North Shore Community College already has started making its campus environmentally friendly, but with the two-day National Global Warming Teach-in starting Thursday, the college hopes to shift the focus to the entire community.
The school's Lynn campus on Thursday and Friday will join other colleges and universities across the nation in hosting the event as part of Focus the Nation, an effort to educate citizens about the effects of global warming and climate change. The event will host local lawmakers, environmental specialists, and members of local environmental councils, and will feature speeches, demonstrations, and displays.
The first day of the conference will offer a program called "Focus the Nation: Global Warming Solutions for America." Representatives from Lynn Regional Wastewater, the state Department of Agricultural Resources, the New England Clean Energy Council, and the Global Warming Education Network are scheduled to make presentations. Topics will include wind power, sustainable agriculture, green building, shoreline loss, and a Native American sustainability philosophy.
The second day will feature a "Dialogue with Decision Makers," which will bring together local politicians for an opportunity to learn about the innovative climate change initiatives that are being started on the North Shore and to discuss actions for the future. Scheduled to appear are US Senator John Kerry; state Senator Thomas McGee; state Representatives Mary Grant, John Keenan, and Steven Walsh; and North Shore mayors and city councilors.
"It will be a great opportunity to open a dialogue," said Diana Kerry, director of the community college's Public Policy Institute, which is helping to organize the event. "The event has really been a community effort, and it represents the coming together of a variety of initiatives."
The teach-in will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday and 8:30 to 11 a.m. Friday in the North Shore Community College gymnasium at 300 Broad St. in Lynn.
