Lisa Albrecht (back row, second from right) presented the facts about the climate change to about 100 students at Oak Park River Forest High School. Here she is pictured with students and leaders from It’s Our Future, a climate advocacy and activism group for youth. Photo courtesy of Cassandra West.
By Jim Babcock
On November 20 and 21, three of Climate Reality Project’s 1600 worldwide events were held in Oak Park. The Climate Reality Project, a global non-profit organization founded by Al Gore, is tasked with explaining the science of climate change and the already-existing solutions to the current crisis to people all over the world.
The first of three “24 Hours of Reality: Truth to Action” presentations in Oak Park was held at Oak Park River Forest High School. Sponsored by the school’s Environmental Club and young leaders of It’s Our Future, the after-school talk was given by Lisa Albrecht, an experienced climate change educator and owner of the local business All Bright Solar.
After hearing about the scientifically confirmed dangers of climate change and the many possible solutions, the nearly 100 students in attendance had many salient questions and comments for Lisa:
What state or federal legislation can we support?
How can we motivate others to take action?
What is “green washing”?
Is there new oxide battery storage technology coming online?
We want to make the school cafeteria more sustainable by instituting composting, and eliminating Styrofoam and straws.
How can we influence the various levels of our government?
Julie Moller spoke to a full house at the Sugar Beet Food Co-op.
The second presentation was held later that day at the Sugar Beet Food Co-op. Julie Moller, Chair of the River Forest Sustainability Commission and a recent Climate Reality trainee, was the presenter.
The ”Truth to Action” program started with the question “Must we change?” which explained how our use of fossil fuels is already leading to disruptive climate events such as flooding, sea level rise, and destructive wildfires. It was noted that in Illinois, additional negative effects include increased health risks from ticks and mosquitoes.
“Can we change?” turned the audience’s attention to the more-rapid-than-expected growth of wind and solar energy as evidence of viable technologies that are economically competitive with dirty fuel sources. Illinois is the #6 producer of wind power in the U.S., but there is lots of room to grow, it was pointed out, as renewable energy remains a small 8% of the total electric power produced in our state.
“Will we change?” shifted the discussion to what actions can be taken to avoid the worst effects of climate change. Julie referred the audience to “Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming” by Paul Hawken. Of the 80 solutions studied, reduced food waste and a plant-rich diet were listed respectively as the #3 and #4 most effective strategies.
The slide presentation and discussion at the third Oak Park Climate Reality event, held the following evening at the Oak Park Library, also covered the science of climate disruption and the renewable energy solutions. Presenter Pam Tate, a long-time President and CEO of an educational non-profit, then guided the audience in a lively and all-important conversation about what we can do to mitigate climate change.
The strategies suggested were:
Use Your Voice: talk to friends and neighbors, community leaders, local politicians, about the climate crisis and the need to make swift and radical changes.
Make Good Personal Choices: switch to solar power, plant trees, embrace a plant-rich diet.
Vote: support the Clean Energy Jobs Act and work for a government that is environmentally progressive.
(For more about local students’ reaction to the climate emergency, see the Wednesday Journal article: https://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles/11-26-2019/Climate-activists-take-the-fight-to-Madrid-/)
