Pelosi to visit campus Saturday
Patsy Morrow
Issue date: 11/1/07 Section: News
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi will find herself in a different house this weekend.
Pelosi (D-Calif.) will speak in Cole Field House Saturday evening as part of Power Shift 2007, a large-scale national youth summit to address climate concerns. She is the first sitting Speaker of the House to speak at the university in at least 11 years.
The conference runs from Friday through Monday in Cole Field House and will attract an estimated 6,000 students from all over the country, said Brianna Cayo Cotter, a spokeswoman for the Energy Action Coalition, which organized the event. Attendees will travel to Capitol Hill on Monday to rally for increased federal environmental legislation.
"We definitely wanted to have Power Shift in the D.C. area to show politicians young people are interested and have a vote," Cayo Cotter said.
The conference highlights a burgeoning university initiative to address global warming, with a goal of reducing carbon emissions and raising environmental awareness among students.
Last June, university President Dan Mote signed the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment. That plan requires the university to take steps to reduce carbon emissions, eventually resulting in an 80-percent reduction by 2050. University officials hope to eventually make the university "carbon neutral," or bring net carbon emissions to zero.
The commitment includes completing an emissions inventory, setting a plan to become carbon neutral and integrating sustainability into university curriculum.
"There has been a real shift in thinking within the general population about climate change issues," said University System of Maryland Chancellor Brit Kirwan. "Hardly a day goes by without reading some instance of climate change. Public opinion has shifted that we as a nation have to do something."
However, carbon neutrality does not occur overnight. Under the commitment, the university must quantify its current greenhouse gas emissions, which include carbon emissions. Then the university must devise a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and track progress biannually.
Pelosi (D-Calif.) will speak in Cole Field House Saturday evening as part of Power Shift 2007, a large-scale national youth summit to address climate concerns. She is the first sitting Speaker of the House to speak at the university in at least 11 years.
The conference runs from Friday through Monday in Cole Field House and will attract an estimated 6,000 students from all over the country, said Brianna Cayo Cotter, a spokeswoman for the Energy Action Coalition, which organized the event. Attendees will travel to Capitol Hill on Monday to rally for increased federal environmental legislation.
"We definitely wanted to have Power Shift in the D.C. area to show politicians young people are interested and have a vote," Cayo Cotter said.
The conference highlights a burgeoning university initiative to address global warming, with a goal of reducing carbon emissions and raising environmental awareness among students.
Last June, university President Dan Mote signed the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment. That plan requires the university to take steps to reduce carbon emissions, eventually resulting in an 80-percent reduction by 2050. University officials hope to eventually make the university "carbon neutral," or bring net carbon emissions to zero.
The commitment includes completing an emissions inventory, setting a plan to become carbon neutral and integrating sustainability into university curriculum.
"There has been a real shift in thinking within the general population about climate change issues," said University System of Maryland Chancellor Brit Kirwan. "Hardly a day goes by without reading some instance of climate change. Public opinion has shifted that we as a nation have to do something."
However, carbon neutrality does not occur overnight. Under the commitment, the university must quantify its current greenhouse gas emissions, which include carbon emissions. Then the university must devise a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and track progress biannually.
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Doug
posted 11/01/07 @ 12:58 PM EST
Just what this campus needs, more left wing looneys on campus. What a disgrace.
.
posted 11/01/07 @ 4:42 PM EST
yes everyone who is even the slightest bit liberal is a "looney". who even uses that word anymore?
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