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January 26, 2009

Black and Gold Is the New Green: UMBC Arts, Education, Action Planned for Feb. 5 National Teach-In on Global Warming

Former Congressman Gilchrist to Headline Panel Discussion on Maryland Environment

Media Contact:
Chip Rose, UMBC Science/Tech News
410-455-5793
crose@umbc.edu


On Thursday, February 5, UMBC will join colleges and universities around the country for the 2009 National Teach-in on Global Warming. The day-long event combines education, arts and action to raise awareness of global climate change and the important personal lifestyle, societal, economic and regulatory changes necessary to confront the challenge.

The National Teach-in focuses on getting Congress and President Obama to pass laws in the first 100 days of the new administration that will stabilize the global climate. Other Maryland participating Maryland universities include Chesapeake College, Loyola College in Maryland, Howard Community College and Montgomery College.

The UMBC campus community will showcase its Sustainability Initiative and celebrate its Climate Change Task Force’s work through:

-- a fair of local green businesses, government agencies and climate action groups

-- performances and exhibitions by UMBC faculty, student and alumni artists focused on sustainability

-- campus-wide open classes on global warming across disciplines

--a panel discussion on action and legislation to avert climate change featuring former Congressman Wayne Gilchrist; Sarah Zaleski, Coordinator of the Baltimore City Office of Sustainability; and Donald Boesch, Chairman of the Maryland Governor’s Climate Change Commission

-- and a film presentation and discussion of the PBS Frontline documentary "Heat."

For full details on the day's activities, please visit umbc.edu/sustainability.

Schedule of Events:

Kick Off UMBC
The Commons Mainstreet 11 a.m.

Campus leaders showcase UMBC's sustainability research and campus climate change initiatives.

Global Warming Solutions Fair
The Commons Mainstreet 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

A fair of local green businesses, government agencies and climate action groups. UMBC students will kick off Recyclemania, a ten-week competition among colleges to promote waste reduction activities to their campus communities with prizes for bringing in recyclables.

Global Warming Solutions Fair participants:

BGE
Bluewater Wind
Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Chesapeake Climate Action Network
Energy Star - EPA
Maryland Department of Education
Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Maryland Energy Administration
Race Pace Bicycles
Sun Edison
U.S. Green Building Council
U.S. Geological Survey
Vegetarian Resource Group
Loading Dock
Terra Logos

UMBC Participants:

Commons Recyclemania and Facilities Management Waste Reduction
Graduate Student Association (GSA) and Students for Environmental Awareness (SEA)
Facilities Management UMBC Green House Gas inventory
UMBC Transit & Rideshare
UMBC Biodiesel Project
Interdisciplinary Studies: Herbert Run Greenway Exhibit

Teach-In (Wednesday, February 4, and Thursday, February 5)

Many classes across campus will open discussion to global warming and related issues.

A.R.T.S.: Arts’ Response to Sustainability
The Commons, Flat Tuesdays 2-3:30 p.m.

Multimedia presentations and live performances by a community of Baltimore artists focused on urban sustainability. The performance is organized by visual arts professor Tim Nohe.

Planet in Peril: Policy Responses to Climate Change
Panel Discussion, Library Gallery, 4-6 p.m.

Panelists: Donald Boesch, Professor of Marine Science and President of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) and Chairman of the Maryland Governor’s Climate Change Commission

Wayne Gilchrest, former Congressman representing Maryland’s 1st District and co-chair of the Climate Change Caucus

Sarah Zaleski, Coordinator of the Baltimore City Office of Sustainability

Ray Hoff (Moderator), UMBC Professor of Physics and Director of the collaborative NASA-UMBC research centers Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology (JCET) and Goddard Earth Sciences & Technology Center (GEST)

Sponsored by The Friends of the Albin O. Kuhn Libary & Gallery.

Film Presentation and Discussion 7-9:30 p.m.,
Administration Building, Lecture Hall 3

The PBS “Frontline” documentary “Heat” examines how the world's largest corporations and governments are responding to Earth's looming environmental disaster.

Post-discussion led by Jeffrey Halverson, UMBC Professor of Geography and Environmental Systems.

Posted by crose at January 26, 2009 3:43 PM