In the build up to the UN conference on climate change in Copenhagen in December 2009, Al Gore is campaigning around the world; training volunteers to spread his word on climate change. Al Gore visited Australia in July 2009 for a Climate Project Summit in Melbourne. There he met with and trained over 300 delegates from the Asia-Pacific region as Climate Project Ambassadors, including Aaron Fuller.
Earlier this month (Nov-2009), Turning Green Consultants put together a special presentation where Aaron shared Al Gore’s latest presentation – “Climate Change Towards Copenhagen”.
This presentation was a slide show offering a pretty dark picture, similar to what was presented in “An Inconvenient Truth”. However the picture presented contrasts vividly with the calls to action and the passion of the volunteers spreading his words.
For anyone that has seen “An Inconvenient Truth”, which was the case of most of the audience there, the presentation itself did not provide much new information. It was a reinforcement of what we knew already, a reminder of all that is currently happening in the world. Overall, a pretty dark picture: each year 50,000 species are becoming extinct, old ice is disappearing – melting into the oceans, sea levels are rising, world temperature is rising, we face ever-increasing numbers and ferocity of wild fires and cyclones, and the very real threat of 100 million climate change refugees for every metre the water rises…
Is it too late?
So there we were, sitting in a hot presentation room (in the interests of sustainability the air conditioning is turned off after hours), terrified by the predicted future ahead of us. I kept asking myself, “Is it too late?” The slide show presentation was filled with negative statistics and frightening forecasts. It left me feeling powerless. Surely we can do something about it?
Then… towards the end of the presentation the inspiration came. Aaron Fuller started sharing more of his experiences and initiatives and finally made a call to action to each of us – get active and participate!
Aaron is in fact working on a wide range of not-for-profit projects under his own not-for-profit organisation called Shiftlock – acting as an Ambassador for Al Gore’s Climate Project is just one of these projects. Other projects include “Wipe It Out”, aiming at getting Australians to commit to wiping out non-recycled toilet paper. And “Sustainable Grounds”, supporting the City of Sydney Council’s vision to create a liveable green network in Sydney bringing together a community of cafes where people can hold conversations related to environmental issues.
To me, it became obvious that the one thing that the presentation was missing, and that a lot of other information sources on climate change also seem to be missing, is a long-term vision of how to lead a sustainable life.
Will all the technology and government programs available lead us to a more sustainable way of life without changing our behaviours? People’s behaviour is at the core of the problem. That is what needs to be changed. These presentations should serve to empower, encourage and incentivise people to take action! And with initiatives such as those led by Aaron, with clear call to actions to get people to change their behaviours, I left the presentation feeling more confident in the future.
To make a call to action and share your initiatives, write a comment in the box below.
Turning Green Consultants is a recruitment firm for professionals seeking a career with the skills and values that express their passion for the environment. With universities and business schools, and here with Climate Project, Turning Green Consultants work to provide education and awareness on recent initiatives surrounding environmental issues and sustainable business practices.
Excellent article, heartfelt and factual. It is easy to become disenchanted, much harder to overcome despair and try to make a difference. Support pro-active climate aware politicians and vehemently attack deniers. Deniers are a major threat to any hopes of achieving positive action.
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In the build up to the UN conference on climate change in Copenhagen in December 2009, Al Gore is campaigning around the world; training volunteers to spread his word on 
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