Forum Meant to Stir Student Interest in Climate Change

Focus the Nation, a climate change forum aiming to educate UC Berkeley students on global warming, will be held all day today at the International House.

The forum's organizers said they hope the event, which runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., will leave students wanting to work on climate change.

"We organized this day really for (the students)," said Fahmida Ahmed, a campus sustainability specialist. "We set it up with great hope that it really is a great educational experience for them."

The event will feature faculty members and green organizers among others speaking about the possible actions that can be taken to combat global warming, said Daniel Kammen, professor in the Energy and Resources Group and in the Goldman School of Public Policy, in an e-mail.

Keynote speakers will include Fran Pavley, a former California assemblywoman and co-author of the California Global Warming Solutions Act, who will address possible solutions for global warming in state government, said Daniel McGrath, executive director of the Berkeley Institute of the Environment.

After the speakers, the audience will assemble into breakout sessions.

"This event is really about the student groups, ... for the student groups to get involved," McGrath said.

Inez Fung, professor of atmospheric science and co-director of the Berkeley Institute of the Environment, said many student groups have been working on bringing this issue to the forefront.

The event, sponsored by the Berkeley Institute of the Environment and the Cal Climate Action Partnership, is part of the Focus the Nation campaign to create a dialogue on lowering greenhouse gas emissions, Kammen said.

Event coordinators said they would like the experience to be interactive.

"We want to take a proactive role for our future-for the future of our planet," Fung said. "This is not just turning off lights but a lot of opportunity to have new research."

Organizers said they hope students become more informed on climate change.

"We hope the students will come attend and be interested in the topic to be able to apply it to their study and be inspired to work with the campus' effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," Ahmed said.

Members of the public may attend the event without previous reservations, but seating is limited.

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