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Warming Teach-In Set For Saint Leo

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 31, 2008

ST. LEO - Saint Leo University is one of more than 1,750 institutions examining global warming and possible solutions in what's being billed as the largest teach-in in U.S. history today.

The university rearranged its class schedules so students and faculty could attend the various forums they created together for the Focus the Nation effort. Campus organizer Chris Miller said the free events from 1 to 4 p.m. are open to the public and pinpoint topics such as:

• What global warming is and how it happens.

• Effects on people, other living things and tourism.

• Ethical and religious stewardship considerations.

• Business and economic dimensions of climate change.

Also planned is an interactive fact game modeled after Jeopardy.

Multiple sessions will be offered in each of two time slots, 1 to 1:50 p.m. and 2 to 2:50 p.m., in Crawford and Lewis halls on the 150-acre campus overlooking Lake Jovita off State Road 52.

Then at 3 p.m., participants and observers can talk about what they learned during an hourlong reception at the Student Community Center.

For information on Saint Leo's participation, contact Miller, assistant professor of environmental sciences and biology, at (352) 588-8335 or chris.miller@saintleo.edu.

Here's a brief look at the nationwide observance, based on information from www.focusthenation.org:

WHAT IS IT? The Focus the Nation teach-in is intended to be a nonpartisan, round-table discussion from which participants will create a campus- and citizen-endorsed policy agenda for 2008.

WHY NOW? During the next decade, critical policy decisions will be made with irreversible consequences for the future. James Hansen, the top U.S. government climate scientist, thinks that if we do not stabilize greenhouse gas emissions soon, we may set in motion a process leading to collapse of the West Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets, events that would raise global sea levels by more than 40 feet, inundating many of the world's major cities. This is just one of the many potential consequences of human-induced warming, with regional and global effects ranging from hurricanes of greater intensity and duration, global water shortages, altered patterns of rainfall, drought and flood, massive forest die-back, and large-scale species extinction.

WHO'S INVOLVED? Colleges, universities, high schools and middle schools, places of worship, civic groups, businesses, political leaders and other decision-makers at local, state and national levels.

WHAT ELSE? To watch 24 videos on the effort, click on the Web site's Media Room link at the top and then on Cool Videos along the left side. For an online idea exchange, click on the Forum link atop most of the site's pages.

THE OPPOSING VIEW: The Heartland Institute's 2008 International Conference on Climate Change on March 2-4 in New York City will "call attention to widespread dissent in the scientific community to the alleged 'consensus' that the modern warming is primarily man-made and is a crisis," according to www.heartland.org/New York08/newyork08.cfm. Hundreds of scientists, economists and public policy experts from around the world are expected to attend.

Compiled by Annette Mardis

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