Since October 2012, I have taught around 7 continuing adult education classes for St. Louis Community College. These classes were about 3 hours in length. In addition, I have also co-taught or taught 3 climate change classes for the OASIS Center of St. Louis, which is a non-profit educational organization promoting lifelong learning for adults over 50 years old.

I promoted these classes on social media to inspire others passionate about climate change across the U.S. to approach their community college for teach their local citizens about climate change. The response I received from some of climate change communicators was: “Great idea! Can I see a copy of your syllabus?”

I did mail the class agenda to anyone who was interested. I will keep doing this for others asking me the same request. In this blog, I will expand more upon what I cover in my class agenda. Hopefully, this will help others borrow or steal ideas to create their own climate change classes.

Because of this length and details, I had to break this blog up into two parts. I freely admit this blog post will not be for everyone. However, it is my Christmas gift to my Facebook friend, Andrise Bass, and others looking for materials to teach a similar class.

Agenda for my 3 hour Climate Change 101 Continuing Adult Education Class: 

A. Introduce self: Why am I teaching this class?                                                           (10 minutes)

I design the first part so that folks arriving 10 minutes late will not miss anything vital on climate change. On the other hand, I do want to establish my credibility why I am a qualified to teach this class.

1. I start out with a story of Admiral James Stockdale.  He ran for Vice President as the running mate for Ross Perot when he ran for President as an independent candidate in 1992.

Stockdale seemed out of place and a little bewildered during the Vice Presidential Debate on stage with Democratic Senator Al Gore and Republican Vice President Dan Quayle. He started his introduction at the beginning of the debate saying, “Who am I? and why am I here?”

Then I pivot and talk about who I am and why am I teaching the climate change 101 class.

2. I share my personal background story


With pictures, I share I was born and raised in St. Louis, MO. I want to establish that I am from their same community. I then share pictures of the local parks, including one of me going to Bee Tree Park taken when I was 18 years old. My story starts with my love of spending time in local nature as a child which lead me to working in the national parks. My goal here is to establish the common bond of nature, especially of the local area parks and the common love people share for our national parks. I want to break down any barriers to show that I am just like them.

Brian Ettling, age 18 at Bee Tree County Park, Missouri

Then I segment into the story of how I witnessed climate change while working in the national parks.


As British climate change commentator, George Marshall noted, “Science is not what persuades people. It’s the stories they hear from the people they trust.” – George Marshall, co-founder of  Climate Outreach.

3. Humor is such an important tool to reach audiences.

There is an old joke among professional speakers.
One day a new speaker asked: “Do I need to be funny when I give speeches?”

The veteran public speaker responded: “Only if you want to get paid.”

Brian Ettling at Everglades Nat. Park

Thus, I share the story how I knew nothing about climate change, but park visitors were starting to ask me about it global warming thing as I was narrating boat tours in Everglades National Park.

I then ask rhetorically, “People expect park rangers to know everything don’t they?”

The audience always responds with a chuckle, “YES!”

Then I share how I had to run to a book store to read my first book on climate change.

4. Showing knowledge is another ingredient to establish credibility with an audience.

Then I explained how I read in 1999 my first book on climate change, Laboratory Earth: The Planetary Gamble We Can’t Afford to Lose by the late Dr. Stephen Schneider of Stanford University.

Then I show images of the stacks of books I read on climate change since that first book. Reading extensively about climate change evolved into a longing to take action.

5. Passion is the next way I show credibility on this subject by the actions I took.

I quit doing my Everglades winter seasonal job to spend my winters in my hometown to engage St. Louis area residents on this subject. I spoke at my nephew’s and niece’s school.

Brian Ettling speaking at the school of his nephew Sam, February 2010

I attended 3 Climate Reality Project Training conferences. The first one was in San Francisco August 2012. At these conference, former Vice President Al Gore leads the training how to give one of his climate change talks. At the May 2015 Climate Reality Training in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, I had an opportunity to directly ask Al Gore a question.

As a park ranger, NASA and the National Park Service invited me to attend an Earth to Sky Training in September 2011 to learning from NASA climate scientists how to give climate change talks in national parks.

Yet, despite all this experience, I had to overcome an obstacle. For years, I did not give climate change as a ranger. I was scared a visitor would want to get into a argument with me.

6. I then chat how I had to overcome fear to give talks on climate change as a park ranger.

I decided to “Just Do It” like the old Nike. I started giving ranger talks on climate change in August 2011. To my surprise, national park visitors were very supportive and responded very positively to my ranger evening campfire program on climate change, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.

Photo of Ranger Brian Ettling giving his climate change evening campfire program at Crater Lake National Park

With personal stories, demonstrating my knowledge, showing my passion, and overcoming my fear, I hopefully have established myself as a credible speaker to my class.

This only takes about 10 minutes. However, if someone is 10 minutes late, they will not have not missed out on vital information.

B. Get to know the participants.                                                                                     (10 minutes)


I then ask the students: What brought you here?

This is so valuable for me to hear their stories. They open up on what hope to learn from my class. This gives me a mental note for the subjects I want to cover in the class and what I should emphasize.

Comedian Brian Malow

This is vital for me because it gets them involved. Hopefully, it makes them feel welcome and appreciated. I found this sets a very positive rapport with the class for me. Even more, it helps them feel like it is going to be an interactive learning environment.

As my friend, science comedian Brian Malow, likes to say, “An audience is not an amorphous blob. It is a group of individuals. Never forget that.”

This is still a “get to know you” time. Thus, if someone is still 20 minutes late to my class, they have not missed much.

C. What is climate change? Why is it a problem?                                                    (55 minutes)

This is where I dive into the science of climate change. My template is the 5 Essential Messages about Climate Change–identified thru audience research–you want to convey by Dr. Ed Maibach of George Masson University. I saw Ed Maibach give this presentation at the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco, CA in December 2011.

