Topic: Sustainability/Environment

January 18, 2008

Ball State University will participate in a nationwide teach-in that will address global warming and sustainability on Jan. 31.

Focus the Nation, a conference involving nearly 1,300 participating campuses, will take place locally from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Pittenger Student Center and feature approximately 50 speakers making a series of 10-minute presentations about global warming.

"Of the nearly 1,300 Focus the Nation events occurring around the country, our event has been judged in the top 50 by the national organizers," said Ball State President Jo Ann M. Gora. "I salute all involved in the planning of these events, which demonstrate Ball State's continuing commitment to examining the important issues of our time. We are proud to serve as the larger community's host for these discussions."

The local event, organized by the university's Council on the Environment and the Students for a Sustainable Campus club, is free and open to the public. Support for it has been campus-wide, encompassing participants from natural resources to architecture, economics to philosophy, said Carissa Buchholz, president of Students for a Sustainable Campus and event co-coordinator.

"We've got to do something about global warming," she said. "If we don't solve that problem, none of the other world's problems will matter. Ball State has taken great strides in this arena, such as rolling out its electric hybrid bus and using biodiesel fuels, so this is another positive step the university is taking toward sustainability."

For more information on Ball State's event, visit Ball State's Focus the Nation Web site or contact Buchholz at 219-776-7484