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Focus Skidmore 2009
Focus Skidmore is a series of events surrounding climate change solutions. Building on last year's momentum, Skidmore has another year of climate change action and solution education planned.
Focus Skidmore Events:
Monday, February 2nd at 6pm in Davis Auditorium:
Global Warming Solutions Webcast and Panel Discussion:The National Teach-in for Global Warming Solutions is hosting a webcast featuring various speakers focusing on climate change action from various perspectives. A panel discussion will follow the webcast featuring Skidmore's own climate action experts. Please click here to learn more about The National Teach-in for Global Warming Solutions.
The panel will include:
Rebecca Drago, Student, Vice President of the Environmental Action Club
Karen Kellogg, Director of Environmental Studies Program
Jim Kennelly, Director of International Affairs, Associate Professor and Associate Chair of Management and Business.
Rik Scarce, Associate Professor of Sociology
Bob Turner, Associate Professor of Government
Green House Gas Inventory: Commuting/Travel and Environmental Attitude and Awareness Survey Launch: Those that participate in the survey will be entered into a raffle. The prizes are $10 gift card to Putnam Market, $10 gift card to Uncommon Grounds and a $5 gift card to Saratoga Coffee Traders! Click here to take the survey.
Reusable Mug Pledge: At all of the Focus Skidmore events there will be the opportunity to pledge to use a reusable mug at Dining Services Spa, Burgess Cafe and Murray-Aikins Atrium Cafe. The first 350 pledge participants will receive a coupon for a free reusable mug, which is redeemable at Dining Services Spa on Friday, 2/6 and Monday, 2/9. Please visit www.350.org for more information on the 350 organization. Thank you to Dining Services and Green Mountain Coffee for sponsoring our reusable mug initiative!!
Recyclemania kicks OFF! Recyclemania is a 10-week nation wide recycling and waste reduction competition--Skidmore is entered for the first year!! Please visit www.recyclemaniacs.org for details.
Wednesday, February 4th at 8pm in the Spa.
Showing of the Documentary The RENEWAL Project:
"Across the nation, people of faith are standing up for the environment. Evangelical Christians are fighting mountaintop removal, a coal mining process that is decimating Appalachia. Muslims are supporting sustainable farming. Jews are helping children experience the bond between nature and spirituality. Interfaith Power and Light is mobilizing people of all faiths in a religious response to global warming.
For the first time, the combined energy of these diverse activists is the driving force behind a feature-length documentary, entitled RENEWAL. Veteran film producers Marty Ostrow and Terry Kay Rockefeller have crisscrossed the country to capture these exciting stories of people whose passion and deep moral commitment are making a difference in a time of grave ecological threats.
The RENEWAL Project has been designed to make the documentary and its inspiring stories available to people and organizations who want to be a part of this growing movement to protect life on our planet and reverse the damage that humans have done to the environment". Click here to learn more about The RENEWAL Project.
Thank you to the The Environmental Action Club and The Interfaith Council for sponsoring this event!
Thursday, February 5th at 7pm in Gannett Auditorium:
Climate Change: Causes, Consequences and Policy Responses by President of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Dr. William Schlesinger
Dr. William H. Schlesinger is the President of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies and is committed to bridging the divide between science and policy. He has testified before U.S. House and Senate Committees on a range of environmental issues, including desert habitat preservation, global climate change, and, most recently, carbon sequestration. Currently, he serves on the boards of The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the Southern Environmental Law Center, and Terrapass LLC.
In his lecture, Dr. Schlesinger will review what is known about the scientific basis of climate change, what evidence exists that climate change is already with us, and what the impacts of global warming may be for the upstate-New York area during the remainder of this century. He will also discuss the relative merits of some of the proposed alternatives to fossil fuels as well as his thoughts on appropriate actions of the new administration in the first 100 days. Please click here to learn more about Dr. Schlesinger and The Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies.
Thank you to the Biology Department, the Chemistry Department, the Dean of Faculty's Office, the Geosciences Department, the Government Department, the Environmental Studies Program, the Environmental Action Club, Speaker's Bureau for sponsoring this event!
Past Focus Skidmore Events:
Climate Change Meets Ecophobia Lecture by David Sobel, October 6th: David Sobel's desire is to approach environmental issues from a perspective that maximizes hope. He advocates that if we lead with all the tragic implications of climate change, then we risk scaring children into despair. During his lecture, David showed examples of programs that taught children to behave in environmentally responsible fashion in the school and showed how those children develop the kinds of behavior we want them to execute as responsible adults in the community.
Environmental Studies Program and Sustainable Skidmore Welcome Reception and Keynote Lecture: "The Myth of Progress: Toward a Sustainable Future," by Tom Wessels. This event was followed by an informative reception featuring local organizations, campus greening opportunities, research opportunities and more.
Skidmore Unplugged: November 1st-November 22nd:
For the first three weeks of November, Skidmore residents competed residence hall against residence hall to save energy. This fall, Facilities Services individually metered each residence hall allowing us to see energy consumption in real time. Skidmore Unplugged was based on percent reduction. Click here to read more and see the logos and graphics created by Deb Hall's Communication Design II class and the Skidmore Unplugged Trophy created by John Galt's Advanced Sculpture class.