Maibach’s Key Messages:

•  Climate change is real.
•  People are causing it this time.
•  There is widespread agreement among climate scientists; more than 95% of scientists are convinced that human-caused climate change is happening.
•  It is harmful to people.
•  People can limit it, if we choose.

Therefore, following Maibach’s messaging, I breakout the science of climate change into 5 Parts:

1. Climate Change is Real:

I start off with my own humorous spin of the old GEICO caveman commercials by saying that “the science of climate change is so simple that ‘even a caveman could understand it.'”

I talk about how when we burn fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas for our energy, it releases carbon dioxide (CO2) into our air supply. This is heating up our planet. The Earth has a natural amount of CO2 which traps some of the Earth’s heat and makes the natural temperature of the planet around 58 degrees Fahrenheit. This is known as The Greenhouse Effect. It was first discovered by British scientist John Tyndall around 1859. Thus, it is not a new idea.

However, since the industrial revolution around 1880, scientists have noted that we have increased the carbon dioxide in our atmosphere by 43%. The result is that the average temperature of the Earth has increased by a 1 degree Celsius or 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit since 1880.

A 1.8 degree Fahrenheit rise may sound laughable since 1880, since many people from St. Louis and other areas have seen the temperatures rise or fall by 20 to more degrees in one day. I then ask the audience: “What is your body temperature?”

Their response: “98.6 degrees Fahrenheit.”

I then ask: “What happens if you 1.8 degrees to that?”

“You have a fever,” I answer with them, and then add, “You are then thinking about calling in sick from work, school, or not coming to this class. It is the same thing with the Earth. We are giving the Earth a fever by pumping all the CO2 into our air supply.”

I then play a NASA image video which shows the rise in global earth temperatures across the globe from 1884 to 2013. Then I show how 2014 was the hottest year on record since 1884 and now 2015 is on track to blow past the 2014 record. Then I have a Climatecentral.org graph showing the decades from 1880 until now. It clearly documents a clear rise in temperature each decade from the 1960s until now.

Dr. Charles David Keeling, from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, was the first scientist to the rise in CO2. He noticed it from taking air samples from the Mauna Loa Volcano in Hawaii, starting in 1959. In 2001, President George W. Bush presented Dr. Keeling with the National Medal of Science, the highest US award for scientific research lifetime achievement primarily for his work establishing what is now known as the “Keeling Curve.” This curve shows a steady rise in CO2 since 1959.

Image Source: commons.wikimedia.org

It then shows an image of the rise in temperature rising in correlation with the rise of CO2.

Image Source: images.iop.org

I mention that there is a dance between CO2 and global temperatures. It’s not a perfect dance, kind of like this viral image of these dance partners, President Barak Obama and former Alaska Governor, Sarah Palin.

That image is now 7 years old, but it still gets a good laugh from the audience. Then I have an image of the Volsok ice core from Antartica showing the correlation between CO2 and temperature going back over 420,000 years. In my next image, I note that CO2 levels are now over 400 parts per million (ppm) today, which is higher than any time in the last several million years.

If we don’t do anything to limit global carbon pollution, some scientists show we could reach over 600 ppm by the year 2100. This would put over all 10 billion of us living on this planet by then in a precarious position. I demonstrate the danger of that level by showing images from the internet of working from very unsafe ladders.

Then I show images documenting how climate change is impacting our national parks. I then share my story how I witnessed seeing climate change in my 23 years working as a park ranger at Crater Lake National Park, Oregon. I then end this section with an image from Skepticalscience.com showing Indicators of a Warming World.

2. How do we know we are adding carbon dioxide?

In this section, I demonstrate by using a banana vs. coal how we know that carbon dioxide is from us. I got this idea from a talk I heard a talk from NASA climate scientist Dr. Peter Griffith. He was a speaker at a National Park Service and NASA: Earth to Sky Training in Shepherdstown, West Virginia I attended in September, 2011. Dr. Griffith talked about old slow carbon (coal) vs, the fast carbon (a banana). Scientists have seen a vast increase old slow carbon. Even more, scientists now notice the old slow carbon now dwarfs the the young fast carbon what is in our atmosphere.

Brian Ettling with NASA scientist Dr. Peter Griffith

This may be too technical for most audiences. However, I note that the old slow carbon is Carbon isotope 12 and the young fast carbon isotope 14. I found a graph from the book Dire Predictions: Understanding Global Warming by Penn State climate scientist Dr. Michael E. Mann indicating the percentage of the Carbon 14 isotope decreasing.

Image Source: Micheal Mann & Lee R. Kump. Dire Predictions: Understanding Global Warming.

I then remark, “If this was a TV crime show like CSI, it is Carbon 12 which is warming up the planet.  This would be the DNA fingerprints which would make us humans guilty.”

This explanation is complicated for most audiences. However, I found a wonderful video by Penn State climate scientist Dr. Richard Alley to make my point. It gives a great easy to understand explanation of the carbon isotopes and how the Carbon 12 “flavor” points to us humans.

I then show a Skeptical Science image “Human fingerprints are all over our climate.”

Since this part gets technical for most people, I end this section a viral humorous image of how the Positive Proof of Global Warming: The change in underwear fashions over the years.

This always gets a big chuckle from the audience.

3. There is widespread AGREEMENT among climate scientists. 
 Over 95% are convinced climate change is real and caused by people.



In this section, I cite three separate studies by Peter T. Doran, William Anderegg, and John Cook. They all show around 97% of climate scientists are convinced it is real and currently caused by humans.

