Write up of my Climate Project experience

[SCDem]

January 2nd - 4th I had the great honor to attend The Climate Project in Nashville, TN created and led by Al Gore. It was such an intense training session and have been just so excited to start planning my presentations. I contacted my local paper and it's a feature in today's Local section.

I encourage you to go to www.theclimateproject.org and scroll to the bottom - there is a map of the US and if you click on a state it will tell you what presentations are in your area. If there are none you can send an email requesting one.

Here's the article talking about my experience: http://www.heraldonline.com/109/story/11425.html

She's ready to spread Gore's gospel on global warming
By Adam MacInnis · The Herald - Updated 01/16/07 - 12:12 AM

Karen McKernan has a message to share: Glaciers are melting, lakes are drying up, animals are dying from global warming-- and people can stop it.
After some presentation pointers from Al Gore, she thinks she's ready to spread this message in the Carolinas.

McKernan, of Rock Hill, was one of 200 people picked for a training session in Nashville, Tenn., with the former vice president who is featured in "An Inconvenient Truth," a movie about global warming. The session was part of a five-part series that Gore is using to spread his message about dangers caused by rising temperatures.

Those who attended the session Jan. 2 to 4 were selected from various backgrounds, ranging from NASA scientists to homemakers. They came from all 50 states and several from other countries.

"It was kind of like freshmen college week times four," McKernan said.

What they had in common was concern for the environment and the desire to share it with others. During the session, they were introduced to scientific evidence supporting the case for global warming, and they learned how to make convincing presentations by analytically going through Gore's own presentation -- all 265 slides of it.

"It was kind of like training-the-trainer experience, where Al Gore was the king trainer, and he was training us how to give that slideshow out into the community," McKernan said.

Those who attended pledged to give at least 10 presentations within the next year. Already, McKernan has booked eight presentations through May.

McKernan's background is in public health, and she works full time as a prevention specialist in Charlotte. She said she grew up with an appreciation of nature and that her family spent time camping and hiking.

The desire to take an active role in preserving the environment came with the birth of her son, Jonas.

"After having my son three years ago, I realized it's not important only to talk about the importance of nature and to look at it but also to ensure that my son has the same experiences that I had," she said.

Global warming is a real and present danger, McKernan says. "People say, 'Well, it will affect future generations'; it's affecting us now."

She cited several specific examples of how global warming already is affecting nature. For example, polar bears may be placed on the endangered species list. Other evidence indicates hurricanes are increasing in strength, and non-native species are showing up in areas where they have never been seen before.

Although global warming is a subject that has been debated for years, Winthrop University biology professor Peter Phillips said that among scientists, the phenomenon is largely accepted.

"There are scientists who will question the impact of it, and there will be still some that probably would say that it's due to natural variation but not the vast majority," Phillips said.

There are many ways people can help to decrease the impact of global warming, McKernan said, from using more efficient light bulbs to making their houses more energy efficient and driving smaller cars.

"It's a win-win situation, because not only are you helping the environment and you're kind of stopping this global crisis, but you also have more money in your pocket," she said.

By simply using compact fluorescent lamp light bulbs, homeowners can save $60 a year, she said.

One of the big benefits McKernan said she got from the training was learning mistakes to avoid.

"It's not just important to have the correct information," she said. "It's not just important to have it visually appealing or stimulating, but also the person talking about it needs to do it in a way that they can connect to the public."

And connect with the public is what she plans to do.

"I hope to start a movement or be part of the movement," McKernan said. "This isn't new by any means, but there's no better day like today than to start trying to make a difference."

[jpak]

1. Thank you

:thumbsup: