Before The Holiday, Mark Calendars For “24 Hours”

24 Hours of Reality activist Somerhalder at a fossil-fueled power plant  (Years of Living Dangerously)
24 Hours of Reality activist Ian Somerhalder and others at a fossil-fueled power plant (Years of Living Dangerously)

If you have concerns about climate, or even if you don’t, set aside a day in September for learning and another 24 hours within the next year for doing. And please tell your friends.

The September day begins at noon on September 16. At this time, 24 Hours of Reality: 24 Reasons for Hope will come to the whole world live from Brooklyn, New York. The program is initiated and sponsored by The Climate Reality Project, one of the world’s leading organizations for mobilizing action around climate change.

We see a lot of gloomy climate reports day in and day out on the media. However, this is not a day to focus on tears and recrimination, but a day set aside for celebrating innovation and progress in fighting the climate threat. It’s also an opportunity to kickstart a year when everyone can pitch in.

Among the town hall-style discussions with experts, field reports from activists, and one-on-one interviews, the day-long program will feature electrifying artistic performances with powerful climate links. A variety of international celebrities, musicians, advocates, and special guests will join the broadcast, including Ian Somerhalder, Vanessa Black, singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat, entrepreneur Patrick Ngowi, actor and activist Mark Ruffalo, and Jason Mraz (“Love Is a Four Letter Word”). Among others, the Truman Project, Solar Sister, the Land Institute, the Green Belt Movement, the Barefoot College, and Interfaith Power and Light will present. Control Room will produce the broadcast, with support from Participant Media’s television network, Pivot, and TakePart.com.

Every hour, 24 Hours will present a new reason to be hopeful about solving climate change—a specific milestone in ongoing efforts to address the crisis—from the huge drop in solar panel prices to the ways national organizations have begun to take forceful climate action. Says Al Gore, a worldwide climate champion and former U.S. Vice President who also founded and chairs the Climate Reality project:

“Carbon pollution is already having a profound impact on our climate, but the good news is that we have all the tools we need to overcome this challenge. It’s time our leaders stop asking ‘What do we do?’ and instead ask ‘How can we accelerate the shift to a sustainable future powered by cheap, clean renewable energy, with sustainable agriculture and forestry.’ …[24 Hours] will signal a transition in the global conversation on climate change, where we highlight the solutions at hand and empower individuals to take simple actions to aid this global fight.”

Tom McGregor of dallasblog.com, a believer in the climate 3%, calls the event “a 24-hours ‘Global Warming Preach-a-thon.’” He also refers to Gore as “a Global Warming televangelist.” However, the Climate Reality project is betting that a lot can change in a day. Throughout the program, everyone will be asked to dedicate a day to helping repair and overcome the climate crisis. Ken Berlin, President and CEO of Climate Reality, has said this about personal participation:

“Climate change is big and complex, but that means there are hundreds of ways to contribute. Whether it’s a parent organizing a renewable energy fair at school, or a young professional pledging to become a Climate Reality Leader, or a student working to elect a clean energy candidate, we all have different ways and different days to contribute.”

24 Hours will air one week before the U.N. Climate Summit. It’s positioned to raise a day of commitment from viewers around the world, and reinforce the global commitment to better our communities and transition to a clean energy future. For more information, visit www.climaterealityproject.org or follow the project on Twitter at @ClimateReality. And to find out more about the 24 Hours of Reality show, link here.

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