I recently returned from Greenland, and was joined by an awesome group of Climate Ambassadors and winter athletes. At the top of our roster was the world’s best ski racer, Ted Ligety, who has won 19 World Cup races, and will be among America’s biggest hopes for Olympic gold in 2014. We were also joined by world-class big mountain skiers Michelle Parker and Mark Abma. It was an honor to be skiing with such an awesome group of Climate Ambassadors and athletes. And, it’s worth noting that this entire segment will be entirely carbon-offset.

We started the expedition in Southwest Greenland in Maniitsoq. Maniitsoq is an island surrounded by deep fjords, surrounded by beautiful mountains offering unimaginable snow terrain, large bowls, wide glaciers, canyons, and couloirs – not to mention continuous sea views and the opportunity to ski down to the beach! We boarded the Kisaq, a very comfortable 80-foot ship that delivered us to the most stunning skiing on the beautiful mountains of SW Greenland. We were surrounded by fjords, glaciers, cliffs, and wildlife (including whales!). We experienced long days and short nights, and each day was breathtaking!

The conditions for skiing and filming in Greenland were challenging. The area had received a warm spell during the month of March—which is unheard of for this time of year. It rained even at the tops of the peaks (around 3000 ft.). The area had received nearly 12 inches of snow prior to our arrival, and the avalanche conditions were quite dangerous. We ended up skiing some great lines and we were all sad to depart the Kisaq and its crew. We then travelled 25 miles north above the Arctic Circle to Sisimuit, a fishing village of 6,000 people with what seemed to be an equal number of dogs. We also were able to dogsled and enjoy the Inuit culture, and also managed to get some great footage of some truly epic skiing as well.

I have been tracking big differences in the Arctic Ocean over the last decade, and during my visit to Greenland, I made a point of speaking with many locals who commented on the realities of climate change: rising sea levels, receding glaciers, and among the lowest snow packs in 40 years. Each time I go back to the Arctic, and especially on this trip, I realized how lucky I am to be able to see firsthand the profound differences to the landscape that climate change is causing. I am proud to be a climate change ambassador for The Climate Reality Project and I AM PRO SNOW!

Want to get the latest news on Ticket to Ride and follow Doug Stoup, Ted Ligety, and our other amazing Climate Ambassadors? Visit www.iamprosnow.org to learn more and get involved.

The post Pro Snow to Greenland and back again appeared first on Climate Reality.

We are proud to be able to republish the following blog post written by former Vice President of the United States Al Gore.

Yesterday, for the first time in human history, concentrations of carbon dioxide, the primary global warming pollutant, hit 400 parts per million in our planet’s atmosphere. This number is a reminder that for the last 150 years — and especially over the last several decades — we have been recklessly polluting the protective sheath of atmosphere that surrounds the Earth and protects the conditions that have fostered the flourishing of our civilization. We are altering the composition of our atmosphere at an unprecedented rate. Indeed, every single day we pour an additional 90 million tons of global warming pollution into the sky as if it were an open sewer. As the distinguished climate scientist Jim Hansen has calculated, the accumulated manmade global warming pollution in the atmosphere now traps enough extra heat energy each day to equal the energy that would be released by 400,000 Hiroshima-scale atomic bombs exploding every single day. It’s a big planet — but that is a LOT of energy. And it is having a destructive effect.

Now, more than ever before, we are reaping the consequences of our recklessness. From Superstorm Sandy which crippled New York City and large areas of New Jersey, to a drought which parched more than half of our nation; from a flood that inundated large swaths of Australia to rising seas affecting millions around the world, the reality of the climate crisis is upon us.

Our food systems, our cities, our people and our very way of life developed within a stable range of climatic conditions on Earth. Without immediate and decisive action, these favorable conditions on Earth could become a memory if we continue to make the climate crisis worse day after day after day.

With any great challenge comes great opportunity. We have the rare privilege to rise to an occasion of global magnitude. To do so, our communities, our businesses, our universities, and our governments need to work in harmony to stop the climate crisis. We must summon the very best of the human spirit and draw on our courage, our ingenuity, our intellect, and our determination to confront this crisis. Make no mistake, this crisis will demand no less than our very best. I am optimistic because we have risen to meet the greatest challenges of our past.

