Some students don’t see this Saturday’s football game as a way to hoist the University into the national athletics spotlight. They see it as a way to spread the word about global warming.
Students will march from the EMU to Autzen Stadium this Saturday as part of “Step It Up 2007,” a grassroots effort to encourage congressional action on global warming.

University student Jesse Hough is helping organize the campus “Step It Up 2007” event, which will include a speech by Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy and a march to Autzen Stadium, where ESPN College GameDay will broadcast nationally before the Oregon-Arizona State football game.
“It’s a huge game, so there will be thousands of people to spread awareness,” Hough said. “We can talk to fans who might not be thinking about global warming.”
The founder of the campaign, Bill McKibben, will speak in the EMU Ballroom tonight at 7:30.
McKibben will talk about the need to build a climate movement and will talk about the moral and spiritual aspects of global warming, he said. He added he’ll also give students some practical advice on what they can do to help stop global warming.
McKibben is the author of “Fight Global Warming Now” and “Deep Economy.” McKibben and six students at Middlebury College in Vermont organized “Step It Up 2007” in January, and about 1,400 rallies took place around the country earlier this year, he said.
“We didn’t really have high expectations because we didn’t have any money, but it just took off,” McKibben said.
The organization wants Congress to pass stronger climate legislation, McKibben said. The group also aims to help reduce global warming by 80 percent by 2050.
Saturday’s rallies, which will take place across the nation, are aimed at the political aspect of global warming.
“It’s an effort to get senators to come talk to us and not just say the right things,” McKibben said.
Students are also part of that effort, he said.
“There’s many things we need to do in our own lives to deal with global warming, but the main thing to do is demand big action from the center – and not one light bulb at a time,” McKibben said. “One congressman at a time is more like it.”
Organizers planned “Step It Up 2007” in individual towns instead of one large march in Washington, D.C., McKibben said.
“We always thought there was something wrong about telling people to drive hundreds of miles to Washington and all the while spew carbon behind them,” McKibben said. “We think people are best able to organize and have the most impact close to home.”
McKibben said he is looking forward to speaking in Eugene.
“Few places in the country have such great environmental heritage,” McKibben said.
McKibben’s speech is co-sponsored by the Environmental Studies program and the Institute for a Sustainable Environment, and the speech is hosted by the Oregon Humanities Center.