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Contact : Ruth Rosenhek
Rainforest Information Centre
Email:  rainforestinfo@ozemail.com.au

National Climate Change Roadshow Hits Brisbane.

 In response to growing public concern about climate change, the Rainforest Information Centre is taking to the road to address the psychological and emotional issues surrounding global warming.

The ‘Climate Change Despair and Empowerment’ roadshow aims to motivate people to take action against climate change in the wake of Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth.

The multi-media presentation includes video footage of Al Gore speaking about the impact Australia could make in the U.S. if it signed the Kyoto Protocol.

The roadshow will focus its discussion on the role public and personal denial, helplessness and despair play in the fight against climate change. 
  
 “The roadshow will address Gore's insight that many people move straight from denial to helpless despair about this issue without leaving any space in between for effective action,” Roadshow organiser Ruth Rosenhek said.

“We often feel paralysed, hopeless, that it’s too late and so on. We’ll discuss how these feelings can be transformed into the fuel for inspiration and positive change” she said.

The 90 (ninety) minute Roadshow also aims to:

• Catalyse, invigorate and support grassroots climate study/action groups across Australia.
• Unveil the false and "business as usual" solutions suggested by political parties such as nuclear power and so called "clean coal".
• Raise awareness and inspire political action towards the real solutions that the public must insist upon. (eg. end Australia's $6.5 billion a year in subsidies to the fossil fuel industries and support renewables instead
• Provide resources for the many things that we can all do to turn the situation around.

The roadshow will arrive in Brisbane in March after a successful debut at the Woodford Folk Festival and after travelling to New South Wales and Victoria.

While in Australia in November, Al Gore trained 85 people to present an Australianised version of his "An Inconvenient Truth" slide show. In many places, including Brisbane, the Climate Change, Despair and Empowerment roadshow is also organising events for these Gore-trained speakers.

Roadshow Schedule:

Coffs Area January 25-28
Melbourne Feb 6,7,8
Sydney Feb 15-17, March 7-9
Northern NSW February 20-24
Brisbane March 13-18
Sunshine Coast March 27 - April 1
Bundaberg April 2
Blue Mountains mid April

Full schedule at http://www.climate.net.au/schedule.htm

ENDS

For further information or for comment please contact:

Ruth Rosenhek
(02) 66897519  email: rainforestinfo@ozemail.com.au

Ruth Rosenhek, MS Organisation Management, is an international environmental and social justice activist, educator and Director of the Rainforest Information Centre in Lismore. Ruth organizes and campaigns on behalf of forest protection, land rights and global justice. http://www.rainforestinfo.org.au/deep-eco/rosenhek.htm

John Seed
(02) 66897519  email: johnseed1@ozemail.com.au

Author, musician and film-maker John Seed is a long-time rainforest activist and facilitator of experiential deep ecology workshops.
http://www.rainforestinfo.org.au/deep-eco/johnseed.htm