FARMINGTON -- The University of Maine at Farmington will join with 1,000 universities, colleges and grade schools as part of a national educational initiative.

The public is invited to join students, faculty and staff for a global warming teach-in called "Focus the Nation." On Jan. 30 at 8 p.m., the Roberts Learning Center's Lincoln Auditorium will host "The 2-Percent Solution," a live webcast with Stanford University's climate scientist Stephen Schneider and other environmental leaders.

This interactive broadcast, proposing ways to cut carbon emissions two percent a year for the next 40 years, involves local and national audience members in a vote on the top five national priorities for global warming action.

"UMF is committed to providing responsible leadership in caring for our environment," UMF campus president Theo Kalikow said. "As an educational institution concerned with graduating good environmental stewards, we welcome the opportunity to bring the campus and local community together as we join in the national dialogue on global warming."

On Thursday, Jan. 31, the campus will host a day of activities from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Education Center lobby. "An Inconvenient Truth" will be shown at 1:30 p.m. in Room 111. Participants can bring in one incandescent light bulb and have it replaced with an energy-saving, compact fluorescent bulb while supplies last.

At 11:45 a.m. in the Lincoln Auditorium, a screening of "Global Warming -- The Clock is Ticking," will be followed by a discussion led by District 90 Rep. Tom Saviello and President Kalikow.

Events are being sponsored by the UMF Sustainable Campus Coalition, which promotes environmental sustainability on campus and in the greater Farmington community.

For more information, contact Andrea Freed, assistant professor of science education, at 778-8167 or andrea.freed@maine.edu.