In June 2018, I was informed that my application to become a Climate Reality Leader was accepted and I received an invitation to participate in a three day, intensive training program lead by Former Vice President Al Gore in downtown Los Angeles, in August (2018).
It was the most inspiring three days of my life!
There were 2300 attendees from over 50 countries, all gathered to dedicate themselves to becoming ambassadors of climate change awareness and engage our communities with resources, empowerment and action. Talk about finding my tribe! I met so many cool cats from around the globe and was connected with a number of Vancouverites that share my concerns and passion in advocating for change.
During this convention we learned about climate science, solutions to solve the crisis and communication techniques to rally the public behind those innovative solutions.
We heard from esteemed panelists, including; distinguished scientists (my favourite Veerabhadran Ramanathan), professors, firefighters, politicians ( LA's mayor Eric Garcetti, was one of my favourite speakers), poets, musicians, celebrities, inspiring young activists (Nalleli Cobo), renewable technology innovators and CEOs, even the chairman of Walt Disney Studios (Alan Horn).
And on top of all this, Mr. Gore radiated through every discussion, through every panel and to witness his unbridled passion and optimism through his 2 hour enthralling slideshow; well I just can't find the words to describe how impactful this experience was.
One of the most powerful lessons I took away is that one person CAN make a difference; and Al Gore is living proof that. I have never been more inspired or felt more empowered to try and do my part as an individual citizen!
Upon accepting this training, I committed to a contract that binds me to 8-10 annual acts of leadership, until the end of anthropocenic threat (so probably for the rest of my life), and I couldn't be more dedicated to this fulfil this life long commitment.
In 2019, I plan to organize a number of public talks and events here in Vancouver. I look forward to sharing these details with you in January! 🌎✌🏻
In the meantime, I wanted to share a few images I captured during this event and if anyone else is inspired to take part in this project - check out the Climate Reality Project or feel free to get in touch with me and I can point you in the right direction. I have access to incredible resources and I can’t wait to share these with my communities online and in person. If you want to get started right away, check out 100% committed to get inspired and see what people are doing around the world to drive renewable alternatives.
I couldn't help by try to capture a brief video of his radiant energy as he closed the conference. I saw a sign that stated not to record the event, so I respected these rules, however I am grateful I snuck a little capture at the end, as his unbridled passion and conviction continues to inspire me when I feel challenged in my pursuits of promoting awareness and action for climate change.
