L to R: Bruce Light, Lori Houston, Tanya Narath, Christine Hoex, China Dusk (not pictured: Anita Adams)

Climate study groups—report on first, recruitment for second that begins
October 11, 2005

In August, five participants joined group leader China Dusk to study the "Climate of Man," a three-part series published by the New Yorker in April and May 2005. Participants found the group thoroughly worthwhile, as their evaluations below reflect.
To apply for the next Climate of Man study session, scheduled for Tuesday evenings, October 11, 18, 25, and November 1, please contact China Dusk, cdusk@sonic.net. Sessions run from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m., and are held at the Climate Protection Campaign's Graton office for no charge.

Links to the online version of the Climate of Man series
Part One:
http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/?050425fa_fact3
Part Two:
http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/?050502fa_fact3
Part Three:
http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/?050509fa_fact3
An interview with the author:
http://www.newyorker.com/online/content/articles/050425on_onlineonly01

Four study group evaluations from participants:

1) "I learned a lot of great things and met five really super people. With all the devastation in the gulf region, the topic of global warming strikes the heart of America. We need to redesign every human system to be sustainable and life enhancing."
— Bruce Light

2) "I really enjoyed the Climate of Man study group. I think it was an ideal format for this subject because it helped to talk about reactions to the article in a group (rather than trying to process it by myself). I think the experience was also much richer because of the additional insights and materials that members of the group shared each week. I believe I learned more through the discussions than I would have learned on my own, and the ideas brought up during the study group led me to explore other resources I might not have found on my own. Finally, with such difficult subject matter it would be easy to fall into the trap of giving up and feeling hopeless that anything can be done to address climate change. The action-oriented focus of our last meeting was a great way to conclude the series, and it left me feeling like there are things I can do to help."
— Tanya Narath

3) "This was a great experience! First of all the article by Elizabeth Kolbert as excellent, well researched with scientific detail, and yet very human. Attending the four session study group deepened my commitment to raising awareness about global warming, and I have never seen a group move so quickly from learning about an issue to talking about what we could do. The most important part for me was the sense of support and community, that we
could do more together then we could as isolated individuals. China was great at leading us to brainstorm ways to frame a message. By asking us questions she lead us think about ways we could affect change. I felt like I was at the beginning of a little ripple that could grow into a wave of change!"
— Christine Hoex

4) "I first heard about this study group through a Sierra Club associate. I am so glad this opportunity came my way. The experience of meeting with five other participants and a facilitator during a 4 week period has changed my perspective of what our technological advances of the last 100 years have done to our ecosystem - and the importance of taking action to reverse this trend now.

As I came to understand, the following were identified as key to reversing the climate change trend.

1. a sense of urgency pertaining to the enormity and seriousness of the ongoing climate change
2. the importance of little changes that each of us can all make on a daily basis within our circles of influence
3. encouraging and exercising sustainability at a local, national, and international level
4. and ongoing education about how our technology impacts the environment, whether it's updating a friend in a grocery store check-out line or attending a group presentation.

A letter to the editor, a booklet, the birth of another study group, a sharing of information with others comprises the short list of resulting outreach by this group.

Since the study group ended, I've noticed more information about climate control in the local paper (Katrina fueled by climate change?), and more interest in September's abnormal weather (due to climate change?).

Grassroots movements have always been the most efficient way to create change, and I think of this study group as a seedling in the effort to preserve planet earth and ensure a future for our children--just as acorns fall from the tree, inching their roots into the soil, and rising towards the sun, our group has, and continues to exercise its own potential."
—Anita Adams