Image Source: www.skepticalscience.com

I throw humor in this part by establishing that the scientific agreement on climate change is as solid as these scientific agreements: Earth is round, Earth revolves around the sun, dinosaurs once existed, smoking causes cancer (I have a comical image of a 4 year old child trying to smoke a cigarette), Neil Armstrong once walked on the moon, and the Cubs never winning the World Series (I admit then that image is a mistake. It is only a consensus among St. Louis scientists).

Then I pivot to the key “gateway belief” from the research of Dr. Ed Maibach and Dr. Anthony Leiserowitz: People are more likely to support climate action when they know there is scientific agreement among climate scientists.

Unfortunately, polls show only 55% of Americans think there is scientific agreement climate scientists. Emory University climate scientist Dr. Marshall Shepherd is mystified by this public confusion. As he joked in his Slaying the Zombies of Climate Change TEDx talk:

‘This gap is like saying that 97% of heart surgeons agree how to do heart transplant, 
but the public disagrees.’

I then show the Credibility Spectrum that was created by Kaitlin Alexander, PhD student in climate science at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. I gave a detailed explanation of the Credibility Spectrum on my previous blog.

I then document how 99.98% of climate peer reviewed papers and 100% of the world’s scientific institutions affirm that climate change is real and currently caused by humans.

I then end this section with a quote from Dr. Ralph Cicerone, President of the National Academy of Sciences from his lecture at the St. Louis Science Center from January 2011:

Dr. Ralph Cicerone

“I continue to think is there anything wrong with this picture (of climate change science) because scientists become rich and famous not by agreeing with everyone else.  They become recognized by doing something different by showing that everyone else is wrong and doing something new, so I think about this all the time.

For 35 years, I have not been able to crack this thing (find ways to prove it as wrong).  A lot of people who are smarter than me are always looking for new explanations.  However, the consensus has come down stronger than ever that what we are seeing is due to the human enhanced greenhouse effect.”

4. Climate Change is harmful for us


I start this section with one of my all time favorite climate quotes. Columbia University climate scientist Dr. Wallace Broecker has stated,

“The Earth’s climate system is an angry beast and we are poking it with sticks.”

I then try to use humor with the question: “Would anyone like some fine English wine?”

I share a story from this 2008 National Geographic special on climate change: 6 Degrees that Could Change the World. It talks about how wine is getting harder to grow in the south France and more vineyards have been popping up in England. Therefore, at a future fancy dinner party, you may hear your dinner host oddly offering you some fine English wine instead a a fine French wine.

I then share this sobering quote by climate scientist Kevin Trenberth from the National Center for Atmospheric Research,

“Global warming is contributing to an increased incidence of  extreme weather because the environment in which all storms form has changed from human activities.”

Meteorologist Jeff Masters explains, “The Climate Has Shifted to a New State Capable of Delivering Rare & Unprecedented 
Weather Events.”

What is this “new state” that the climate has shifted?

1. Warmer Air  =  More Moisture
2. Arctic Amplification = “Stuck” Jet Stream
3. Warmer Oceans = More Heat Energy

All three factors combine to create Wetter Rains, Drier Droughts and Stormier Storms.

I present a graph from NOAA of change in average global temperature from 1880 to today and then show the graph of the U.S. increase in heavy precipitation days from 1950 to today.

I then play a video from Texas Tech University climate scientist Dr. Katharine Hayhoe which she says: “One of the changes we have seen is that the average humidity of our planet has increased by 4%. Warmer air holds more water vapor. So, on average, our atmosphere is 4% more humidity than it used to be 30 to 40 years ago…So, when storms come through, there is more water for them to now pick up and dump.”

An example I give is Typhoon Haiyan. As it was getting ready to make landfall in the Philippines on November 7, 2013, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center estimated the system’s one-minute sustained winds to 315 km/h (196 mph; 170 kn), making Haiyan the strongest tropical cyclone ever recorded at that time. Although scientists think the contribution of global warming to Haiyan’s extreme intensity is likely to have been small, Haiyan did have deeper, warmer pools of water in the Pacific before it hit the Philippines to provide sufficient energy to fuel storm intensification.

Hayhoe explains that ‘Climate Change does not 
“cause” Bigger Storms like Sandy and Haiyan….But it can make them worse.’ Climate change can exacerbate these storms with its impacts of higher sea levels, higher sea surface 
temperatures, more moisture in the air, and melting polar ice changing the weather patterns.

According wunderground.com, of the 13 strongest tropical cyclones at landfall, 
6 have happened since 1998. However, that fact is now outdated because meteorologists now say that Hurricane Patricia is the strongest hurricane ever recorded before it hit the southwestern Mexico coastline.

Unfortunately, climate change does not only exacerbate hurricanes and rain storms, it also makes droughts worse. Scientists think California is in its worst drought in about 500 years. The Atlantic Monthly reported in September “Drought and climate change have combined to produce the largest area burned in more than a decade” in California.

Image Source: droughtmonitor.unl.edu

This current drought is not just in California, but it also includes nearby states like Oregon.

As a summer seasonal park ranger at Crater Lake National Park, Oregon, I witnessed the impacts of this western drought. When I arrived in the park in mid May 2015, I only saw a couple of fee of snow on the ground. The park can typically have 7 to 8 feet of snow on the ground that time of year. Normally, the park receives over 524 inches of total snow each year. For the winter of 2014-15, the park received only 196 inches of snow, the lowest snowpack on record.

As a result of the mild, short and dry winter, Crater Lake received its largest historical wildfire at over 15,000 acres. The fire was so intense that the park had to shut down its North Entrance station for about 10 days to fight the fire. The intense smoke made it uncomfortable to breathe and obscured the view of the lake at times. Below is a video taken of that wildfire.

It not just Crater Lake National Park. With increasing drought and higher temperatures in the western U.S. climate scientists worry about increasing fire frequency by drying and warming landscapes.

