The Climate Reality Project Launches 23rd Training of the Climate Reality Leadership Corps in Chicago

Chicago, IL (July 29, 2013) - Four weeks after President Obama challenged the country to play a leadership role in reducing carbon pollution, The Climate Reality Project will launch its 23rd Climate Reality Leadership Corps training program on July 30 in Chicago. This three-day program includes keynote appearances by Climate Reality Chairman Al Gore and President Maggie L. Fox, and presentations by dozens of leading climate scientists, communications experts, and community organizers and activists. More than 1500 registered participants will attend the training, including representatives from all 50 states and 77 countries.

The purpose of this intensive three-day training program is to formally train a new cadre of Climate Leaders, who emerge from the program as energized and skilled communicators with the knowledge, tools, and drive to educate diverse communities on the impacts of climate change and to demand action now. Last month, Climate Reality held its largest-ever international training in Istanbul, Turkey. At the conclusion of the Chicago training, the Climate Reality Leadership Corps will include nearly 6000 new Leaders from more than 100 key countries.

"Seven years ago, we set out to create a global network of leaders that would bring the message of climate change and its solutions in a unique person-by-person, community-by-community approach. Those humble beginnings have evolved into the extraordinarily successful Climate Leader program, which now boasts nearly 6000 trained participants from 100 countries," said Al Gore, former Vice-President and Chairman and Founder of The Climate Reality Project. "Climate Leaders will continue to be an integral part of the growing movement in the United States and abroad that President Obama deemed critical to the success of the movement to cut carbon pollution."

"Climate Leaders represent an extraordinary cross-section of our society - teachers and students, lawyers, physicians and nurses, youth, entertainers, homemakers, business leaders and entrepreneurs, public servants, and more - and each of them are bound by a calling to act on climate change," said Maggie L. Fox, President and CEO of The Climate Reality Project. "As we experience more climate related extreme weather events like record breaking heat, drought, wildfires and hurricanes, Climate Leaders are connecting the dots in their communities. They are front-line agents for change, educating the public and building networks to inspire solutions and demand action."