Al Gore and The Climate Reality Project to Host Climate Activist Training in Minneapolis
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Washington, DC (May 9, 2019) – Today, The Climate Reality Project announced that Al Gore will host the 42nd Climate Reality Leadership Corps activist training in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota from August 2-4.
Applications are now open for the three-day Minneapolis-St. Paul training, which will be Climate Reality’s 42nd major activist training event. Led by former US Vice President and Climate Reality Chairman Al Gore, the training will feature speakers from business, communications and scientific realms who will train the next crop of Climate Reality Leaders. Participants will emerge from the training with the practical tools to communicate about the climate crisis and its solutions, and to take action to help build a diverse, equitable and inclusive climate movement. Participants will also learn how to give a version of the presentation made famous by the Oscar-winning film An Inconvenient Truth and seen in the 2017 follow-up film An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power.
“The people of Minnesota have experienced firsthand the effects of the climate crisis, and that has already galvanized many to pursue new clean energy and sustainable solutions,” said Al Gore. “Temperatures are rising faster in Minnesota then in most parts of the U.S. and climate-related extreme events are becoming more frequent and more destructive, greatly impacting the local economy in the Twin Cities. I am looking forward to the training and to sharing experiences with inspirational activists, and joining them in helping to build an inclusive and resilient future together.”
Residents of Minnesota and the upper Midwest are already seeing the effects of the climate crisis: extreme weather events and historic floods pose a threat to traditional foods and places, agricultural livelihoods and outdoor recreation. Current community-based struggles – including pipeline construction on indigenous lands – are prevalent, highlighting the need to reinforce the leadership of frontline and indigenous populations and committing to greater equity and justice.
Participants at the training will learn about the economic opportunities for both cities and rural areas presented by a transition to clean energy and how to make the economic case for climate action. The training will also highlight how equitable climate solutions demand that everyone has access to clean air and water, affordable clean energy, and job opportunities in the new green economy. The training will also explore how farmers and ranchers are employing sustainable agriculture and other practices to improve the resilience of the nation's food systems.
As a leader in wind energy and with a fast-growing solar sector, Minnesota is pioneering a pathway toward a clean energy economy, as it considers a path to 100% clean energy. Meanwhile, cities across the state are committing to transitioning to renewable energy, electrifying transit, promoting building energy efficiency, and much more. Participants at the training will learn about the economic opportunities for both cities and rural areas presented by the energy transition and how to make the economic case for climate action.
The Minneapolis-St. Paul training is made possible by the generous support of Amy and Michael Stielow. Additional support has been provided by Askov Finlayson’s Keep the North Cold campaign.
Climate Reality has trained more than 19,000 activists from 152 countries, with an upcoming training in Brisbane, Australia in June. Recent trainings have been held in Atlanta, Georgia; Los Angeles, California; Berlin, Germany; Mexico City, Mexico; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Greater Seattle, Washington; Denver, Colorado; Shenzhen, China; Manila, Philippines; Miami, Florida; Toronto, Canada; New Delhi, India; and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Climate Reality also has 10 global branch offices and local chapters throughout the United States.
To learn more about the Climate Reality Leadership Corps training in Minneapolis-St. Paul and to apply before the June 19 deadline, visit https://www.climaterealityproject.org/training.
Interested participants can direct questions about the training to [email protected] or 202-567-6800.
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ABOUT THE CLIMATE REALITY PROJECT
Founded by Nobel Laureate and former US Vice President Al Gore, The Climate Reality Project is working to catalyze a global solution to the climate crisis by making urgent action a necessity across every level of society. With a global movement more than 5 million strong and a grassroots network of trained Climate Reality Leader activists, we are spreading the truth about the climate crisis and building popular support for clean energy solutions. For more information, visit www.climaterealityproject.org or follow us on Twitter at @ClimateReality.