So please, take this day and the milestone it represents to reflect on the fragility of our civilization and and the planetary ecosystem on which it depends. Rededicate yourself to the task of saving our future. Talk to your neighbors, call your legislator, let your voice be heard. We must take immediate action to solve this crisis. Not tomorrow, not next week, not next year. Now.

Are you interested in joining the Climate Reality Leadership Corps? This summer, Al Gore and an All Star roster of some of the world’s leading climate scientists, media and communications experts, and practitioners will convene to share the latest science of climate change, best practices in public speaking and social media, leadership skills, and communication strategies. The dates for the Climate Leader trainings are June 14-16 in Istanbul, Turkey, and July 30-August 1 in Chicago, Illinois. Both trainings require formal applications, which can be accessed at http://climaterealityproject.org/leadership-corps/.

The post 400 ppm appeared first on Climate Reality.

Boulder, CO (May 13, 2013) – The Climate Reality Project today announced training dates for its popular Climate Reality Leadership Corps. The Climate Reality Leadership Corps currently includes more than 4000 Climate Leaders from 58 countries. More information on the training programs can be found at http://climaterealityproject.org/leadership-corps/.

Now in their sixth year, these intensive three-day training sessions will be led in part by Al Gore and will bring together an All Star roster of some of the world’s leading climate scientists, media and communications experts, and practitioners to share the latest science of climate change, best practices in public speaking and social media, leadership skills, and communication strategies. The dates for the Climate Leader trainings are June 14-16 in Istanbul, Turkey, and July 30-August 1 in Chicago, Illinois. Both trainings require formal applications, which can be accessed at http://climaterealityproject.org/leadership-corps/.

The Climate Leadership Corps program trains volunteers from around the world to deliver the Climate Reality message using a multimedia presentation to enable them to serve as climate leaders in their communities. Climate Leaders emerge from training sessions as energized and skilled communicators with the knowledge, tools, and drive to spread the climate change message with such diverse audiences as business leaders, schools, faith communities, and policy makers at every level.

“Along with dozens of the world’s leading experts on climate change, I look forward to personally meeting and working with the thousands of new Climate Leader at this summer’s trainings,” said Al Gore, Chairman and Founder of The Climate Reality Project. “Climate Leaders play an enormously influential role by connecting the dots between the high-level science and the daily lives of their audiences in simple and accessible terms.”

“The Climate Leader trainings are thoughtfully constructed to provide a full suite of skills to empower the next generation of climate activists to effectively communicate the climate crisis within their communities,” said Maggie L. Fox, President and CEO of The Climate Reality Project.

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About The Climate Reality Project
The Climate Reality Project is one of the world’s leading organizations dedicated to mobilizing action around climate change. With a global movement more than 2 million strong and a grassroots network of trained Climate Leaders, we are spreading the truth and unleashing the cultural momentum to solve the climate crisis. Former Vice President and Nobel Laureate Al Gore is the Founder and Chairman of The Climate Reality Project. For more information, visit www.climaterealityproject.org or follow us on Twitter at @ClimateReality.

The post The Climate Reality Project Announces 2013 Climate Leadership Corps Training Dates appeared first on Climate Reality.

Earlier today, Republican Members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee boycotted the confirmation hearing of Gina McCarthy, the nominee to head the Environmental Protection Agency. Not coincidentally, these eight Republican Senators have collectively received more than $5.2 million in contributions from Dirty Energy. The extreme weather we are experiencing isn’t normal – it’s dirty, polluted weather, and it’s the result of carbon pollution from dirty fossil fuels.

We call on the US Senate to act on Ms. McCarthy’s nomination without further delay.

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About The Climate Reality Project

The Climate Reality Project is one of the world’s leading organizations dedicated to mobilizing action around climate change. With a global movement more than 2 million strong and a grassroots network of trained Climate Leaders, we are spreading the truth and unleashing the cultural momentum to solve the climate crisis. Former Vice President and Nobel Laureate Al Gore is the Founder and Chairman of The Climate Reality Project. For more information, visit www.climaterealityproject.org or follow us on Twitter at @ClimateReality.

