The Climate Project Brings Together Historic Gathering of World’s Experts on Climate Change

05/14/09

For more information contact:

Carrie Criado

Communications Director

The Climate Project

carrie.criado@theclimateproject.org

832-576-6207

Kalee Kreider

Office of Honorable Al and Mrs. Tipper Gore

press@carthagegroup.com

(615) 332-5004

Julia Payne

Communications Director

The Alliance for Climate Projection

julia.payne@climateprotect.org

(202)628-1999

The Climate Project Brings Together Historic Gathering of World’s Experts on Climate Change

Hundreds of Grass-Roots Activists and Scientific Leaders Meet in Nashville for Al Gore’s North American Summit

(Nashville, Tennessee, May 14, 2009)— The Climate Project (TCP), an international non-profit founded by former Vice President Al Gore with a mission to increase public awareness of the climate crisis at a grassroots level worldwide, is opening its North American Summit in Nashville today.

During the three day event, Gore will address more than 500 attendees as well as conduct a three hour training workshop. Dr. Rajendra K. Pachauri, Chairman of the Nobel Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will also be present. Award-winning scientist, environmentalist and journalist Dr. David Suzuki will join Gore and Pachauri, establishing the first time in history that three of the most recognized names in climate change have ever appeared together.

The Summit marks the beginning of TCP’s “Phase Two,” signaling the transition from its original mission of education and increasing public awareness of the climate crisis to its expanded objective of “advocacy and activism.” Now, TCP volunteers, while continuing their education role, will also seek to persuade people to encourage elected officials and community leaders to urgently address climate change issues.

To help foster this move, Steve Hildebrand, Democratic political strategist and former deputy national campaign director for Barack Obama, will speak to attendees as well as Steve Bouchard, veteran political campaign strategist and Repower America Campaign Manager, about the national campaign to enact bold policies to improve climate change. Both are now working with Maggie Fox, CEO of The Alliance for Climate Protection, who is also addressing the conference.

The shift from public education to activism is inspired in part by the upcoming Copenhagen Treaty negotiations, a gathering in December 2009 of hundreds of representatives from around the world to discuss the replacement of the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012.  The Kyoto Protocol set limits on greenhouse gas emissions for all participating countries.  The treaty contained emissions trading options to combat the potentially harmful economic effects of sudden restrictions.  The objective of the Copenhagen meeting is to establish options for furthering the Kyoto treaty goals. TCP’s role will be to advocate for key leaders in the US and throughout the world to take strong positions during the Copenhagen meeting.

In addition, numerous environmental scientists will lead panel discussions on climate issues. Dr. George Woodwell, senior scientist at Woods Hole Research Center, and Dr. Eric Steig, geochemist and University of Washington professor, will speak on Global Warming Projections: The Latest Climate Science. A second panel, lead by Dr. Howard Frumkin of the Center for Disease Control and Dr. Paul Epstein from Harvard Medical Center, will address Emerging Health Threats of Climate Change.

Several other climate change workshops will also be held.

The following are some of the experts and leaders that will attend:

--Honorable Al Gore, Nobel Laureate and former Vice President, Founder of The Climate Project, Founder and Chairman of The Alliance for Climate Protection

--Mrs. Tipper Gore, author, photographer, former Second Lady of the United States

--Rajendra K. Pachauri, Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, co-recipient of the 2007 Nobel Peace Price with Gore

--David Suzuki, scientist, broadcaster, environmental activist

--Steve Hildebrand, Democratic political strategist, Deputy National Campaign Director for Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign

--Steve Bouchard, veteran political strategist and Repower America Campaign Manager

--George Woodwell, Ph.D., ecologist, senior scientist at Woods Hole Research Center

--Eric Steig, Ph.D., geochemist, professor at University of Washington

--Dr. Howard Frumkin, CDC, Director of the National Center for Environmental Health

--Dr. Paul Epstein, Harvard Medical School Associate Director of the Center for Health and the Global Environment

--Jenny Clad, Executive Director of The Climate Project

--Larry Schweiger, President, National Wildlife Federation

--Maggie Fox, CEO of The Alliance for Climate Protection

--Don Henry, Executive Director of the Australian Conservation Foundation

--Kaki King, guitarist, singer-songwriter

--Roz Savage, ocean rower, environmental activist

About The Climate Project

The Climate Project (TCP) is an international non-profit founded by Nobel Laureate and former Vice President Al Gore with a mission to increase public awareness of the climate crisis at a grassroots level worldwide. TCP consists of a professional staff and more than 2,600 dedicated volunteers throughout the United States, Australia, Canada, India, Spain, and the UK, all personally trained by Al Gore to educate the public about climate change. In 2009, TCP expanded its mission with a new commitment to advocacy and activism to combat the climate crisis. TCP presenters have reached a combined audience of more than 5 million people worldwide and plans are underway to develop affiliate offices in Israel, China, Eastern Europe, Mexico, and Latin America. Our hope is that by raising the awareness of our fellow citizens about this crisis and informing them about potential solutions, all of us, together, can preserve the climate balance on which humanity and our planet depend.

For more information on The Climate Project, please visit http://www.theclimateproject.org or call (615) 327-7577.

The Climate Project is Al Gore's climate change leadership program and is a part of the Alliance for Climate Protection, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. TCP's mission is to educate the public about the harmful effects of climate change and to work toward solutions at a grassroots level worldwide. TCP supports more than 3,500 diverse and dedicated volunteers worldwide. TCP Presenters have delivered 70,000 presentations and have reached a combined global audience of 7.3 million people. Your donation will allow us to engage even more people directly in our mission and empower every individual to play a part in solving the climate crisis.  Donations for The Climate Project are accepted through the Alliance for Climate Protection. Please specify that your gift should be allocated to The Climate Project fund. Contributions or gifts to The Alliance for Climate Protection are deductible as charitable contributions for Federal income tax purposes. No goods or services of any value were or will be transferred to you in connection with this donation. Unless otherwise indicated, donations are considered unrestricted and will be used by the Alliance to fulfill its overall mission and goals.

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