UO E-clips, Oct. 23-24

University professors predict outcome of presidential race (Register-Guard): Talk about your bold predictions: Two University of Oregon economic professors say they know who's going to win the presidential election -- and by how much. It will be Sen. Barack Obama prevailing over Sen. John McCain by 52 percent to 48 percent in the popular vote. So say Stephen Haynes and Joe Stone in a new academic paper called "A Disaggregate Approach to Economic Models of Voting in U.S. Presidential Elections."

Affecting climate change starts with a change in thinking (News Review): At this pace, greenhouse gas emissions from industry and household activities could heat the planet another 15 degrees each summer by 2080. Such a meteoric rise in temperature would be disaster: Food shortages would befall entire regions. Water would run dry in reservoirs and rivers. Species would expire in droves. And it would be blazing hot. You get the picture. But Sarah Mazze, developer and coordinator of the Climate Master Program and Climate Leadership Initiative at the University of Oregon, says it doesn't have to come to that. A new way of thinking, changes to daily habits, and most importantly, lives built around sustainability, could put the earth's future on a new course, she said.

Rivals go head-to-head in vote to determine which school offers its students the best food for thought (PETA.org): Not that long ago, a vegan meal at many of the country's colleges meant a salad and a baked potato, but times have changed for the better. That's why peta2, the world's largest youth animal rights organization, has announced the nominees for its third annual Most Vegetarian-Friendly Colleges competition, and the University of Oregon has made the grade. Located in the vegan mecca of Eugene, UO's campus dining halls serve up remarkable meatless options such as tempeh fajitas, tofu Philly sandwiches, and teriyaki tempeh skewers every day. As one dining-services representative said about the vegan options on campus, "[I]t is simply part of what we do and absolutely ingrained into our menus and culture."

Universities to hold forum about uniting rural, urban Oregon (Salem-News.com): Four Oregon universities will sponsor a conference in Salem on November 14th that aims to strengthen links between the state's rural and urban areas. "Oregon is an incredibly diverse collection of landscapes, economies and communities," said Beth Emshoff, metro specialist for the Oregon State University Extension Service and the lead organizer of the conference. ... In addition to OSU, the other sponsors are Portland State University, the University of Oregon and Eastern Oregon University.