ATHENS LEADS NATIONWIDE CLIMATE-CHANGE
INITIATIVE
Teach-in at the University of Georgia
and rally at the 40 Watt to produce
national solutions for combating
global climate change
Athens, GA-Even though Georgia state
representatives decided in 2007
that global warming is not an issue
of concern, their sentiments are
not shared by many Athenians. That's
why a group of UGA students, faculty
and Athens residents have spent
more than a year planning an event
to produce climate change solutions
not only for the state agenda, but
also for the 2008 presidential campaign
season.
Focus The Nation will connect Athens
with more than a thousand other
events happening simultaneously
across the country on January 31,
2008. It's estimated that more than
a million people will participate,
at universities and colleges in
all 50 states, making it the largest
teach-in in U.S. history.
"This is an unprecedented opportunity
for students and communities from
across the country to learn about,
discuss and voice opinions on solutions
to global climate change that will
have major implications for the
fate of our planet," said Odum
School of Ecology graduate student
and Focus the Nation coordinator
Kelly Siragusa.
The teach-in kicks off the night
of January 30 at 7 p.m. with the
2% Solution webcast produced by
the National Wildlife Federation.
Panelists will include Stanford
climate scientist Steve Schneider,
environmental justice leader Hunter
Lovins and others. The web cast,
being aired by the Earth Day Network,
will utilize cell-phone voting and
is being screened in the Memorial
Hall Ballroom at UGA, followed by
a free dinner.
Events will be held all day on Thursday,
January 31, beginning at 8 a.m.
at the Georgia Center for Continuing
Education and continuing well beyond
midnight to the dance grooves of
DJ Mahogany at the 40 Watt. Highlights
of the teach-in include the 2 p.m.
lecture by Ecology of a Cracker
Childhood author Janisse Ray and
the University Charter Lecture presented
by National Geographic Magazine
executive editor Dennis Dimick at
3:30 p.m.
The
Focus the Nation Rally will begin
at the 40 Watt in downtown Athens
at 7 p.m. A "Power Hour"
session will feature comments and
discussion with University, state
and local officials, including Athens
mayor Heidi Davidson, who has hinted
she might make a major announcement.
At 8 p.m. Gabriel Kelley will kick
off the music, followed by local
favorites Grogus at 9 p.m. and DJ
Mahogany from midnight until close.
Focus The Nation Organizers would
like to stress that all events on
the UGA campus are for the public,
as well as the University community.
Invitations are being delivered
to all members of the Georgia Assembly,
and University instructors are being
encouraged to substitute Focus The
Nation lectures for their usual
class periods.
The Focus the Nation Rally at the
40 Watt Club will be free for anyone
with a wristband/stamp (available
during the campus events) or to
anyone arriving between 7 and 7:30
p.m. The cost is $5 for all others.
For a full list of the day's events,
go to www.athensfocusthenation.cfsites.org.
The final piece of the Focus the
Nation initiative will be the "Choose
Your Future" vote. All students,
faculty and community participants
will have the opportunity to vote
on what they think are the top five
climate change solutions. Voting
will happen at the events and online,
beginning January 21, 2008 at www.focusthenation.org.
Results of the nationwide voting
will be presented to the U.S. Congress
in mid February by Focus the Nation
founder and director Eban Goodstein.
"The University of Georgia
is a leader in the national Focus
the Nation effort", said Goodstein,
a professor of economics at Lewis
& Clark College. "Georgia
students are showing how young people
are facing up to the challenge of
their generation."
Fourteen Focus The nation events
will take place in Georgia,. Students
and faculty at Emory University,
Morehouse College, Georgia State
University and Agnes Scott College
are organizing a press conference
on the steps of the Georgia Capitol.
The press conference will be followed
by a lobbying session to allow students
from area schools to express their
views on the seriousness of climate
change to state representatives.
"The U.N. is leading an international
effort to address global climate
change, and every major U.S. presidential
candidate has acknowledged that
it is for real," said Peter
Hartel, a UGA professor and Focus
The Nation coordinator. "It's
unconscionable that as a state we
are not instituting policies to
mitigate the effects of greenhouse
gas emissions, which, I believe,
we are already experiencing. Hopefully,
this event will be the first step
in that direction."
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For interviews with national Focus
The Nation founder and director
Eban Goodstein, faculty and student
organizers across the country or
members of the advisory committee,
call 503-768-7990 or visit www.focusthenation.org.
Contact: Bart King
706-340-3140
bartonking@charter.net |
