Dear Cal Poly teacher:

We invite you to participate in Focus the Nation: Global Warming Solutions for America.  This nationwide discussion will take place at 1000 college campuses on January 31, 2008. It will involve thousands of presenters and millions of students.  Cal Poly will take part with a daylong series of panel discussions, speeches and classes dealing with ways to mitigate climate change caused by human activities. 

The goal of Focus the Nation is to strengthen the growing momentum worldwide for a clean energy revolution that can avert the potentially catastrophic effects of global warming, as well as address declining oil reserves, air pollution and the political instability brought about by reliance on carbon fuels. Investment now in alternative energy technologies will reduce carbon emissions and minimize the risk of long-term warming trends.

Success in this endeavor depends in large part upon creating the political will to give it high priority in local, state and federal government policy. This in turn depends on educating the electorate, especially members of the next generation whose lives will be directly affected. 

The January date coincides with the beginning of the 2008 primary election season. Elected officials, candidates for federal, state and local offices, and other decision-makers will be invited to join the discussions. Our intent is to create a serious and sustained, non-partisan national discussion about confronting the challenge of climate stabilization.

Official support for Focus the Nation has been voiced by all three constituencies of the University: the Academic Senate, Associated Students Incorporated, and the Cal Poly Administration. 

Your participation can take many forms:

•    joining our organizing committee

•    making a presentation or participating in a panel in Chumash auditorium or other campus venue

•    providing credit or extra credit to students who attend Focus the Nation educational events

•    devoting that day’s classes to topics related to global warming solutions or to attendance at Focus the Nation events

•    encouraging students to attend and attending events yourself

A tentative schedule of events can be found at our local website: http://focusthenationslo.pbwiki.com/

We are eager to add presenters and panels from all departments and fields of study, and we are prepared to mount simultaneous events at each time slot.

If you are willing to contribute to this historic mobilization of attention, please contact us at:

focusthenationslo@gmail.com

For more information, visit Focus the Nation’s  national website:

http://www.focusthenation.org/

Sincerely

Cal Poly Focus the Nation Organizing Committee