Even worse than increasing western wildfires, St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported on November 8, 2015 that World Bank issued a report that “Climate change could push more than 100 million people into extreme poverty by 2030 by disrupting agriculture and fueling the spread of malaria and other diseases.”

The Washington Post released a map in February 3, 2015 of countries most vulnerable to climate change. Basically, poor third world and politically unstable countries, such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, North Korea and central African nations are the most vulnerable to climate change.

What about local impacts? How does climate change impact my hometown, St. Louis Missouri?

I start off this part by showing a video I filmed of fireworks going off in St. Louis on October 27, 2012. It was a display I stumbled across driving into the city to house sit for a friend. These fireworks were supposed to be set off for the 4th of July. However, that summer had a drought and heat wave that was so severe that it was too dangerous to light fire works. It troubled me to see national news story on November 29, 2012: Drought threatens to close Mississippi River to barges between St. Louis and Cairo, Ill.

I have never liked the summer heat and humidity in St. Louis. This is one of the reasons why I spend my summers in the cool mountains of Crater Lake National Park, Oregon.

In 2009, this report Confronting Climate Change in the U.S. Midwest by the Union of Concerned Scientists stated:

“Under the higher-emissions scenario, St. Louis could experience an entire summer of days above 90°F toward the end of the century. Under the lower- emissions scenario, the number of such days would be reduced by one- third. Dangerously hot days over 100°F (shown in the inset box) are also projected to increase dramatically, with a month and a half of such days expected under the higher-emissions scenario.”

Image Source: ucsusa.org

The thought that climate change could make the muggy and hot summers in St. Louis even worse really disturbed me. Climate change could make things worse, not just for my hometown, but for all o the Midwest. According to the 2008 National Geographic special on climate change called Six Degrees Could Change the World,

“If the world warms by just 1 degree Celsius, the result could be severe droughts in the U.S. Great Plains. The prolonged droughts could turn some of America’s most productive farmland and ranch lands into deserts, causing shortages in the global grain and meat markets.”

In November 2015, it was announced that the world is on track to end the year 1°C above pre-industrial levels. This is troubling news because the world is already seeing more intense droughts, heat waves, floods, and storms at .8 degrees celsius.

According to Dr. Thomas Lovejoy, Professor in the Environmental Science and Policy at George Mason University, “If we’re seeing what we’re seeing today at 0.8 degrees Celsius, two degrees is simply too much.”

Staying below 2°C warming is the guardrail that nations are negotiating to stay under as they try to reach an during the current climate talks in Paris. As Dr. Alice Bows-Larkin, Professor of Climate Science and Energy Policy at The Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, stated, “2 Degrees represents the threshold between dangerous and extremely dangerous climate change.”

Dr. James Hansen, former director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, observed,  believes, “Two Degrees of warming is a prescription for long term disaster.”

Munich Re, one of the world’s leading reinsurers, has graphed out a dramatic rise in weather related global catastrophes since 1980. In a related statement, Munich Re said, “The only plausible explanation for the rise in weather-related catastrophes is climate change.”

The truly frightening part are images of what scientists 
predict as potential DROUGHT INTENSIFICATION in vast, highly populated areas 
of the world—if we do not act 
soon to sharply reduce 
global warming pollution, says a 2010 study by National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR).

According to J. Eric Smith, CEO of Swiss Re, the other largest reinsurance company in the world, “What keeps us up at night is climate change. We see the long-term effect of climate change on society, and it really frightens us.”

On top of all this, I got married on November 1, 2015. This was the headline I woke up seeing the day after my very blissful wedding, Climate Change Kills the Mood: Economists Warn of Less Sex on a Warmer Planet.

All of this makes me want to scream!

So then I ask my audience: “Are you ready for some good news?”

After all of that bleak news, they always seem to shout back, “YES!”

5. We can limit climate change, if we choose.

When sharing the science of climate change, the solutions are the most important topic to cover. In 2010, Matthew Feinberg, assistant professor of organizational behavior at the University of Toronto and Stanford University sociologist Robb Willer published this report in 2010, Apocalypse Soon? Dire Messages Reduce Belief in Global Warming by Contradicting Just-World Beliefs.

Their findings showed that fear-based appeals on climate change, when not coupled with a clear solution, can backfire to cause people to be even less motivated to take action on climate change. Thus, talking about solutions is a vital component of my class. Even more, this research strong shows solutions must be included in talks to the public about climate change.

Dr. Robert F. Cahalan

This section is shorter because I do expand more on solutions in the next part of the class. However, I do want to touch upon climate change solutions that gives me the most hope for the future.

First, I love the quote by NASA climate scientist Dr. Robert Cahalan “The fact that humans are causing climate change is good news. That means we can do something about it.”

Indeed, there are so many solutions available to reduce the threat of climate change, such as solar, wind, geothermal, and tidal power.

It is uncertain how much the role of renewal energy played in this. However, The International Energy Agency reported in March, 2015, “global emissions of carbon dioxide from the energy sector stalled in 2014, marking the first time in 40 years in which there was a halt or reduction in emissions of the greenhouse gas that was not tied to an economic downturn.”

Furthermore, In 2014, the global economy expanded by 3%. It is just one year. It will take many more years to show if this is a trend. However, it may be a sign of “decoupling” economic growth from rising carbon emissions. It may be the first signal that the world economy can grow without out using more fossil fuels and using increasing renewal energy.

In April 2015, The Chemical and Engineering News reported, “China, the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, is claiming it significantly slowed both carbon dioxide releases and coal consumption in 2014.” According to the Chinese Government statistics, “China’s CO2 emissions remained roughly flat between 2013 and 2014.”

