Letter from the Executive Director

This month we are hosting a small group of European students studying climate change and sustainability through the University of Minnesota at Will Steger’s Homestead in Ely, MN, revising our Educator Resource binder in preparation for our Summer Institute, and gearing up for August’s educational events and Midwest youth summit.

With your support, we can continue to fight climate change and push for solutions. You can support us this month in a variety of ways!

Support our work through Chase Community Giving – vote for us on Facebook – we only need 900 votes to be in the top 200 nonprofits that are eligible to receive $20,000 – Expires Today.

Know an educator? Tell them about our Summer Institute for Climate Change Education – participants can join in person or via webinar.

You can also contribute to us directly – online or in the mail.

Finally, if you are in Minnesota, join us as we host Dr. Naomi Oreskes, climate historian, on Wed. August 11th at 5 p.m. at the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs for a private reception preceding a free public forum at 6 p.m. Learn more about our special guest and her newest book in this article.

Thank you for your interest and support of our work!

Nicole Rom
Executive Director

SIGN UP TODAY for our Summer Institute for Climate Change Education

The 5th annual Summer Institute for Climate Change Education is on Thursday August 12th, 8:30-4:30 pm at the University of Minnesota Continuing Education & Conference Center in St. Paul, MN. Featuring renowned climate science historian and author Dr. Naomi Oreskes and Minnesota's own climatologist Dr. Mark Seeley.

This year we will look back on our last five years of climate change education outreach and curriculum development and take time to “Go Back to the Basics.”

Sign up online or download an application.

Our keynote speaker is in the news a lot lately!
For a sneak peak on our Summer Institute's keynote speaker Naomi Oreskes. Listen to the podcast produced by Center for Inquiry.

Letter from the Executive Director

(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

First, the ugly news: You’ve probably watched or read about the oil disaster that is unfurling along the Gulf Coast. Thousands of barrels of crude oil are steadily gushing into the Gulf every day, threatening the lives, health, economy, and environment of an entire region. The BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is a stark reminder of the true cost of America's oil dependence. The federal government's response to this crisis must start with containing the spill and cleaning up the gulf, but it also needs to implement comprehensive climate and energy policies that address U.S. oil addiction. The climate and energy bill must ensure disasters like this never happen again, by creating a clean, safe energy economy for America.

Now the bad news: The media has fallen hard for the political game between Democrats and Republicans recently regarding the climate and energy bill; Is Republican Senator Graham in or out as a co-sponsor of the bill developed by Senators Kerry, Lieberman and Graham? Will climate and energy legislation include more off-shore drilling? Rather than continue to get bogged down in politics, it is time to muster the courage to do whatever is necessary to put a price on carbon. We were glad to see that Senators Kerry and Lieberman finally introduced the American Power Act earlier this week. The bill would establish, for the first time, effective national limits on global warming pollution. Those limits would get tighter every year and would drive investments in clean energy that create jobs and begin to end our dangerous addiction to oil.

Letter from the Executive Director

This month marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22nd. It’s often easy to focus on the environmental problems we have, and not enough on the solutions. In honor of Earth Day, here are five things we can be proud of and can build on over the next 40 years:

1. Being green is smart business: Big companies from Walmart to Google are embracing zero waste emissions – not just for public relations, but for their bottom line.
2. Renewable energy is no longer a niche market – solar, geothermal, and wind energy are growth industries around the world.
3. Environmental education produces enlightened kids who are great at convincing skeptical parents.
4. Individuals are making a huge positive impact on the environment. Our unprecedented ability to connect and organize globally means no longer waiting for government to act.
5. We are the luckiest generation. On the first Earth Day 40 years ago, we understood our planet insufficiently. Forty years hence, our knowledge may come too late. Though we may witness the worst, we have the opportunity to do the most.

This month Will’s Eyewitness message has hit the road with a tour of Alaska’s major metropolitan centers, Juneau, Anchorage and Fairbanks. Then he’s off to South Dakota for presentations in Brookings and Rapid City in an effort to build public support for climate action on campuses, in communities and to push for strong federal legislation.

Locally in Minnesota, our education staff are giving presentations and participating in Earth Day celebrations at schools and the Capitol in St. Paul. Get involved this Earth Day by checking out our action section and join us online – follow our blogs and join us at our next event.

Sincerely,

Nicole Rom, Executive Director