By Cate Rogers, East Hampton, NY

(Copyright: Peter Weber Shutterstock)

I was thrilled to participate in a free showing at my local library of the film “An Inconvenient Truth”, being a new pinned Climate Leader of The Climate Reality Project, and having just completed training led by The Climate Reality Project’s Founder and Charman, Mr. Al Gore.

Then I was surprised to hear an opinion from members of a sponsoring group that perhaps there are other films to consider. Mr. Gore may be an “icon to us” in the movement, but, as they stated, he is a “lightning rod” to others. This was a political statement and I was saddened to see that colleagues in the effort let politics come into play regarding the science of climate reality. However, this is now common in our daily discourse. We attack the messenger and ignore the message. This is also a form of climate change denier tactics. We could be having a much better conversation.

It is ironic, because that is the exact message of The Climate Reality Project. There are simply three questions to be considered when discussing climate reality:

Must we change? Can we change? Will we change?

Mr. Gore’s work and his decades long dedication to acknowledging and adapting to climate change reality go as far back as his natural curiosity of his world. I think that feeling is one to which we all can relate. He was inspired by a science teacher, like many of us, in college who happened to be keeping his own climate record by hand and doing his own historical research with other scientists. The result was defined by the scientific method and it were clear. Our climate has changed since the Industrial Revolution as our worldwide dependence on fossil fuels began in earnest. We are heating up our atmosphere by the release of CO2. This was shown to Mr. Gore and others in the 1970’s and even earlier, and this research has been borne out over the decades.

After decades of speaking on Global Warming, Mr. Gore has become a world leader in the effort to acknowledge the scientific facts and adapt our ways for our own future. Climate Change is not simply a political issue. It is important for our survival that we do not give in to the current trends of discourse and that we remove distortion and manipulation from our discussion. There will always be a great effort to silence the truth tellers.

The fact is that The Climate Reality Project organization is one of the best collections of the top climatologists and top scientists in all fields sharing without boundaries the most up to date scientific research. The effects are happening globally and are often not shown in the media. These scientists are presenting solutions that are available and being implemented throughout the world regarding our climate.  It is about the work of hundreds of scientists, world leaders, business leaders, and people who share a commitment to sustaining our planet…and us.

Locally in East Hampton, NY, there is a discussion about a Wind Farm. Many groups are coming to the table. I hope folks can get past partisan politics to come together to work to sustain the fisheries which might be affected by the wind farm.

Must we change? Can we change? Will we change?  The very good news is that the answers are Yes. Yes. Yes.

Find out more information here: www.climaterealityproject.org. Please contact me for a free presentation to your group, class, club, and office at rogerscate@gmail.com or my fellow Climate Leader Afton DiSunno at aftondis26@optonline.net

(All photos are used by permission of the Climate Reality Project)

Sincerely and respectfully,  Cate Rogers