroic Climate Challenge Facing Today’s Youth”. Roundtable with Elected Officials Six students—two Republicans, two Democrats, two Independents, share the stage with the US Congressperson from the district, as well as the city Mayor—one a Democrat, one a Republican. Political leaders make brief opening statements, and then the young people engage these leaders in discussion of issues raised during the day.
8:00 – 11:00 pm	Regional Summit Work with other Focus the Nation teams to secure a large arena—holding several thousand people. From 8:00-8:45 have a second, non-partisan roundtable with top federal or state political leaders (US Senators/ Governors/ Congresspeople). Again, have six college students on stage to sit down to talk. Follow that with a concert from a top regional band! — End

TOP