The post Statement from Maggie Fox, Climate Reality Project appeared first on Climate Reality.

This month, the first national science standards in over a decade were released for America’s schools. As we discussed last year, these standards are incredibly important – not the least because for the first time, they explicitly ask teachers to address climate change.

To find out more about these standards and what they mean for our schools, we got in touch with John Zavalney, a Climate Leader who taught in the Los Angeles Public School System for more than 20 years.

Interviewed by Lindsay Randall, U.S. Manager, Climate Reality Leadership Corps

As a teacher, how do you think these new science standards will improve climate change education in our schools?

John: The Next Generation Science Standards incorporate the science of climate change into the K-12 curriculum and are a welcomed, small step in the right direction to help educate students and teachers across the country about this important and pressing issue. As an experienced environmental education teacher I have always thought the environment is the perfect theme/umbrella to introduce and reinforce not only science, but also language arts, math, and social studies concepts.

Teaching climate change science is certainly vital. On the other hand, teachers only have so many hours in a day. Will they have to teach a new subject?

John: The inclusion of climate change as a concept in the new standards should not be viewed as a new set of material. The processes that are responsible for the current changes in our climate as well as the basic study of climate include many aspects of chemistry, physics, botany, biology, health, wave theory, and the cycles of energy, water, and matter, as well as systems thinking. These concepts are all part of teaching science, and using climate change as a way to link them to the reality of what is happening to the natural world, at least to me, is an obvious and easy thing to do.

How will students benefit from a climate science education?

John: I truly believe that most of the young people today are overexposed to the technological world while suffering from “nature deficit disorder.” Environmental education is based upon the idea that educators should help students learn how to think, not what to think. Teachers need to help students acquire an appreciation and tolerance of diverse viewpoints on environmental issues and develop attitudes and actions based on analysis and evaluation of the available information. One of the most important functions of environmental education is to introduce students to a variety of information and data that takes them through a journey of developing awareness and appreciation of the natural world, then building their knowledge and understanding while leading students to become responsible, productive, and participatory members of society.

How can today’s students can help move our society toward solutions to climate change?

John: I am also a huge advocate for Service Learning, which links what the students are learning and guides them to taking responsible actions that can make a difference for the local as well as the global community. The Next Generation Science Standards, as I have stated, are a good first step in helping students and teachers develop awareness of the issues related to climate change. If the last step of actually becoming involved and participating in responsible actions is not taken, then we are missing a golden opportunity.

John Zavalney is one of more than 4,000 Climate Leaders who work around the world to educate people about climate change. To become a Climate Leader yourself, apply to attend one of our two upcoming trainings this summer!

The post Climate change in America’s classrooms appeared first on Climate Reality.

The evening of short films by independent filmmakers and videographers focused on environmental action. An emphasis was placed on building awareness of the causes and effects of climate change, and how these challenges are being addressed. At the conclusion of the event the Audience Choice Winners were selected by attendees.

The post Kids Can See It, Why Can’t We? appeared first on Climate Reality.

Jill MacIntyre Witt, a Climate Leader who attended the Climate Reality Leadership Corps training in San Francisco (2012) does presentations with her two daughters in the Bellingham, Washington area.

Kent Taylor is from Oak Park, IL where he lectures at the Shedd Aquarium on coral reef ecology. Kent became a Climate Leader in 2007.

A common question we get from people about the Climate Reality Leadership Corps is “What does a Climate Leader do?” Based on your experience of being an actual Climate Leader, how would you answer that?

Jill: A Climate Leader is someone who is committed to helping solve the climate crisis by participating in the leadership training and committing to be active on this issue through events, presentations, and other acts in their community. Through carrying out this commitment, the responsibility of sharing this knowledge becomes a profound sense of obligation because there are so many people that need further education and steps to take action.

Kent: A Climate Leader is charged with keeping himself totally up to date on the latest climate science, as well as the available resources provided by The Climate Reality Project.

Why should someone who is interested in solving the climate crisis join the Climate Reality Leadership Corps?

