Anyone wanting to take a lead role in
tackling the climate crisis could not ask for a better mentor
than Al Gore.
Fortunately for budding activists, the former United States vice
president is available to do precisely that.
As well as starring in the double Oscar-winning documentary 'An
Inconvenient Truth' and being awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize
for his efforts to alert the world about the dangers of global
heating, Gore is also the founder of a non-profit organization
called The Climate Reality Project.
Its aim is to give people worried about the environmental crisis
the opportunity to do something about it, providing them with
the information and communication skills needed to follow his
lead and, as the movement's slogan says: 'Lead on Climate'.
A global network of people from 192 countries, its next stop is
Rome, where Al Gore will lead a three-day training session June
28-30 for around 1,000 new Climate Reality Leaders, as the
movement's members are called.
"Many people are not aware of it, but Europe is now the
fastest-warming continent on Earth and Europe faces increasingly
devastating downpours, floods, mudslides, heatwaves, droughts,
wildfires, stronger storms and more," Gore said in a video
inviting people to sign up for the three-day programme.
"This training, which is free to attend, is your opportunity to
learn the latest scientific facts about the causes of the
climate crisis and the solutions to the climate crisis that are
in our hands today.
"You can learn new communication skills and you'll be networked
with others who share your goals and values.
"By participating you'll become part of a global community of
Climate Reality leaders working together to usher in real
climate solutions worldwide.
"As we face the critical challenges posed by the climate crisis,
your voice is more important than ever," concluded the
76-year-old Democratic Party heavyweight.
"What comes next is up to us".
At the moment there are close to 50,000 trained Climate Reality
leaders, who form the nucleus of a 3.5-million-strong network.
The movement and its members help each other push for a just
transition toward net zero emissions by the middle of this
century, with major steps toward that goal by 2030, in a wide
variety of ways, joining forces to increase their impact.
Climate Reality leaders are encouraged, for example, to give
presentations based on those given by Gore himself to raise
awareness of the problem, to take part in campaigns such as the
annual 24 Hours of Reality event, and to work for
emission-cutting solutions within their local and national
communities.
At the heart of the project is a commitment to climate justice
based on recognition that those least to blame for global
heating, such as people in the Global South and black people in
the Global North, are being hit hardest by it.
The majority of the 10 countries worst affected by
climate-fuelled extreme weather from 1999- 2018, for example,
are also on the list of the world's least developed nations.
European Commissioner for Climate Action Wopke Hoekstra, Athens
Mayor Haris Doukas and Bologna Mayor Matteo Lepore are among the
speakers who will take part in the Rome training event, which is
being organized in cooperation with several groups, including
Greenpeace, the WWF, Italian environmental association
Legambiente and the Catholic Laudato Sì Movement, named after
Pope Francis' environmental protection encyclical.
"Southern Europe and the Mediterranean stand at a critical
juncture in addressing global climate change," said Ilaria
Quotta, an Italian fashion entrepreneur and member of Climate
Reality's Team Italy.
"Civil society can play a crucial role.
"During the training we will consider how to build inclusive,
adaptive and resilient communities in urban and rural settings,
to meet the challenges of an increasingly hot planet.
"We look forward to seeing you there".
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