Climate Reality Leadership Training

“You’re going to learn just as much from those seated with you in the audience as you will from those on this stage.”
 

Al Gore could not have been more accurate. As I was seated with people from local and state government, the private sector, non-profits, students, and retirees, it was inspiring to see the wide range of people interested in taking actions, such as educating others and advocacy, to combat climate change.

Last month, representing Defenders of Wildlife, I attended Al Gore’s Climate Reality Leadership Training in Los Angeles. Founded by Mr. Gore in 2006, the Climate Reality Project has hosted 38 trainings in cities worldwide, with trainees attending from over 100 countries. Each free training spans three days and is open to people from any background, career, or walk of life. The three days include panels and breakout sessions led by a variety of climate change experts to provide attendees with training in climate science, communication, and organizing, so that attendees are better equipped to tell the stories of climate change and inspire communities everywhere to act. The concept behind these trainings is that communities are much more likely to listen and learn from one of their own than a seemingly distant politician or expert. The Climate Reality Project team aims to empower all attendees with confidence to educate others and take action on the climate crisis. This LA training was the largest one yet with almost 2,000 attendees!

Image

There was something incredibly striking about listening to Al Gore talk about the seriousness of the climate crisis while bombarding us with images and videos of apocalyptic conditions around the world. I think we are used to seeing climate impacts in the news day in and day out and have become desensitized to it, but having it crammed into a two-hour presentation was overwhelming, and I could feel the horror in the audience. Fortunately, Mr. Gore warned us that the first hour would be a nightmare and the second hour of his presentation would show us the solutions that already exist.

Fortuitously, bills that will impact the future of California’s energy production and consumption were being voted on by the California legislature during the Climate Reality Training and were thus widely discussed. One set of bills, which has now been signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown, blocks new offshore drilling in California by barring the construction of pipelines, piers, wharves, or any other infrastructure necessary to transport oil and gas from federal waters to California land. Given that a similar bill failed in the legislature last year, this was a monumental moment in California declaring what sort of energy it is willing to support. The other major energy bill being decided upon during the training was Senate Bill (SB) 100. SB 100 sets a target for California to have 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2045. This means all of California’s electricity will come from clean power sources, such as solar, wind or hydro, by 2045. The bill also requires electric utilities and other service providers to generate 60% of their power from renewable sources by 2030, up from the 50% goal previously set for that date. This bill fit perfectly into the discussion happening at the Climate Reality Training. As the fifth largest economy in the world, California often has the ability to set important precedents. Further, though there are many factors involved in the causes of climate change, the training focused a great deal on clean energy and decarbonization. Since the training, Governor Brown also signed SB 100 into law, another huge step forward for California and a strong message to the rest of the country about the future of energy.

This training was a transformative experience in the way people view their own role within the overwhelming climate crisis. It empowers everyone with the tools and information to go out and educate their communities about the realities of climate change.

- Analise

Panel topics and speakers were wide ranging, including:

Rapid Decarbonization, a discussion about the flourishing technological solutions that can address the climate crisis (Hal Harvey the CEO of Energy Innovation)
Clean Transportation: Moving Beyond Carbon, a discussion about how California is rethinking its approach to clean transportation and urban and economic development (Ryan Popple, CEO of Proterra)
Facing Reality: Firefighters on the Climate Frontlines, a panel of first responders discussed the connection between climate change and the global rise in destructive wildfires from California to Australia
Climate Change on Camera, a panel discussion about how to better portray climate change on screen and how film and television can spread the message of a sustainable future (Alan Horn, CEO of Walt Disney Studios; Jonathan Scott, host of The Property Brothers)
Ensuring Climate Equity, a discussion on how community leaders and activists are working to address air pollution and benefit neighborhoods struggling with poverty and pollution (Mark Lopez, Executive Director of East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice; Emi Wang, Environmental Equity Manager of the Greenlining Institute; Nalleli Cobo, Founding Member of the South Los Angeles Youth Leadership Coalition)