Kent: This is the best thing you can do if this is your passion. There is no other outlet that has a stronger impact, other than joining the Climate Reality Leadership Corps. We receive relevant information to be delivered in a unique format, and all of our work is magnified because this is an effective global network.

Jill: This training will provide the groundwork for sharing the facts and educating others about the climate crisis in a respectable, fun, digestible, and educational way. It provides concise and clear scientific facts and action steps. It leaves you with a sense of hope as well that propels them to action.

We have two Climate Reality Leadership Corps trainings happening this summer, one in Chicago and one in Istanbul, Turkey. What was your favorite experience at the training you attended?

Jill: Most definitely being in the same room with 1,000 passionate people with the desire to do more to help solve the climate crisis and to spend a full day of training with Al Gore. He ran through the entire presentation from An Inconvenient Truth. That entire day was astoundingly remarkable in so many ways. I had no idea that Al Gore was so funny! I say that in all my presentations.

Kent: I think I would also have to say the actual training we receive on organizing and presenting a presentation was the most valuable. They gave us clues as to how to pull together a presentation — the dos and don’ts, and how to relate to your audience — the little tips really help.

The Climate Reality Leadership Corps was started by former Vice President Al Gore in 2006 to create a global network of citizens to alert their communities to the reality of climate change. How do you think your work as a Climate Leader has impacted your community?

Kent: It’s difficult to see the presentation’s effects on adults, but I think I make more of an impact on the school groups, where I teach 6th, 7th, 8th graders. I have had teachers in my community empower me to actually teach their class. I give their students their first understanding on what climate science is, and what global warming means. I find this to be a pretty unique opportunity since it’s their first time learning this stuff.

Jill: At the training, we were taught how to tie climate change to a local issue that people could take action on. Where I live, we are currently facing North America’s largest proposed coal export terminal just outside of town. Doing these presentations has helped to spur the dialog about the negative impacts of burning coal in Asia in relation to climate change and our local community. I am able to ask people to have conversations at work, at home, with their neighbors and friends.

Is there anything else you want to say?

Kent: I had this great experience last month while staying at the Coral Islands, actually. I gave a Climate Reality presentation that focused on the coral reefs. A few days later, I bumped into a few of the people from the audience at the airport, and they told me their entire group had been up all night discussing what I said. I was really impacted by that because those late-night conversations are how we change the conversation, and those conversations are how we can solve the climate crisis.

Jill: What is clear is that the crisis is getting worse by the day and it is requiring bigger actions from everyone. We need people to help lead the conversations as Climate Leaders who can empower the will of the masses to grab a hold of this issue, because humanity is certainly worth saving. It is difficult to move people to action, but I don’t want my two teenage daughters asking me 20 years from now, “Why didn’t you do something when you had the chance?”

Climate Reality Leadership Corps

The post What Can You Do about Climate Change? Become a Climate Leader appeared first on Climate Reality.

NEW YORK, April 22, 2013 – The Climate Reality Project, the leading international organization dedicated to mobilizing action on climate change, and Charitybuzz, the global leader in online charity auctions, today announced the launch of the two-week Climate Reality auction. This auction will run from April 22 – May 6 at http://chrty.bz/ClimateRP.

The auction, which begins on Earth Day, will raise funds for the Climate Reality Leadership Corps educational and grassroots-organizing program, with 2013 trainings in Istanbul, Turkey; Chicago, Illinois, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Climate Reality Leadership Corps is currently made up of 4000 Climate Leaders from 58 countries who educate their communities about climate change impacts and solutions.

