Duke Celebrates Focus the Nation

Monday, January 21st 2008

In July 2007, President Brodhead signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment to develop a plan to eliminate the campus’ greenhouse gas emissions over time. This ambitious endeavor will require significant change at Duke, both in operations and the habits and behaviors of the individuals who study, live, and work here. Raising awareness about climate change and sustainability issues on campus is the first step in creating a higher level of engagement among faculty, staff and students.

On January 31st, 2008, Duke has the opportunity to not only educate the campus about climate change but also to join in a nation-wide event to engage students, faculty, staff, community members and elected officials around this issue. Focus the Nation is a national teach-in on global warming solutions for America—creating a dialogue at over a thousand colleges, universities, high schools, middle schools, places of worship, civic organizations and businesses, and directly engaging millions of students and citizens with the nation’s decision-makers.

Duke Students for Sustainable Living are arranging education events across campus including expert panels, a sustainability fair on the Plaza and a green democracy roundtable with NC elected officials. Duke professors are being asked to devote class time to discussion of climate change issues as well as encouraging students to attend the education events happening throughout the day. Members of the Duke community will also have the opportunity sign a pledge to support Sustainable Duke and the campus efforts to reduce its carbon footprint.

The day’s activities will culminate with the Duke v. N.C. State basketball game, where much of the Duke blue would turn green for one day. The Cameron Crazies, the pep band and the Blue Devil mascot will be given green t-shirts emblazoned with the Green Devil and the slogan, “Bleed Blue. Live Green.” Attendees will be encouraged to sign the Duke Sustainability Pledge, recycle any waste they generate and use alternative transportation to come to the stadium. Duke will also be offsetting the carbon footprint of the game.

Focus the Nation provides an exciting model opportunity to create, for one day, a true national community of scholarship bridging traditional disciplinary boundaries. This is an opportunity for educators and students to take a leadership role, and catalyze a process which indeed will “Focus the Nation”.

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Schedule of Jan. 31st events @ Duke

Duke FTN Schedule at-a-glance
Duke FTN Detailed Schedule

Critical Mass Bike Ride (Duke Chapel)
10:30 a.m.
Support alternative transportation at Duke and in the Durham community. Join fellow bikers for a 3-mile ride around the Duke campus. Bring your bike and ride for a cause. For more information contact Rob Fox.

Panel Discussions (Sheafer Theater)
   
Panel I: Global Warming in North Carolina
10:00 – 11:00 a.m.  
Learn from the experts about the anticipated impacts of global climate change on North Carolina and what is being done to address this issue. Find out how individuals can be a part of the solution.

Participants:

• Bill Holman, Nicholas Institute, former environmental lobbyist and Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources
• Rob Jackson, Professor of Biology and Director of the Center on Global Change at Duke University
  
• Ewan Pritchard, Hybrid Program Manager, Advanced Energy

Panel II: Environmental Justice
11:30 – 12:30 p.m.
We often hear about the environmental impacts of climate change, but how will different segments of the population be affected on personal level? Will the effects of global warming be equally distributed or will other social problems be created? What is the duty of an individual, a nation or the world in addressing these issues?

Participants:

• David Schaad, Adjunct Assistant Professor and Assistant Chair of the Pratt Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
• Kathy Rudy, Associate Professor, Duke Womens Studies Department
• Rebecca Vidra, Lecturing Fellow, Duke University Writing Program

Panel III: Obstacles to Change
1:30 – 2:30 p.m.  
Why haven’t we made more progress in addressing global climate change issues? What stakeholders are providing resistance and what are the other stumbling blocks to real change?

Participants:

• Brian Murray, Nicholas Institute, Director for Economic Analysis
• Mike Lenox, Associate Professor of Strategy, Duke Fuqua School of Business

Panel 4: Reasons for Hope: Solutions to Global Warming
3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
What progress has been made in addressing global warming? What are the greatest strengths/innovations and where have they come from? What are we likely to see in the future and over what time scale?

Participants:

• Jed Purdy, Associate Professor of Law
• Tom Rose, Director Duke Smart Home
• Stuart Pimm, Doris Duke Professor of Conservation Ecology

Sustainability Fair (Bryan Center Plaza)
11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Sustainable vendors, food, T-shirts, entertainment and more.

Roundtable: Green Democracy (Bryan Center, Von Canon A)
6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Join several N.C. politicians in a non-partisan conversation about climate change. Students, faculty, staff and Durham community members are encouraged to engage in a discussion of policy barriers and solutions.

Participants:

• N.C. Senator Floyd B. McKissick, Jr. (represents Durham County)
• N.C. Senator Eleanor Kinnaird (represents Orange and Person Counties)
• N.C. Representative Pricey Harrison (Co-chair of the NC Legislative Commission on Global Climate Change)
• Moderator: Dr. Richard Newell, Associate Professor of Climate Change Economics

Followed by a local, organic reception catered by Bon Vivant

Green Basketball Game: Duke vs. N.C. State
9:00 p.m. - Crazies Go Green for a climate neutral game.
The day’s activities would culminate with the Duke v. N.C. State basketball game, where much of the Duke blue would turn green for one day. The Cameron Crazies, the pep band and the Blue Devil mascot will be given green t-shirts emblazoned with the Green Devil and the slogan, “Bleed Blue. Live Green.” Attendees will be encouraged to sign the Duke Sustainability Pledge, recycle any waste they generate and use alternative transportation to come to the stadium. Duke will also be offsetting the carbon footprint of the game.