Festival audiences expect to leave screenings with information that will guide them in taking the next steps on their sustainability journey. That is the Power of We. When people feel connected to others by a common passion or commitment, much gets done. Problems are solved. Communities become healthier. The Earth gets healed.
Chicago is fortunate to have many advocates on the front lines of climate action and environmental and social justice.
On November 20 and 21, three of Climate Reality Project’s 1600 worldwide events were held in Oak Park. The Climate Reality Project, a global non-profit organization founded by Al Gore, is tasked with explaining the science of climate change and the already-existing solutions to the current crisis to people all over the world.
The first of three “24 Hours of Reality: Truth to Action” presentations in Oak Park was held at Oak Park River Forest High School. Sponsored by the school’s Environmental Club and young leaders of It’s Our Future, the after-school talk was given by Lisa Albrecht, an experienced climate change educator and owner of the local business All Bright Solar.
My daughter said to me, “Dad isn’t it funny how one thing leads to another. Like first we hear about the football team owner Robert Kraft and his videos of soliciting sex, and next we see pictures of the president Donald Trump hosting the lady day spa owner at his super bowl party?” And I said, “Yes, that is funny.” And of course, “Everything is connected.”
The One Earth audience experience often flows like this: watch the film, absorb and digest, discuss, and identify an environmental action you can take. There is a reason for setting up screenings in this way. We want audience members to leave with something they didn’t have when they arrived, be it fresh information, a deeper understanding, a new connection, or a pledge that will set them on a course of action for the planet.
Sisters need to stick together. We also need to stand up, speak out and advocate for a healthier planet and viable future. Here’s an opportunity to network with like-minded women and up your climate awareness game: OEFF After Hours Event & International Women’s Day Celebration on Friday, March 8.
Those are the three main goals of the Chicago Agreement on Climate & Community. They are even more relevant just months after the Katowice Climate Change Conference (COP24) in Poland in December 2018, where attendees tried to button down commitments and progress on climate change action from most nations.
