Teach-ins focus on climate

Universities in the Triangle are joining more than 1,000 colleges around the country in a nationwide teach-in Wednesday and Thursday on solutions to global warming. As part of Focus the Nation, teachers at all the university campuses will integrate global warming topics in their lesson plans.

The effort is an educational initiative to promote student activism and to create dialogues at campuses between students and local, state and federal political leaders about global warming through workshops and panel discussions.

WHAT'S HAPPENING?

* N.C. Central University will be screening "An Inconvenient Truth," the documentary about global warming featuring Nobel Laureate Al Gore, throughout the day Thursday at the Mary Townes Science Building. A student panel discussion will follow a broadcast of recorded remarks by U.S. Rep. David Price, D-Chapel Hill.

* At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a panel discussion featuring state Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, D-Carrboro, state Rep. Pricey Harrison, D-Greensboro, and Carrboro Mayor Mark Chilton is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Great Hall of the Student Union. A "green" carnival will be Thursday in the student union with informational booths and environmental speakers.

* And at Duke, roundtable discussions will be held throughout the day, with one from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Bryan Center featuring U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, R-Winston-Salem, state Sen. Floyd B. McKissick Jr., D-Durham, Kinnaird and Harrison.

WHAT'S THE 2% SOLUTION?

It's a Web cast produced with support of the National Wildlife Federation. It will be screened Wednesday at UNC-Chapel Hill, N.C. State University and Duke University, launching Focus the Nation. The title refers to the suggestion that people should cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2 percent a year through 2050 to minimize projected temperature increases by the end of the century. It will feature Stanford University climate scientist Stephen Schneider, sustainability expert Hunter Lovins and green jobs pioneer Van Jones. The panelists will discuss what it will take for the nation to achieve such reductions.

WHAT DOES BASKETBALL HAVE TO DO WITH ANY OF THIS?

The Cameron Crazies, the pep band and the Blue Devil mascot will trade in their Duke Blue for green during Duke's nationally televised men's basketball game with N.C. State University on Thursday.