Image Source: cen.acs.org

Unfortunately, New York Times reported on November 3, 2015 that China “has been burning up to 17 percent more coal a year than the government previously disclosed, according to newly released data.” This was very bad news because “The increase alone is greater than the whole German economy emits annually from fossil fuels.” However, China is under increasing scrutiny externally and internally to confront the pain of kicking its coal addiction, according to the October 28, 2015 Washington Post.

I cover more about China in part Part II of this blog in the section of the class “Unusual suspects who accept climate change.” The bottom line is that this could be the beginning of starting to bend the curve globally, domestically in the U.S. and in China, in terms of carbon pollution.

The good news though is that 2010 was the first year that global renewable investments in energy projects exceeded fossil fuel energy investments for the first time, according to Bloomberg Business News.

Even better, Bloomberg Business News reported in 2015 that Fossil Fuels just Lost the Race Against Renewables. This article noted, “The shift occurred in 2013, when the world added 143 gigawatts of renewable electricity capacity, compared with 141 gigawatts in new plants that burn fossil fuels,.. The shift will continue to accelerate, and by 2030 more than four times as much renewable capacity will be added.”

It then went on to add, “The question is no longer if the world will transition to cleaner energy, but how long it will take.”

In March 2014, Citigroup, the third largest bank holding company in the US by assets, announced  ‘The Age Of Renewables Is Beginning.’

July 29, 2013, Forbes Magazine, advised “Fossil Fuels Investments Are Increasingly Risky.”A few days earlier, Goldman Sachs warned, ‘The window to invest profitably in new coal mining capacity is closing.’

Months later, in December 2013, The New York Times reported, Large Companies Prepared to Pay Price on Carbon. The article noted:

“More than two dozen of the nation’s biggest corporations, including the five major oil companies, are planning their future growth on the expectation that the government will force them to pay a price for carbon pollution as a way to control global warming.”

The Times listed the five big oil companies as Exxon Mobil, ConocoPhillips, Chevron, BP and Shell The other companies incorporating a carbon price into their business planning include Walmart, American Electric Power, Microsoft, General Electric, Walt Disney, ConAgra Foods, Wells Fargo, DuPont, Duke Energy, Google and Delta Air Lines.

Not only is investing in renewable energy and reducing your carbon footprint a good investment for businesses and investors, green jobs are becoming a wiser career move.

As the Los Angeles Times reported in March 19, 2013, Green jobs grow four times faster than other work, including healthcare. The jobs are in renewable because renewable installations are exploding in growth.

According to the Solar Energy Industries Association: U.S. Installs 6.2 GW of Solar PV in 2014, Up 30% Over 2013

In 2014, The Solar Energy Industries Association further noted, “Rapidly falling prices have made solar more affordable than ever. The average price of a completed PV system has dropped by 33 percent since the beginning of 2011”

Source: www.seia.org/policy/solar-technology/photovoltaic-solar-electric

In March 2014, American multinational financial services corporation, Morgan Stanley, observed, ‘There may be a ‘tipping point’ that causes customers to seek an off-grid approach [to solar].”

There are now 3 U.S. cities that have blown past the tipping point. They are now using 100% renewable energy: Greensburg, Kansas; Burlington, Vermont; and Aspen, Colorado.

Soon to be joining them in 2017, will be Georgetown, Texas. As the mayor, city manager and many of the residents would tell you, Georgetown is switching to renewables to strictly to save money, NOT to combat global warming or save the environment.

“I’m probably the furthest thing from an Al Gore clone you could find. We didn’t do this to save the world — We did this to get a competitive rate and reduce the risk for our consumers.” – Georgetown, Texas interim City Manager Jim Briggs.

As a side note, The Climate Reality Project, led by former Vice-President Al Gore, gave an in depth scientific training for 350 participants, including me, on how to give climate change presentations on May 5-7, 2015 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

During this training, Al Gore talked about Georgetown, Texas going 100% renewable. Gore then cited the quote from the City Manager, ‘I’m the furthest thing from Al Gore you could find. We’re only doing to keep electric rates low.’

Al Gore hilarious response: “Hey man, that works for me!”

In 2008, the small town of Rockport, Missouri, over 1,300 residents, announced that it was the first 100% wind powered community in the United States. Missouri, as a whole, has a long way to go, compared to its neighbors. According to the American Wind Energy Association, Missouri only gets 1% of its electric grid energy from the wind. On the other hand, Iowa gets over 28% of its electricity from the wind, South Dakota 25%, Kansas 21%, Oklahoma 16%, etc.

Mark Z. Jacobson Image Source: web.stanford.edu

“It’s absolutely not true that we need natural gas, coal or oil — we think it’s a myth,” said Mark Z. Jacobson, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University.  “You could power America with renewables from a technical and economic standpoint. The biggest obstacles are social and political — what you need is the will to do it.”

In 2013, the journal Energy Policy published a study by Jacobson and a group of other Stanford engineers. It showed how New York State — not windy like the Great Plains, nor sunny like Arizona — could easily produce the power it needs from wind, solar and water power by 2030. In fact there was so much potential power, the researchers found, that renewable power could also fuel our cars.

I then conclude this section by repeating The 5 Essential Messages about Climate Change:
1. Climate Change is Real
2. People are causing it.
3. There is widespread agreement among climate scientists.
Over 95% are convinced that it is real and caused by humans.
4. It is harmful to people.
5. People can limit it, if we choose.

The 5 Essential Messages about Climate Change can even be simplified into:
1. It’s Real
2. It’s Us
3. Scientists Agree
4. It’s bad
5. But we can fix it.

After that summary, I open it up to questions. Often, I am answering questions during this presentation. Thus, I may not have questions after my summary. If no questions,

D. We take a 15 minute break. Around this time, I am halfway through the class. This give the class and me a chance to relax, get to know others, catch up on personal business, digest the information we just learned, etc.

