FREE seminars on global warming
When seven area residents learned that there was something they could do to help battle global warming, they moved quickly.
To Nashville, that is, for training sessions with none other than former Vice President Al Gore, who is considered the harbinger of global warming.
Gore has set up training sessions to teach regular folks how to be global messengers and present a version of the Oscar-winning documentary, “An Inconvenient Truth.”
The training sessions began in September and will continue for a year until 1,000 are trained.
The global messengers paid their own way to the training session and promised when they return to their homes to make 10 presentations over the next year. The presentations can be a half long, an hour or even longer depending on what is requested of them
And it’s free.
They’re presentations are directed toward everyone, and they hope speak to businesses, schools, churches, clubs, and anyone who wants to know more about the issue.
To contact the local global messengers to schedule a presentation:
Mary English of Prairie Village, maryenglish4402@hotmail.com, 816-448-3352 or cell, 913-579-8484.
English said even as an adolescent when climate change was beginning to make headlines, she had felt it was a real problem. However, last summer the documentary, “An Inconvenient Truth” articulated the immediacy of the problem. After reading about Al Gore’s training program, she sent a letter to Gore, which led to her invitation to attend a session in December.
“We are at the crossroads of the biggest moral decision of our day,” English said. “What role will our country take to combat this issue over the next five years? It’s up to us.”
Thomas Hess of Pleasant Hill, tlhess41@earthlink.com, 816-380-3757 or cell 816-914-2696.
After watching “An Inconvenient Truth” with his daughter, Hess was so moved he decided to become a global messenger and made the trek to Nashville to be trained personally by Gore.
“Thomas is an outstanding example of the millions of Americans who have been energized by the call to action on the climate crisis,” said Gore. “We are so pleased that he has made a serious commitment to this challenge by coming to Nashville to become part of this unprecedented grassroots effort.
“Thomas will be spending the next year making presentations in and around Pleasant Hill, Harrisonville, Lee’s Summit and Kansas City, discussing how individuals and businesses, schools, and other organizations can be a major part of the solution to the growing crisis of global warming,” Gore said.
Fred Klafta of Kingswood, kingsvfred@aol.com, 816-597-9429 or cell 816-678-6289.
Klafta is in his 26th year of teaching science in the classroom and in the field. Currently he teaches Junior/Senior Environmental Science at Van Horn High School. He also has planned, designed and supervised the building of a passive solar home.
Klafta is a former certified backcountry leader and EMT, guiding mostly junior and high school students in the Montana, New England and California regions of the U.S. He is a former Youth Conservation Corps leader in the Illinois, Massachusetts and California programs. He considers himself a guide for teaching citizen environmental advocacy to students and regional communities around the Kansas City area.
Penny Mahon, Prairie Village, pennymah@kckcc.edu, 913-234-0840.
Mahon said she has been an environmentalist all of her adult life, and has become increasingly concerned about the climate crisis. When she heard about The Climate Project, she immediately believed it would be an incredible opportunity, allowing her to participate and to help increase awareness and urgency of solving the crisis.
“I am doing this for my children because of my concern for their future and the world they will live in, as well as in memory of my wonderful parents,” Mahon said. “I am looking forward to making presentations about the climate crisis in my home state of Kansas and in and around the Kansas City area.”
Kristin Riott, Prairie Village, kristinwr@kc.rr.com, 913-384-5156 or cell 913-530-7617.
Riott came to Kansas City to work for Hallmark Cards, spending twenty years in business and creative writing. In 2000, she and her family moved to Hong Kong for her husband’s career. The dramatic increase in pollution, they witnessed in just two years in Asia, ignited Kristin’s commitment to environmental issues. She is a member of the Prairie Village Environmental Committee, True Blue Women’s Environmental Committee, Think Twice, a women’s activist group, and local gardening organizations. She attended Gore’s Climate Project in January.
Ruth Siress, Overland Park, rhssvc@everestkc.net, 913-451-4758 or cell 816-392-0790.
Siress’s work spans the public and private educational field. She has developed leadership and communication based programs in North America, South Africa and New Zealand. Over the years, her concern for the safety and balance of the earth has intensified.
“The training provided by Al Gore and The Climate Project positions us at the grassroots to take bold action,” Siress said.
She and her colleague, Leigh Smith, use the on-going scientific research and the teaching tools provided by the training to deliver a message they hope will compel people toward global responsibility.
Leigh Smith, Leawood, leighsmith2000@earthlink.net, 913-649-1066.
Smith is committed to inspiring as many people as possible to take action and help solve the climate crisis. When speaking with a group, she gives an overview of the science of Global Warming, answers questions, and then moves directly into actionable solutions.
“As a public speaker and trainer, I’ve worked with thousands of people all around the country,” Smith said. “Most of us love this beautiful planet and want our children and grandchildren to be able to enjoy it too.”
Smith said she was compelled to deliver the urgent message of climate change after seeing Gore’s documentary.
Carmen-Venus Baerga, carmenvenus@sbcglobal.net, 816-807-6807. Baerga got involved in the project after watching Gore’s documentary. She said she became more aware of the impact of people’s activities the planet. Her ability to possibly help and contribute to the solution was appealing.
“I truly believe that people can contribute to a better quality of life for themselves and for others when they are well informed and have the tools to make wise and healthy decisions,” Baerga said.
Baerga hopes to be able to inform the Spanish communities about global warming because “we all share a worldwide commonality. There are practical and immediate actions we can all take for individual and collective well being.”
Pictured from left are: Thomas Hess, Mary English, Penny Mahon, Ruth Siress, Kristin Riott, Leigh Smith, Fred Klafta, not pictured Carmen-Venus Baerga.
