Al Gore, dedicated to unleashing global movement demanding action on climate change
Gore’s Climate Reality Project exists to forge bedrock of impassioned global support for urgent action
No 909 Posted by fw, November 15, 2013
The Climate Reality Project is a global movement of more than 6,000 diverse and dedicated volunteers from around the world. These volunteers have been personally trained by former US Vice President and Nobel Laureate Al Gore to educate the public about the science and impacts of climate change as well as solutions to address the climate crisis. Volunteer Climate Leaders trained by Al Gore have already delivered presentations to over 7.3 million people worldwide.
“This movement globally is growing more rapidly than any grassroots movement ever. For all the complexities of human nature, for all the tendencies we have to be pulled in the wrong directions and make dumb decisions, all of us in our lives, we also have the capacity to transcend ourselves.” —Al Gore
Grassroots: Climate Reality Project Chairman Al Gore explores successful social movements though history, video narration by Al Gore, Climate Reality Project, About Us
The following 4:23-minute video was uploaded to You Tube on September 21, 2011
TRANSCRIPT
Al Gore, narrator —
When the Berlin Wall came down, when enough people felt the desire for freedom strongly enough, that grassroots suddenly spread like wildfire. And the people themselves took the bricks out of the Berlin Wall one-by-one and knocked them down with sledgehammers. And these seemingly invincible political systems just gave way.
News Announcer — “Tonight at the Brandenburg Gate, symbol of Germany’s imperial past, the wall is being destroyed. The wall that was built overnight is being transformed overnight.”
Many people get the feeling their voices don’t matter. That one person can’t make a difference. And the money of the special interests is going to determine the result no matter what. But when enough people join, then it will change.
I grew up at a time when there was still laws on the books justifying discrimination against people because of their skin color. And Dr. King (MLK) in saying to those who supported his movement and those who resisted: “Look at the truth.”
MLK – “We will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.”
And when enough people felt that, the world changed.
We really are in a similar situation now. The day will come, not too many years from now, when the next generation will look back on this day and time, if they live in a world where all of these horrendous trends we have seen develop get even worse as the scientists warn will happen, they would be well justified in looking back at us in our time and asking “What were you thinking? And didn’t you connect the dots? Did you think all the scientists in the world were wrong? You wanted to listen to the carbon polluters instead?”
Look at what’s happening. Look at the fires in Russia. The floods in Pakistan. The drought in Texas.
The dots that I want to connect are between recognizing that and speaking up in conversations. Winning the conversations. Changing the general way of thinking about this. And then getting involved actively. Let those in the political system know that if they think that all they have to do is take money from these special interests and not have to worry that the people themselves are going to notice about it, they’ve got another think coming.
This movement globally is growing more rapidly than any grassroots movement ever. For all the complexities of human nature, for all the tendencies we have to be pulled in the wrong directions and make dumb decisions, all of us in our lives, we also have the capacity to transcend ourselves.
And while it does not always occur at moments of greatest challenge, we can draw upon that capacity. This is one of those times.
Truth has its own integrity, reality and power. And when people shed illusions and look unblinkingly at what the truth of our situation really is, and see the choice between right and wrong, that has a force that can break down walls of resistance no matter how high or how strong.
MLK – “How long? Not long. Because no lie can live forever. How long? Not long. Because you shall reap what you sow.”
ABOUT US — The Climate Reality Project, founded and chaired by former Vice President and Nobel Laureate Al Gore, is dedicated to unleashing a global cultural movement demanding action on the climate crisis. Despite overwhelming international scientific consensus on climate change, the global community still lacks the resolve to implement meaningful solutions. The Climate Reality Project exists to forge an unwavering bedrock of impassioned support necessary for urgent action. With that foundation, together we will ignite the moral courage in our leaders to solve the climate crisis.
The Climate Reality Project employs cutting-edge communications and grassroots engagement tools to break the dam of inaction and raise the profile of the climate crisis to its proper state of urgency. With a global movement more than 5 million strong and a grassroots network of Climate Leaders trained by Chairman Al Gore, we stand up to denial, press for solutions, and spread the truth about climate change to empower our leaders to solve the climate crisis.
SEE ALSO
- For an overview of The Climate Reality Project’s initiatives click here.
- The Climate Reality Project Canada Mission — The Climate Reality Project Canada (Climate Reality Canada) is a non-profit organization that serves as the Canadian component of a global movement of more than 6,000 diverse and dedicated volunteers from around the world. These volunteers have been personally trained by former US Vice President and Nobel Laureate Al Gore to educate the public about the science and impacts of climate change as well as solutions to address the climate crisis. Volunteer Climate Leaders trained by Al Gore have already delivered presentations to over 7.3 million people worldwide.