In the second half of the class I then cover, which will be the focus on part II of this blog post:

How do Americans really feel about climate change? (The 6 Americas Report)

How do you effectively chat with your neighbors, family, friends, and co-workers on climate change?

How do you engage someone who strongly disagrees with you about climate change?

Looking at “unusual suspects” who accept climate change.

Answering climate myth questions.

Ending by showing humorous climate change videos.

If you are thinking about teaching a class to your community college about climate change, I hope this blog give you some ideas.

If you still want more information after reading all of this, check out my second blog post on this subject: (to be release in a couple of days)

How to teach a climate change continuing adult education class at your community college, Part II.

Former Vice President Al Gore and Brian Ettling

On May 7, 2015, former Vice President Al Gore gave me one of the best gifts I have received as a climate change communicator: how to answer his critics.

For years, as I gave climate change talks, especially to my South County Toastmasters group, a conservative climate change contrarian would confront me with statements like, “It is hard for me to accept global warming when Al Gore lives in a big mansion and flies on private jets. His attitude seems to be, ‘do as I say, not as I do.'”

I would ignore these comments. I even asked other Climate Reality Project Leaders and friends of Al Gore how they would respond. The consensus seemed to be to just ignore those folks. Research shows it is very unlikely we can change their minds about climate change. However, what bothered me though was that I would see the politically moderate folks in my Toastmaster group chuckle in agreement with the climate contrarians.

Those dismissive comments sounded laughable to folks who read Skeptical Science and know the scientific understanding about climate change. The contrarians were trying to discredit the science of climate change because of Al Gore. As former Vice President, the Democratic candidate who won the popular vote for President in 2000, winner of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, and the subject of the Academy Award winning 2006 documentary An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore is probably the most recognizable global spokesperson on climate change.

It is easily observed that politically conservative voters strongly despise him. They noticed Al Gore strongly talked about the need to reduce the threat of global warming. Therefore, if he was for it, they had to be against it. This baffled me because Al Gore awoke me to the issue of climate change.

My Deep Admiration for former Vice President Al Gore 

I grew up in the 1980s as a conservative Republican admirer of President Ronald Reagan. I voted for the Bush/Quayle ticket in the 1988 election. In my sophomore year of college in 1989, I was the President of the College Republicans club at my school, William Jewell College in Kansas City, MO.

Image: Amazon.com

Upon graduation from college in 1992, I started my career of working in the national parks. In January 1993, I read Al Gore’s book he had written a few years earlier, Earth in the Balance. The book really connected with my love of nature and our planet. I remember thinking at the time, ‘I may be a Republican, but I am really glad Al Gore is our Vice President.’

By 1996, I was such a strong admiration that I voted for the Clinton/Gore ticket primarily because of Al Gore. I eagerly awaited for him to run for President in 2000. As a Florida voter, it was a very bitter defeat for me when he fell short in the 2000 election by 537 votes in Florida. It was another disappointment for me when he decided not to run for President in 2004.

In 2006, I saw the documentary An Inconvenient Truth during the opening weekend. The movie had such a deep impact I knew then that I wanted to spend the rest of my life working on climate change advocacy. I bought Al Gore’s companion book to the film, An Inconvenient Truth, immediately when it arrived in the bookstores. When the movie became available as a DVD, I rushed to Walmart to buy it. Let me clarify that I am not a Walmart shopper, but I wanted to vote with my dollars that Walmart should sell that movie. I watched the video and the extras countless times at home to memorize it and absorb all the information.

I jumped for joy when An Inconvenient Truth won the Academy Award for Best Documentary in 2007. It felt like my team had won the Superbowl when Al Gore was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2007. After all his accomplishments that year, it was mystifying to me when Time Magazine chose Vladimir Putin over Al Gore as The Person of the Year for 2007.

For many years, the top famous person I wanted to meet most was Al Gore. Paul McCartney was my close second with my deep love of the Beatles and his solo music. Thus, I never understood the deep conservatives hostility for Al Gore since I relate to him for his love of the Earth and concern over climate change.

Al Gore and all climate communicators including me rank low on The Credibility Spectrum  

Largely because of Al Gore’s influence, I everything I could about climate change starting in the late 1990s. In 1999, I read my first book global warming, Laboratory Earth: The Planetary Gamble We Can’t Afford to Lose, by climate scientist Dr. Stephen Schneider of Stanford University. Years later, I read mainstream popular books on climate change, such as Field Notes from a Catastrophe by Elizabeth Kolbert in 2006, The Weather Makers by Tim Flannery in 2007, and Hot, Flat and Crowded by Thomas Friedman in 2008. By the time I read Storms of my Grandchildren by NASA climate scientist Dr James Hansen and Science as a Contact Sport by Stephen Schneider in 2009, I was well aware that there was lots of other voices of journalists, writers, activists, and scientists calling for action on climate change besides Al Gore.

As I researched to develop my own presentations on climate change years later, I stumbled across The Credibility Spectrum, on the blog climatesight.org. This idea was put together by Kaitlin Alexander, now a PhD student in climate science at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. She created flow chart image and post in April 25, 2010 when she was just a 18 year old college student at the University of Manitoba, Canada, studying climate modeling and starting her academic goal to be a climatologist.

Image Source: climatesight.org

This Credibility Spectrum answers this question: Who should one believe when hearing conflicting media stories on climate change?

To summarize Kaitlin’s blog post, this credibility spectrum pyramid is split into two: the scientific community, and the non-scientific community. The scientific community starts with scientists, with the emphasis on climate scientists having the best expertise. As climate scientists find new discoveries through their research,  they write peer-reviewed papers, published in journals like Nature and Science.

