2010 Colorado Global Climate Conference

 

To educate students on global and local climate issues
and to empower them to use their knowledge.
Sponsored by CMMAP



The 2010 Colorado Global Climate Conference is right around the corner and back at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver!

The goal of the conference is to educate, inspire, and empower students to be informed citizens on global climate issues. Subjects addressed include Climate Science, Mitigation/Adaptation, Opportunities, Local/National/International Impacts and Strategies, and Alternative Energy.

An exciting addition to this year's conference is a Logo Design Contest. Logo submissions will be printed by us and displayed at the conference for all participants to vote on. Find out more about this contest, below.

A PDF file of the schedule is available here.

A highlight of the conference is a keynote presentation. Our speaker this year is
Dr. Warren Washington, a senior scientist and head of the Climate Change Research Section in the Climate and Global Dynamics Division at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, CO. Over the years, Dr. Washington has advised five presidents, given wise and insightful counsel to colleagues, advice to the Deptartment of Energy and mentored directly and as a role model to enumerable young people.

• When
  Friday, April 9, 2010
  
  
• Who
  Students in grades 9-12 and their chaperones/sponsors.
  
  
• Breakout Sessions
  Each participant will attend breakout sessions from the topics below. Class sizes are limited. Most sessions are run during each of our three time periods. You will be asked to select 3 sessions over the 3 time periods when you register.
  Stabilization Wedges takes up both Periods 1 and 2. Participants taking this session will take just one more in Period 3.
  • We the People: Climate and Culture
    Raj Pandya will host a discussion about how climate change is affecting people, and their culture, all over the world.
  • Smaller Footprints, Bigger Wallets: Individual Organizational Changes to Conserve Energy
    This session will explore how individuals and organizations can reduce their carbon footprints. First we'll describe how individuals can measure and reduce their carbon footprint by examining their daily activities. Second, we’ll examine how one public high school reduced its electricity use by 50 percent through individual and organizational changes. We'll discuss concrete strategies for individuals and groups to examine and reduce their own energy consumption.
  • Communicating Climate Change and Solutions to Your Friends
    Students will learn ways they can teach others about climate change and solutions based on the National Wildlife Federation's Climate Classroom.
  • What Happened at the Copenhagen Climate Conference?
    In this session, participants will recreate the recent United Nations climate change negotiations. Students will play the role of some of the major countries involved in the negotiation and debate issues such as which countries should be required to reduce emissions, how much global emissions should be reduced, and who should pay to help poor countries adapt to the impacts of climate change.
  • Acting it Out: Climate Change and Theatre, Exploring the Connection Between Art and Science
    Curious New Voices playwrights present short plays commissioned by EcoArts and written to promote the importance of climate change and sustainable living for current and future generations.
  • Campuses on Carbon Diets
    The session will include how school district and university campuses approach planning of construction, who is involved, how to get others on board for using innovative technologies to improve energy efficiency, what the results are, and plans for the future. Both Poudre School District and Colorado State University are established national leaders in energy performance.
  • Dumpster Diving and Other Fun Ways to Re-Cycle, Re-Use, and Live Lightly on the Land
    Gleaning: Anything having to do with re-using resources after "the regulars" have gone in. Dumpster diving, recycling medal, thriving on yard sales... that's the subject of this fun and lively session on the sometimes snubbed, often chided, but always fascinating look at gleaning. In a society that has a unique propensity for using once and discarding, here are two speakers who will talk about the joys and tribulations of going beyond the norm. Whether it's saving pop cans (and what that means for the environment) or saving stuff from a trash can (which can be a blast), there's a great deal to be gleaned in this world . . . and this session will highlight the healthy impact gleaning can have on lives, finances, culture, oceans, lands, and our hearts. Available during Period 3 only.
  • Stabilization Wedges: Solving the Climate Problem for the Next 50 Years
    In order to avoid a doubling of CO2 and dramatic climate change, society needs to act quickly to deploy low-carbon energy technologies and enhance natural carbon sinks. Students will learn about strategies to reduce carbon emissions by playing a game called Wedges. This single session takes up both Periods 1 & 2. You will then register for another breakout for Period 3 resulting in just 2 chosen breakout sessions.
  • The Rainbow and Beyond
    The key to understanding the earth's energy balance is understanding electromagnetic waves. Light is an electromagnetic wave, but there's much more to the story! In this hands-on session, we'll explore the science of the spectrum, from visible light—the rainbow—to wavelengths well beyond the rainbow. You'll use special glasses and goggles learn how you can see—and feel—energy from other parts of the spectrum. You'll come away with a much better understanding of this piece of the climate puzzle.
  • Why Carbon Dioxide?
    We all know that carbon dioxide is a "greenhouse gas" - but why? What is it about carbon dioxide that makes it so special? Why is this gas that makes up less than 0.04% of the atmosphere such an important player in the earth's energy balance? You'll learn about electromagnetic waves and how they interact with matter by using magnets and tops, and simulate—by dancing—just what it is about carbon dioxide that makes it so important to the earth's climate.
  • How to Communicate Climate Change: What Works? What Doesn't?
    In this session students will explore: 1) the communication landscape for talking about climate change, specifically, how is climate change portrayed in popular media; 2) some of the barriers to effectively communicating about climate change; 3) what current research tells us about climate change communication and 4) 10 key strategies for communicating about climate change to inspire action at any level - in your community, school or family!
  • Air She Blows!
    Be astounded by the awesome power of moving air. Participants will learn about the ocean of air that surrounds the earth and how air pressure can do some amazing things. From crushing cants to levitating objects, you will learn that exploring the properties of air changes atmosphere into atmos-fun! Available during Periods 1 & 2 only
  • Public Involvement in Climate Action Planning
    This session will explore the development of climate action plans at the local and state level. Following a brief summary of the Colorado and the Fort Collins climate action planning process, students will work in small groups to develop and then present comments on climate action plan strategies in a public input style format.
  • Common Misconceptions About Climate Change
    We'll consider stuff you hear in the media a lot, such as what cold winters or hot summer mean for global warming, where CO2 comes from, and where it's going. You're guaranteed to be surprised by some of the things you hear. How many of these common mistakes have you heard before?
  • The Climate in Colorado: How Do We Detect Change?
    Participants will help act out basic principles of climate, air motion, seasonal changes and how this affects Colorado. We'll then talk about how climate is observed and described. Examples from 122 years of continuous climatic data from the Fort Collins weather station will be presented.
  • Climate Change Dating Game
    Bachelors and bachelorettes, what is your favorite low carbon date? In this session we will explore a new take on the 1960s-70s television reality show, The Dating Game. A lucky bachelor or bachelorette from the audience will question a panel of three volunteers on their preferences relating to a low carbon lifestyle. After asking the panel their questions, one will be chosen as the lucky favorite. Expect fun for all, lots of laughs, and a new look at how a low carbon lifestyle can bring us all a bit closer together. Audience participation is required.
  • Eating Your Yard
    Why do we grow grass instead of food in our residential lawns? There is a national movement to convert our lawns into vegetable gardens, and it’s happening right here in Northern Colorado. Come learn about Sunspot Urban Farm in Fort Collins and how urban farming reduces one of the contributors to climate change: petroleum use.

