FYI…Deb
Debra L. Sachs, Director
802-865-7330
802-865-7500 Fax
802-658-8487 (Hm Office)
From: Clean Air-Cool
Planet [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Friday, October 15, 2004
3:50 PM
To: Debra Sachs
Subject: A Bit of Inspiration from
CA-CP and Green House Network
Clean Air-Cool
Planet is the Northeast's leading nonprofit
organization dedicated to finding and promoting solutions to global warming.
Keep on Making Me Care!
For the third consecutive summer, climate activists from around the
country gathered to spend a weekend on Boston’s beautiful Thompson
Island, getting down to the nitty-gritty details of one burning question: HOW
can we effectively advocate and organize for responsible energy and climate
policies?
Global warming activists, all fired up
These attendees of the 2004 Global Warming Speaking and Organizing
Training—jointly hosted by Green House Network, Clean Air-Cool Planet,
and Massachusetts Climate Action Network—dove into consideration of said
question with the same collaborative fervor and creativity that TI “alumni”
have demonstrated at the workshop in the past.
As in previous years, the group was electrified by experts like Ross
Gelbspan, (whose newest offering, Boiling Point, was released
in July); engaged by small informational breakout and q-&-a sessions; and
challenged to present their ideas to peers for critique and brainstorming.
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Journalist Ross Gelbspan (left) and Green House Network
Executive Director Eban Goodstein (middle) get folks motivated; MIT’s
Dr. Peter Stone (right) gives a lesson in the use of climate models. |
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Attendees this year had some unique experiences as well. For starters,
we were often ON CAMERA, thanks to the film artists Judith Helfand and Dan
Gold, makers of the award-winning Blue Vinyl and the upcoming global warming
“toxicomedy” Melting Planet. They joined us for the
entire weekend, intrepidly gathering potential movie material, and inspiring
(among other things) our wrap-up MAKE ME CARE session, challenging everyone to
give a compelling “elevator-speech”—that difficult but
crucial two-minute-or-less case for global warming action—for the
cameras.
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Roger Stephenson (top left) cuts to the chase: Only 10 weeks
‘til elections. Melting Planet film-makers (top right, with Eban
Goodstein) Dan Gold and Judith Helfand bring an added level of energy and
direction to the weekend’s activities, and have folks smiling for the
cameras (bottom photo). |
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The context of this year’s workshop was also unique: given the
upcoming election, activism in the political arena was an inevitable focus of
the group’s time and discussion.
The political will of the group, the heightened creative energy sparked
by the movie-makers, and the depth of expertise brought to bear on the subject
from many sectors and locales, all added up to a tightly focused and
wonderfully exciting workshop – and a remarkable commitment on the part
of everyone there to “walk their talk” in the weeks and months
following our gathering.
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No matter their background, activists shared a spirit of
commitment. |
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Offered by our
workshop participants, the box below contains a look at what some of you and
your fellow climate activists are up to these days.
Getting the sense yet that you’re not alone? Let us know what
YOU’VE been doing to “fight the good fight,” so we can spread
the word! Our message is getting out there, featured prominently in Fortune, Business Week, National Geographic, all
in the past several months. With only 18 days to go, now
is the time to press forward—up to the November elections and, of course,
beyond…
—Jennifer Schroeder
I have 2 voter
registration booths planned and working on more! I also have one confirmed talk
to the Aveda Institute on "Carb Counting" followed up with voter
registration. These are young future hair dressers and their clients, a perfect
opportunity to get out the vote! I have 2 more tentative global warming talks
scheduled for October and beyond. - Gigi, MN
[Since the July
training] I have spoken with at least one new person a day about global warming
and entered into conversations about what candidates and office holders are
proposing to do about it. I still find myself sometimes feeling awkward, but
each time more engaged. I'm participating in Clean Power Now (working to get a
wind farm on Cape Cod).
- Susan B., MA
Aside from a month in a
New Hampshire [spent campaigning for the] Kerry-Edwards campaign, I went to a
NYC Kerry-Edwards meeting, to get materials to sign up for a registration
effort here in town. I’ll begin scheduling global warming talks after
election. -
Charles, NY
I had a great talk in
New Hampshire for a group of craft ladies...[it] definitely challenged me, but
it was really good and lots came up that will effect their Nov. votes. - Susan O., MA
My commitment is as
follows: Campaign in Ohio (my home state) and Florida (My daughter's home
state); Speak to church groups (including Pentacostal churches), Rotary Clubs,
and congresspeople. -
Jane, MA
1. Submit our proposal
to a major potential funder: “What Works? Sharing Information and
Building Networks for the New Climate Movement” 2. Submit a new paper, to
the journal Action Research: “From Civic Engagement to Social Movement: How
Action Researchers Can Push Climate Change Activism towards a ‘Tipping
Point.” - Jon
and Sissel, VT and CA
I [gave] a
presentation…at the end of August in a state-wide Cities for Climate
Protection meeting where I [spoke] about Stamford's action plan. In addition,
politically, I plan to get involved with students campaigning for Kerry. I am
also attempting to set up a meeting between Fordham faculty and/or
administration with Ned [Raynolds] of CA-CP to work with the school to make it
a campus for climate action. - Kim, MA/NY
I've wrapped up a huge
petition drive to get on the ballot a law making it mandatory for large
providers of retail electrical service to include an increasing percentage of
energy from renewable sources. In August, I [gave] my now-perfected talk to...a
gathering in Crestone. The little community center was packed to capacity, and
about twenty people stayed after to talk. For a first experience, I felt
completely comfortable with the questions. I'm hooked for life on doing this,
that's for sure.-
Nicole, CO
On July 28 I did an
interview for UMASS radio WMUA on GW and Green Electricity. I plan to do
follow-up interviews, more on global warming, and to explore other progressive
radio shows. Also: Send email to friends and family about my work as a "stop
GW" messenger, naming some actions they can take immediately to have an
impact; talk to my nephew Todd about the importance of acting now against
GW...working for an environmental group instead of staying in corporate culture
to make more money; work on Kerry Campaign in NH with my mother; discuss with
CACP how to get Northampton paying attention to their membership in the ICLEI
project; organize to do a series of community access TV shows on Global Warming
and what we can do about it; figure out how to take the tapes to other
communities. I [organized] a display on technologies (Hybrid car, green
electricity, wind, solar) that offset GW at a large community block party on
September 11…. -
Peggy, MA
1) I hope to make a
short presentation to my neighbors in the beach community (Mattapoisett) where
I have a house close to the water. Right now I'm a couple hundred yards back,
but expect my son to have beach front property. 2) I [made] the 'big' pitch as part
of a seminar series at a Yoga center here in Franklin, October 1st...It went
great, I had about 13 people and an invite to come back and do it again in
January. 3) I am putting a video about wind power on my local cable access.The
rest of the time this fall, I will devote to settling a small matter with G.W.
Bush. - Ted, MA
I have scheduled my
first talk on Global Warming at Berkshire Community college for this fall.
Climate Crisis Coalition (CCC) [had] an informational/sign up for action table
at the Green Festival in Washington DC, Sept 18th, and...a street vigil there
as well. –
Tom, MA (CCC Director)
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