Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why we need a green revolution and how it can renew America

Looking for an interesting book to read over break? Try Thomas Friedman’s Hot, Flat and Crowded. In his book, Friedman asserts that artificially triggered climate change is a deadly threat to society. Rising global population, accompanied by rising rates of resource and energy consumption as the developing world grows affluent, may overwhelm both the Earth and the marketplace. Only fundamental change in energy production and use—”a whole new system for powering our economy”—can stave off disaster. Yet there’s an upside. Hot, Flat, and Crowded contends: Radical change in energy use represents an opportunity for the United States to preserve its global economic leadership, by beating the world to clean-energy ideas that will sell. Click headline to read more.

Online teaching

This is a reminder for those of you who intend to teach a course online Spring semester, either D2L or Moodle, but have not yet submitted your course request. The semester is quickly passing by and Instructional Technology Services would like to create your course as soon as possible. If you have any questions about the process of requesting courses, please reply to this email or call 477-2135.

Second Life® open house

Faculty interested in using Second Life® are invited to an open house on Friday, December 11 at 11:00 AM CST at the Second Life® – Teaching Island Large Group Facility http://slurl.com/secondlife/MnSCU%20Teaching%20Island/135/176/26/ Please join us as we tour the teaching, learning and research spaces in Second Life®. We will have the virtual world equivalent of cookies and coffee waiting for you (some free objects) and we look forward to discussing how to help you resource.

APAC meets Dec. 1

The Academic Policy Advisory Committee is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, December 1 at 3:00 p.m. in Owens 201.The agenda can be found at http://www.mnstate.edu/acadaff/APAC/index.htm#agendas