On Thursday, February 5, UMBC joins colleges and universities around the U.S. for the 2009 National Teach-in on Global Warming. In 2007, Freeman Hrabowski signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment. Since then UMBC has constituted a Climate Change Task Force (CCTF) with the goal of developing a sustainability and carbon neutrality plan.
During the Teach-In, the CCTF will engage the UMBC community by sponsoring a fair of local green businesses and climate action groups, sustainability performing art and film events, campus-wide open classes on global warming across disciplines and a panel discussion on climate.
On Wednesday, February 4, and Thursday, February 5 we hope to have as many faculty as wish to open their classes to non-enrolled but interested students, faculty and staff. Several faculty from the Departments of Geography and Environmental Systems, Political Science, Philosophy, Sociology, Economics and Education have already expressed interest. We plan to make a list of all participating faculty to let students know what is being offered. We think it could be all or part of class and that many disciplines could identify relevant discussion topics. Examples: How is the European press handling the subjects? How are artists responding to the crisis? What insights does environmental psychology have? What preparations are EMH professionals making for climate emergencies?
Professors Jeff Halverson and Mary Rivkin are collecting all information. Faculty should email them with their:
• Name
• Class title/ location time
• Topic of Class
• Any special topic or guest lecturer for the day
Courses should address some aspect of climate change, global warming or sustainability directly or indirectly. This broadly includes scientific, technological, political and human dimensions of these issues. Submit information to Jeff at ext. 5-3350 or jeffhalv@umbc.edu or to Mary Rivkin at ext. 5-2259. The deadline for your reply is Friday, January 23.
More can be learned about the national Teach-In project at http://www.nationalteachin.org/about.php