Scientific journals are the next step up the credibility spectrum. When scientific papers are submitted for publication in journals, their methods and conclusions are evaluated by independent climate scientists for robustness and accuracy. If other scientists in the same field reject the robustness and accuracy, they will reject the paper and the journal will not publish it.

However, as thousands of papers are published every month, some papers will be proven wrong later.
Thus, the top of the spectrum sits the scientific organizations, like NASA or the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). They compile peer-reviewed knowledge which has stood the test of time into consensus statements. The top level of this spectrum isn’t infallible, but it has a low error rate compared to other sources.

Everyone who isn’t a scientist falls into the lower half of the credibility spectrum. The communicators category includes the mainstream media, 350.org, high school teachers, politicians such as Al Gore. and concerned citizens like me.

Whether its Al Gore or me, we are not part of the scientific community. Therefore, you should always check our sources. Even more, since we attempt to use credible scientific sources to communicate about climate change, we should be held more accountable for what we say than just any random person on the street.  The public, which can easily be swayed by popular media, rumors, advertising, corporate publicity, celebrity statements, etc, makes up the lowest rung of our credibility spectrum.

The conservative argument to reject climate change because of Al Gore carries no weight 

It has been well documented that over 97% of climate scientists, over 99% of peer reviewed papers, and 100% of the world’s scientific organizations affirm that climate change is happening, currently caused by humans, and it is a dangerous threat. Multiple lines of evidence show that climate change is real and currently human caused.

Furthermore, scientists, such as Eric Steig, an isotope geochemist at the University of Washington, has scrutinized Al Gore’s climate statements. When An Inconvenient Truth was released in 2006, Steig critiqued it on realclimate.org, a website maintained by top climate scientists. His assessment: “For the most part, I think Gore gets the science right…The small errors don’t detract from Gore’s main point (on climate change).”

Image Source: Brian Ettling Climate Reality Project Training August 22, 2012

Therefore, I find the dismissive argument of “global warming phony because Al Gore lives in a big mansion and flies on private jets” has zero credibility. Even more, it is a total waste of time to try to convince those folks because they cannot rise above their hatred of Al Gore. However, what bothered me though was that I would see the politically moderate folks be persuaded by the climate contrarians.

I was determined to find an answer to debunk this argument.

At The Climate Reality Project Training in Cedar Rapids, Iowa in May 2015, Al Gore gave a great tip how to handle difficult climate contrarians in the audience during our talks. He advised climate communicators to ‘respond with respect and kindness because that resonates better with the audience. Keep in mind that everyone else in the audience has been put uncomfortably into the jury box.’ Gore counseled that being respectful and kind, but also firm and confident can help win the audience over to our side in those difficult situations.

Having one tough time trying to get that answer to respond to Gore’s conservative critics.


In August 2012, The Climate Reality Project selected 900 individuals including me for their Training in San Francisco, CA. Founded by Al Gore in 2006, this is educational, worldwide grassroots organization has trained over 8,000 volunteers worldwide to give public climate change talks, similar to Gore’s presentation in An Inconvenient Truth. After many years of following Al Gore’s climate change advocacy, I finally had my chance to see him in person and learn how to give his climate change talk.

Brian Ettling at Climate Reality Project Training, Cedar Rapids, IA, May 5-7 2015

During the second day of the conference, Al Gore spend 8 hours with the participants going over his climate change slides. At during the afternoon session, the tables of 8 to 10 individuals were encouraged to develop a question to be answered by Al Gore. With around 100 tables seating all the attendees, The Climate Reality Project staff could only select a few questions to be answered. Thus, each of us at my table wanted to rise to the challenge of having our question selected.

During our table discussion, I mentioned my experience encountering climate change contrarians wanting to argue about Al Gore during my climate change talks. I tried to persuade my table that we should ask the very difficult, elephant in the room question. We should leave this conference with a tool how to address Al Gore’s critics so we are ready when they engage us. Thus, I proposed this question to the group: “How can we best respond to contrarians who reject global warming because they point to Al Gore living in a big mansion and flying on private jets?”

Immediately, there was a gasp at the table from the others that I would propose that question. They did not see the Climate Reality staff selecting such a sensitive question. One woman expressed openly hostility towards my question.  She thought my question was a waste of time because it would never fully persuade Gore’s contrarian critics. With such a strong negative reaction, I quickly withdrew my question.

It was still a peak life experience for me to attend this San Francisco conference to see Al Gore in person and learn how to give his climate change talk, even if I was not able to get my question answered.

In August 2013, The Climate Reality Project selected 1400 individuals for their training in Chicago, Illinois. The organization chose me to be one of 50 mentors to assist the trainees attending this conference. I was assigned 20 people spread out over 2 tables. It was exhilarating and exhausting to make myself available to each person at both tables. My focus this time addressing the needs and questions of my group. During the breakout sessions to brainstorm questions for Al Gore, I strictly let my group pose the questions they wanted answered. It did not feel acceptable for me to impose any of my lingering questions on them.

Brian Ettling mentoring 20 Climate Reality Project Leaders The Climate Reality Project Training, Chicago, IL, July 30-August 2, 2013

Thus, I left Chicago feeling another peak experience of seeing Al Gore, enhancing my knowledge of how to give better climate change talks, and mentoring 20 Climate Reality Leaders. No chance to get my nagging question answered at that conference.

My breakthrough opportunity to ask Al Gore my question at The Cedar Rapids, Iowa Training. 

In May 2015, The Climate Reality Project selected 400 individuals for their training in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The organization chose me to be one of 30 mentors to a group of 7 trainees. This was the third Climate Reality Project training I had attended over the past 3 years. Thus, it was wonderful spend time with many friends attending this conference, especially among my fellow group of mentors.

