Dear Stanford University Board of Trustees,
On behalf of my classmates (Sharon Chen, Paloma Hernandez and Matthew Nussbaum) in the Deliberative Democracy Practicum, I invite you to attend our on-campus Deliberative Polling event on May 28, 2016 that will focus on climate change, energy policies and Stanford’s pathway to de-carbonization: “What’s Next Stanford? – A Forum on Climate Policy.“
The event is a collaboration between the the Center for Deliberative Democracy and The Bill Lane Center for the American West; it will implement the Deliberative Polling method, which is an innovative consultation method that incorporates scientific sampling, small group discussions and plenary sessions with experts. The event will provide vetted and balanced briefing materials to help participants weigh the competing arguments on the topics under discussion.
We anticipate the attendance of approximately 100 randomly selected Stanford freshmen and sophomores who will deliberate on issues ranging from their general opinions on climate change, to carbon pricing and other climate policies, to their thoughts on California’s and Stanford’s current and future policies on sustainability. Of particular interest to the Board of Trustees, we will also be discussing the Board’s decision to forgo divestment from the fossil fuel industry.
Last month, the Board of Trustees declined the request proposed by Fossil Free Stanford and supported by other Stanford students, faculty and staff to divest from the fossil fuel industry. At the same time, the trustees announced the creation of a new climate task force comprised of students, faculty and staff that will generate ideas for how Stanford can best address issues and concerns brought about by climate change. We believe that our forum is a great starting point for the Board of Trustees and the climate change task force to learn more about the questions, concerns and thoughts from undergraduate students on ways Stanford can combat climate change and advance sustainability on campus.
Our morning and afternoon plenary sessions will feature several experts from various backgrounds, including sustainable energy, environmental engineering, and public policy. We cordially invite members of the Board of Trustees and the climate change task force to join us on May 28 and partake in one of the two plenary sessions in order to share the Board’s perspectives on Stanford’s responsibility concerning climate change.
Below is a full schedule of the event:
10:15 – 10:45 Registration
10:45 – 11:25 Introduction/Welcome
11:30 – 12:35 Small Group Discussion (1)
13:00 – 13:45 Lunch
14:00 – 14:55 Plenary Discussion (1)
15:00 – 16:25 Small Group Discussion (2)
16:30 – 17:25 Plenary Discussion (2)
17:30 – 18:00 Survey
The forum will take place on May 28, 2016 at Stanford’s Freshman Sophomore College (FroSoCo) Ricker Dining Hall. We would be very grateful if you could RSVP by May 25, 2016 to [email protected].
Please accept our invitation and we look forward to hearing from you soon.
Yours sincerely,
Liyi Ye
Contact Liyi Ye at lye1001 ‘at’ stanford.edu