Sustainability Showcase and climate change teach-in highlight second ‘Focus the Nation’ program April 21

Sustainability Showcase and climate change teach-in highlight second ‘Focus the Nation’ program April 21March 24, 2009Rachel Mayenspire@syr.edu

Sustainability will be a major theme at this year’s SU Showcase on April 21. To build on this theme, Syracuse University and the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF) will host a daylong series of events in the Life Sciences Complex focused on bringing attention to the issues of and solutions for climate change.

Held in conjunction with SU Showcase, the first-ever Sustainability Showcase will feature student presentations on ideas for sustainable products and designs in architecture, engineering, industrial and interior design, landscape architecture and sustainable enterprise. Students studying industrial and interaction design and interior design in the College of Visual and Performing Arts will present their responses to the “Break the Oil Addiction” challenge from Metropolis Magazine, held in January. Teams from sustainable design courses in engineering, architecture and landscape architecture will also present their innovative designs. And students in the “Sustainable Enterprise Partnership” course will offer insights into the life cycles of everyday products.

Additionally on April 21, SU and SUNY-ESF will host the second annual Focus the Nation Teach-In on Climate Change Solutions from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Life Sciences Complex. Professors from SU and SUNY-ESF-including several internationally known experts on climate change-will lead discussions on sustainability issues relating to government, architecture, business, science and the role of media. Environmental justice issues will also be the focus both of a panel discussion on religion and science and of a film showing and discussion on rising sea levels in impoverished regions.

A full schedule with updates on times and locations is available at http://focusthenation.syr.edu. For more information on SU Showcase, visit http://sushowcase.syr.edu/.

Focus the Nation is a national initiative centered on the three most essential pillars for today’s youth to embrace solutions to global warming: education, civic engagement and leadership. The first Focus the Nation Teach-in took place in January 2008 on more than 1,000 campuses throughout the United States. The Syracuse event attracted some 600 participants for standing-room-only discussions.

These events are sponsored by the University Sustainability Action Coalition (USAC) and SU’s Office of Academic Affairs. For more information, contact Rachel May at enspire@syr.edu.