Items featured in the Climate Reality auction include the following:

• Meet Ben Affleck with a day-long set visit on his next film
• Meet country music superstar and American Idol judge Keith Urban with VIP tickets to an upcoming concert
• Tickets to the Vera Wang Fashion Show During New York Fashion Week
• A Versace gown worn by Academy Award winner Charlize Theron
• Meet Chelsea Handler with VIP tickets to Chelsea Lately
• Tickets for 2 to the Galapagos Islands on a Lindblad Expeditions National Geographic vessel
• An autographed guitar from Maroon 5
• Tickets to the 2014 Sundance Film Festival and Awards Party
• Premium tickets to see Celine Dion at a Las Vegas concert
• Tickets to the critically acclaimed play “The Weir” in London and a private meet and greet with lead actor Brian Cox
• Meet Jackson Browne with VIP tickets to his upcoming tour
• Autographed copy of Betty White’s newest book and autographed picture
• VIP tickets to “Dancing with the Stars”
• Ultimate Disneyland Family VIP Package

“We are incredibly grateful to these friends who are generously contributing their unique talents to support the Climate Reality Leadership Corps program, which is changing the cultural conversation about climate change and driving for solutions,” said Climate Reality CEO Maggie L. Fox.

About The Climate Reality Project
The Climate Reality Project is the world’s leading organization dedicated to mobilizing action around climate change. With a global movement more than 2 million strong and a grassroots network of trained Climate Leaders, we are spreading the truth and unleashing the cultural momentum to solve the climate crisis. Former Vice President and Nobel Laureate Al Gore is the Founder and Chairman of The Climate Reality Project.

The post The Climate Reality Project, Charitybuzz Join Forces on Earth Day to Spread Truth About Climate Change appeared first on Climate Reality.

“Although our government is losing one of the country’s most important and knowledgable climate scientists, the movement to solve the climate crisis gains a full-time champion. Jim has truly led the way in educating policymakers and all of us on the dangers of climate pollution. We owe him a debt of gratitude for his service, his wisdom and his unwavering commitment to stand up for reality and spread the truth about climate change.”

The post Statement from Maggie Fox, Climate Reality Project on the Retirement of James Hansen from NASA appeared first on Climate Reality.

New York, NY (April 1, 2013) – ESPN and The Climate Reality Project are psyched to announce a joint partnership to launch ESPN 5. Nicknamed “The Cinco,” ESPN 5 will focus on new extreme sports made possible through a changing environment due to climate change. The tagline of the new enterprise will be “Extreme Sports Thru Extreme Weather – Feel the Burn!”

In its inaugural year, The Cinco will focus on bringing attention to the emerging blend of adrenaline-soaked sports competitions that have been made possible through climate change. The initial programming will include a dizzying array of top-flight events, such as hurricane wind-surfing, dirtboarding (previously known as snowboarding), dry riverbed kayaking, blizzard soccer, hurricane sandbag-tossing events, and the reality show-inspired event, “The Amazing Race… for Water.”

“After learning that this past decade was the hottest decade on record in the continental United States, ESPN knew that it had to be at the forefront of bringing extreme weather sports to our incredible fans,” said Joe Slobotnik, senior vice president for sustainability at ESPN. “The possibilities for extreme sports are endless thanks to the prospect of rising temperatures, more severe hurricanes, and wildly uncontrollable weather patterns. Feel the Burn!”

“For too long, people have connected climate change with polar bears, melting ice caps, hurricanes, and other boring stuff, instead of the awesome new sports carried by The Cinco,” said Jonathan Swift of The Climate Reality Project. “The American public no longer wants to see winter athletes competing in the snow, or baseball games on a warm summer day. What people really want to see is the world’s fastest athletes outrun wildfires in the West, run ultra marathons on just dirt-based energy bars, and play beach volleyball—in Iowa!”

With the growing popularity of the X Games franchise, The Cinco will debut the “V Games” later this summer. This televised spectacular has already received crucial underwriting from some of the world’s largest supporters of extreme weather sports, such as Exxon-Mobil, Koch Industries, TransCanada, and many others. A complete list of programming will be made available closer to the event.

April Fools Day! As exciting as “The Cinco” sounds, The Climate Reality Project and ESPN are not partnering to create a new sports channel. Although this announcement was made in the spirit of April Fools, it underscores that the realities of climate change are no laughing matter and will seriously impact our lives – from the cities we live in to the sports we play. To learn more about the real-life partnership we have with Warren Miller Entertainment to protect some of the world’s most exciting extreme sports, visit http://climaterealityproject.org/pro-snow/.

The post ESPN Launches ESPN 5 with The Climate Reality Project appeared first on Climate Reality.