Free Climate Topics in Chicago

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Now the speaker will contact you in the next few days to coordinate details.

SORT: MOST RECENT | A - Z
  • How to Save the World from Your Closet

    Sarene Alsharif, LDN, MPH, CEO and Co-Founder, Tad More Tailoring & Alterations

    The fashion industry is one of the world's largest polluters—but the solution may already be hanging in your closet. In this engaging TEDx-inspired presentation, Certified B Corporation CEO Sarene Alsharif reveals how repairing, tailoring, and rethinking the clothes we already own can reduce waste, save money, support local jobs, and create a more sustainable future. Audiences leave with practical actions they can take immediately while discovering how small individual decisions can create significant environmental and economic impact. MORE >

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  • Climate Change in Illinois and Chicago: Impacts, Forecasts and Solutions

    Cynthia Linton, Chair, Climate Reality Project: Chicago Metro Chapter

    Although Illinois is not on a coast facing sea level rise, or in a severe drought area beset by wildfires, or in the South with it's increasingly severe hurricanes, we do have some serious climate impacts here in Illinois and they will grow in the future. Learn about severe weather, flooding and extreme heat in the Midwest and how Illinois and Chicago can cope with the changes. MORE >

    Linton will talk about what steps local and state government are taking and what you can do as residents.
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  • Electric Vehicle Total Cost of Ownership and Role in Sustainability

    Tom Coleman, Sustainability Analyst, Climate Reality Chicago Metro Chapter

    Tom discusses electric vehicle (EV) costs from battery manufacturing to charging to driving. He also discusses a comparison of internal combustion engine and EVs on pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and costs. Other points covered are: MORE >

    • The current state of EV range and charging.
    • The role of hybrid, plug-in-hybrid, fuel-cell (hydrogen) electric, and battery electric vehicles.
    • Automaker initiatives and EV availability.
    • The value proposition of EVs.
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  • En-Roads Climate Simulator

    Mark Ailes, Climate Advocate, Citizens Climate Education

    Can the audience solve the climate problem? They get to pick the levers they think will have the biggest impact and see what happens. Climate Interactive and MIT Sloan have worked together to build a simulator with most of the variables in a world wide climate model. I have been trained to run a workshop using the model that has also been used by the US Senate. It is interesting to see what is needed to solve the problem and what factors make the biggest difference. (About 1 hour) MORE >

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  • Solutions to Climate Change

    Andrew Panelli, Group Leader, Chicago South Suburbs, Citizens' Climate Education

    Here’s an opportunity to engage your audience in a fun way to learn more about the climate change issue, solutions, and the relative effectiveness of those solutions. As part of the exercise, we discuss various actions that can be taken. The audience is engaged to offer suggested solutions to slow climate change. MORE >

    Our trained facilitator will show the group how each suggested action(s) will impact climate change on a MIT/Sloan simulator that will model their proposed solution(s) instantly in “real-time”. This stimulates discussions as to why an action may or may not be as effective a course of action as expected. We’ll also share bipartisan actions that Congress is considering and evaluate what impact those actions have on climate change.

    Participants leave the discussion with new insights on how the problem should be addressed.

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  • The Issues & Solutions to Climate Change

    Henry Moss, Outreach Educator, Citizens Climate Lobby Education

    Climate Change is humanity’s greatest challenge. Its solution depends on innovative policy and low-carbon technology that will catalyze and accelerate the global transition to a clean energy economy. Henry’s presentation will increase awareness of the urgency of Climate Change and how your members can be part of the solution to Climate Change. MORE >

    Presentation Overview:
    How to be part of the solution to Climate Change
    The importance of political will
    The basics of Climate Change
    The urgency of Climate Change
    An innovative bipartisan policy solution
    Pricing carbon to accelerate technical solutions
    Renewable energy to grow our economy & jobs
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  • How I Became a Climate Advocate.

    Mark Ailes, Climate Advocate, Citizens Climate Education

    My climate story. A brief tour of how as an active bicyclist I became an advocate for national action on climate change. In particular how an effective nonpartisan solution became a large focus of my retired life. Followed by a question and answer session focused on the interests and concerns of the audience about solving the climate problem. (30 minutes to 1 hour) MORE >

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  • What can I do to reduce my climate footprint and how effective is it?

    Dorelle Ackermann, Activist, Pachamama Alliance: Chicagoland Co-Hearts

    Are you concerned about our warming planet want to do your part to create a sustainable future? Is it possible to have a thriving economy today and protect our planet? According to Hannah Ritchie, a data scientist, it is! Now, let's learn how we, as individuals, can make this happen. Using Project Drawdown's "Explore" we will follow the science in choosing measurable actions to consider. Next, we will recognize that respectful conversations are key to magnifying our individual actions into community actions that will bend the warming curve down.
    This presentation will explore the work of Jonathan Foley (Project Drawdown), Hannah Ritchie (Our World in Data) and Katharine Hayhoe (Chief Scientist for The Nature Conservancy) to give participants the information and resources they can use to create meaningful change. MORE >

    The presentation will end by creating a group "word cloud" to remind us that in the words of Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
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  • Climate Crisis Urgency and Remedies

    Tom Coleman, Sustainability Analyst, Climate Reality Chicago Metro Chapter

    Learn from Tom about the scientific consensus on climate change, as well as fossil fuel pollution, climate warming problems, and other challenges. Tom will also discuss the pillars of needed change and market approaches and business solutions for change. Also covered is: MORE >

    • The role of business in the convergence of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) forces.
    • The value proposition for change
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  • Yes we Can! We are the solution to climate change.

    Dorelle Ackermann, Activist, Pachamama Alliance: Chicagoland Co-Hearts

    Climate change is an immediate and serious threat that must be addressed this decade. We will briefly touch on the impact of climate change that is evident today as well as the basic science of global warming. However, our main focus will be on the fact that the solutions to climate change are already here. We have the technology to "drawdown" our atmospheric carbon dioxide and prevent catastrophic climate change. MORE >

    The "doom and gloom" scenario often heard on the news is not the reality of sustainability. Instead, we will embrace grounded optimism that recognizes our achievements, acknowledges future uncertainites while remaining hopeful that what we do in the present will shape the future. We will invite participants to consider individual actions to reduce their carbon footprint while inviting participants to join us at a local level to advocate for community, state, national and international action.

    Presentations are individually tailored to your group and we are especially excited to present to youth and school groups where we provide raffle prizes to motivate students to take action.

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