Global Warming Teach-In this Week at EO

What! A teach-in! Aren't those illegal? Don't tell Margaret Spellings or Steven Colbert.


This week, EO Smith is having a Global Warming Teach-In. Here's the schedule and if you have an interest there is probably still some room to participate or attend. See the EO Smith website for contact information.

Calendar of Events

Monday, 4/23

Theme: What Is Global
Warming?

C and D periods Colin Bennett
of Clean Water Action in Hartford will present An Inconvenient
Truth. Bennett is one of a group of specially selected environmental
leaders selected by former Vice President Al Gore to give his "Inconvenient
Truth" presentation to groups around the country. (sponsor Gary
Bent)

G period EO Smith alumni
Jessica Walker, currently employed by Raytheon Polar Services Company
in support of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Office of Polar
Programs, will present on Antarctic Mapping and the Climate Change
Connection. (sponsor Kathy Ryan-Gidman)

H period Lyn Miller-Lachmann
will be talking about her Eco-Thriller Dirt Cheap

(sponsor Anderson). In addition, faculty member Jon Swanson will be
presenting a talk called Climate Change: Impact on Coral Reefs
(sponsor Swanson)

Tuesday, 4/24

Theme: How Might Global
Warming Affect Connecticut?

B period Chris Cadiz will
be showing two videos from the Journey to Planet Earth
Series, hosted by Matt Damon. The first video is titled State
of the Planet; the second is titled Future Conditional.
(sponsor Cadiz)

C Period Alternative
Transportation: One Person's Effort and Savings
(talk by faculty member Armand Saccomano)—I hope to inspire students
by illustrating the difference just one person can make by simply riding
a bicycle to EO Smith. I will describe the environmental, financial,
and personal benefits that performing an enjoyable activity can bring.
(sponsor Saccomanno)

F period Professor Ken
Noll from the University of Connecticut’s department of Molecular
and Cell Biology will be presenting 2^nd and 3^rd
lunch on The Pros and Cons of Ethanol As An Alternative Fuel.
(sponsor Grunko)

E and G periods Professor
Robert Thorson from the University of Connecticut’s department of
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology will be presenting the talk Connecticut
Climate Change: Past and Future. (sponsor Pirrie)

Wednesday, 4/25

Theme: Is Global Warming
Caused By Humans?

C period Brian Grosjean
of Northeast Generation Services will present a talk called Utilities:
Part of the Climate Solution (sponsor Pirrie)

D period Professor Laurence
Gould from the University of Hartford’s Physics Department will be
presenting Remarks on “An Inconvenient


Truth” and Related Issues (sponsor Green)

F Period there will be
a talk given 2^nd and 3^rd lunch by local Mansfield
resident Don Hoyle on Living in a Fossil Fuel Free Home (sponsor
Mingrone)

G period Professor Gould
and Professor Anji Seth from the University of Connecticut’s Department
of Geology will present opposing viewpoints on the topic Is Human
Activity the Primary Cause of Global Warming?

H period there will be a forum to examine the
majority and minority viewpoints entitled Human Activity and Global
Warming: A Panel Discussion, with professors Gould and Seth, in
addition to Emeritus Professor Howard Hayden, University of Connecticut
Department of Physics, and faculty member /Emeritus Professor Gary Bent
University of Connecticut Department of Physics (sponsor Green)

Thursday, 4/26

Theme: What Can Our
Institutions Do?

B period Connecticut State
Representatives Denise Merrill and Brian Hurlburt will be speaking on
Action on Climate Change by the State of Connecticut (sponsor Stone)

D and F periods University
of Connecticut Professor William T. Alpert, Director of the Center for
Economic Education, will be speaking on The Economics of Climate
Change. This will be two separate topic presentations, either of
which can be attended; the second presentation will be during 1^st
and 2^nd lunches (sponsor O’Connor)

F period engineer Brian
Grosjean from Northeast Utilities will be presenting on what utilities
in Connecticut are doing to reduce greenhouse gases. (sponsor Pirrie)

E and H periods we are
hoping either U. S. representative Joseph Courtney or U. S. Representative
John Larson will be speaking on a federal response to the issue of climate
change. PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE HAS BEEN NO FIRM COMMITMENT YET
FROM EITHER REPRESENTATIVE.

H period there will be
a re-showing of the Journey to Planet Earth Series, hosted
by Matt Damon. The first video is titled State of the Planet;
the second is titled Future Conditional. (sponsor Cadiz)

Friday, 4/27

Theme: What Can
We Do?

C and D periods John Seager,
president of Population Connection (formerly known as Zero Population
Growth) will present on Population and the Climate Connection.
(sponsor Paruolo)

E period faculty member
Paul Murray will present a talk titled Walden III (sponsor Murray)

G period will be devoted
to student performances on the topic of global warming; events to be
announced (sponsor Abercrombie)

H period there will be
a tree planting ceremony out on the school grounds (sponsor Vo-Ag Department(?))

In addition for Friday,
there will be a “Solutions Fair”, to be set up in a suitable location,
with local and national business leaders and activists setting up exhibits,
booths and interactive displays that offer ideas on how to actively
combat climate change. The following is a list of activities already
scheduled:

• Demonstration of
  a diesel car converted to run on vegetable oil (Santasierre)


• Demonstrations of
  miniature fuel cell cars from the United States Department of Energy
  (Granger)



• Fluorescent Bulb
  sale with sign-up for clean energy electricity option (Walton)


• E. O. Smith’s
  own Cool-It team, with plans for reducing E. O. Smith’s “carbon
  footprint” (Bent/Cadiz)


• Demonstration of
  biodiesel as an alternative fuel (Pirrie)


• Table with ideas
  from Population Connection (Paruolo)


• Booth with information
  on the role of buying locally in fighting climate change (Pirrie)


• Bicycles from Scott’s
  Cyclery

Other potential ideas include
recycling, solar panels, a booth or table sponsored by ConnPIRG, and
a booth or table sponsored by a local geothermal company.