January 30, 2012—The University of Utah Office of Sustainability will host the 2012 Focus the U on Sustainability Teach-In, Feb. 13-17. Events are all free and open to the public and designed to draw attention to work being done locally and nationally on sustainability.          This is the fourth year the university has hosted a sustainability teach-in event. During the week of February 13, dozens of University instructors teaching 75 courses will incorporate material on climate change and global warming solutions into their curriculum during at least one class period.

In addition, the U will be putting on the Exuberant Sustainability: a symposium for community engagement on February 16. Headlining those events will be Richard Louv, the author of the best-selling book Last Child in the Woods and a new book The Nature Principle, which has received much acclaim. Louv was one of the pioneers of what is called nature deficit disorder and he will give a presentation entitled, The New Nature Movement.

Co-sponsors of this year’s teach-in with the Office of Sustainability include the College of Architecture & Planning, University Professor for Campus Sustainability Stephen Goldsmith, the College of Law, the Stegner Center, the College of Education, the College of Mines and Earth Sciences, the Ecology Planning Center, the Nature Conservancy, Undergraduate Studies and the College of Social Work Green Team.

The U’s effort is part of the Focus the Nation Forums-to-Action program that develops new student leaders to drive solution oriented clean energy collaborations between their campuses and communities. More than 30 colleges and universities are scheduled to participate.

For more details about how you can get involved, please contact the University of Utah Office of Sustainability at 801-581-7506 or visit: http://www.sustainability.utah.edu.

Exuberant Sustainability: a symposium for community engagement on February 16
Schedule of Public Events:

10:45 a.m. – 12:05 p.m.
·     Evidence of evolution
What: Come hear from students and staff about some of the many sustainability programs on campus and how to participate in the activities.
Who: Student sustainability leaders on campus
Location: School of Social Work, Goodwill Humanitarian Building, Community Meeting Room (#155)

 

12:30 pm – 1:45 pm
·     Getting to Net Zero
What & Who: Brenda Case Scheer, dean of the College of Architecture + Planning and Talley Goodson, President of 3-Form will discuss the role of Net Zero and what it means.
Location:School of Social Work, Goodwill Humanitarian Building, Community Meeting Room (#155)

 

2 pm – 3 pm
·     The New Nature Movement
What: Dr. Richard Louv will provide the keynote lecture of the day, an engaging presentation on The New Nature Movement.
Who:  Dr. Richard Louv is the author of The Nature Principle: human restoration and the end of nature deficit disorder and the award winning book Last Child in the Woods.
Location:Fine Arts Auditorium

 

3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
·     Focusing on you
What: Affinity groups working on sustainability issues both on and off campus.
Who: Open to anyone working, or interested in working on, sustainability issues.
Location:  School of Social Work, Goodwill Humanitarian Building, Community Meeting Room (#155)