• Cost & Registration
  Cost for the conference is $15 per person if you pre-register at the link below, or $20 for on-site if the conference does not fill up. Payment is by check or money order by snail mail, or by cash, check or money order if paying on-site. We are unable to accept credit cards. When paying, you will need to mail or bring a copy of your registration confirmation with your payment. Mail payment to:
  Cindy Carrick
  CGCC
  Atmospheric Science
  Colorado State University
  Fort Collins, CO 80523
  Our online registration link is now available here. If you have questions or difficulties, please email us here.
  Online registration deadline is April 2 or when the conference fills up.

• Logo Design Contest
  CGCC invites students to participate in our Logo Design Contest. We are looking for logos that are painted (any medium), or drawn (any medium, including computer graphics), or anything that can be well-represented two-dimensionally. Logos should reflect elements of earth and/or climate. Submissions must be scanned with a high-quality color scanner if done on printed medium, and the electronic file uploaded to our website. Files may be any graphics type and any size. If you or your school do not have a high quality scanner, please contact Cindy Carrick for possible solutions. One submission per student registered for CGCC 2010.
  We'll print all of your submissions and display them at the conference, and ask all participants to vote for their favorite logos. CMMAP management reserves the right to make the final decision, and will retain the right to use the logo, appropriately acknowledging the artist. Winner will be announced at some point after the conference.
  Submit your logo via this link!
  
  
• Travel or Substitute Reimbursement Request
  We understand that travel to conferences can be financially challenging. For this reason, the Colorado Global Climate Conference will be offering financial assistance to schools for bus or mileage costs and substitute teacher reimbursement. Interested schools will complete the online application form at the time of registration. Not all requests are granted.