Brian Ettling mentoring 7 Climate Reality Project Leaders The Climate Reality Project Training, Cedar Rapids, IA, May 5-7, 2015

At the mentor meetings, Climate Reality Project staff, Jacqueline Kaiser and Jessica Hamilton, did an excellent job guiding the mentors including me. In our meetings they shared best practices to engage our trainees. They assigned us specific actions to make this training a success. During one of our our mentor meetings, Jacqueline and Jessica, announced that Al Gore would be attending our meeting on the final morning of the conference. They shared that Mr. Gore, as they call him, wanted to hear directly from us about our successes and challenges as Climate Reality Project Leaders.

My heart started beating fast as I heard this news: YES! Would I finally be able to ask Al Gore directly the question that had troubled me for years? I was going to find out on Thursday morning.

Thursday morning, May 7, 2015, arrived and all of the Climate Reality Mentors arrived early for the opportunity to engage Al Gore. Soon after Jacqueline and Jessica gave the announcements and latest

details for the last day of the training, Al Gore walked into the room along with the senior staff of Climate Reality Project. There were two entrances to the small conference room, and I gambled he would come through the entrance right by where I was seated. He did. He walked just a couple of feet away from me.

Al Gore speaking at Climate Reality Project Training, Cedar Rapids, IA, May 6, 2015. Image Source: Brian Ettling

He sat in a chair in the front and eagerly fielded questions from the mentors about what was on their minds. I found him to be very engaged, friendly, and relaxed as he answered our questions. Gore displayed a great sense of humor as he shared personal stories with us. However, my mind was a blur of what he said to our group because I was so eager to get my question answered.

I did raise my hand each time he fielded a new question, but it was harder for him to see me because I was seated towards the back of the room by the door. Time was becoming short. Gore’s staff was becoming fidgety and signaling to him that it was time to wrap things up with us. All of us, including the Climate Reality Project staff, Al Gore, the mentors, and me, needed to start breaking up the meeting so we could start the full agenda for the last day of the training.

Thus, Al Gore then stated, “I have time for one more question.”

My hand shot up in the air before the others.

Al Gore pointed right at me and asked: “What is your question?

Gulp. My heart was racing. After many years of wanting this moment, it finally had arrived.

My Question to Al Gore of how to respond to his critics. 


I was incredibly nervous. After a second which seemed like an eternity, I blurted out this question:

“Mr. Gore, thank you so much for this opportunity to speak to you. All of us really do appreciate it today. For years I have been giving climate change talks, especially to my Toastmasters group in St. Louis, MO. Some of them ask me questions that are very critical of you. I know we will never convince the Uncle Joe in our family or audience or accept climate change. It is a waste of time. Unfortunately, the moderate folks in our audience are being influenced by conservative Uncle Joe who listens to Rush Limbaugh and Fox News. The moderates seem to be easily swayed when Uncle Joe says, ‘we cannot trust Al Gore on global warming because he flies on private jets and lives in a huge mansion.’ How should we respond to that? ”

Al Gore responding to my question

It was such a relief to finally ask this question since my mind was still in a blur. However, I remember the whole room now sitting up and paying attention to how he would respond.

Al Gore’s body language showed that he was eager to answer it. It seemed like time stopped as Al Gore wanted to give this question the full attention that it deserved.

His response:

‘Thank you for asking me that question. I am under no delusion that people who ask it are just using one of the oldest tricks in history to just ‘shoot the messenger.’


As a boy growing up in the South, I heard people around say, “I would be all favor Civil Rights if it was not led by Martin Luther Coon.”

(From reading my body language, Gore could see that I was stunned by that quote from his childhood.  I am a huge fan of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He responded to my body language and gasp saying…)

Oh, yes, that is what I heard growing up.


I do have 33 solar panels and 10 geothermal wells on my house.


Almost all the time, I fly commercial. I even flew in a small commercial plane to and from this conference from American Airlines. However, I occasionally have no choice and must to charter a plane to get to certain commitments. It is quite an expense and I avoid it as much as I can.


I know certain people would love to make climate change about me. Therefore, sometimes I do deliberately lower my profile so the issue does not become about me.


However, those critics would love for me ultimately to just go away.
I am never giving them that satisfaction.


As long as I can, I will be speaking up about the climate issue.”

The whole room burst into applause with his response. His answer seemed to elevate the positive energy of the room to a whole new level. It felt like a sublime out of body experience that I was having trouble processing in the moment.

Shaking hands with Al Gore

Al Gore, May 7, 2015 Image Source: Brian Ettling

That that note, Al Gore stood up, as well as the rest of the senior staff from Climate Reality Project, and they walked by me to the door.  As he walked by me, I could not contain myself.

I humbly blurted out, “Mr. Gore. Thank you so much for answering my question.”

Al Gore stopped his walk. He turned to me, reached out, and shook my hand. He looked me directly in the eye saying,
“Thank you for all you are doing.”

It was hard to believe that all of this was real.
He then left with senior staff of The Climate Reality Project.

Immediately afterwards, other Climate Reality mentors gathered around me. They complimented me on my question and they were amazed by Al Gore’s response. The energy level for me and everyone in the room seemed sky high. It seemed like I had given all of them a tool they needed to respond to Al Gore’s contrarian critics.

Running into Al Gore at the Cedar Rapids Airport and on my flight 

The peak experience of that morning of interacting with Al Gore was soon to be overshadowed later on that day. From my morning conversation with Al Gore, I could not wait to tell the seven people I was mentoring at the conference and anyone else who I could corner. The final talks at the conference were all excellent and very informative. However, my mind and body still felt overwhelmed from interacting directly with Al Gore. Part me was eager to race back home and share this story with friends and family back in St. Louis.

Cathy Cown Becker and Brian Ettling

When the conference ended at 4:00 pm, my goodbyes had to be brief to my good friends and the 7 folks I mentored at the conference. I had a plane to catch just a couple of hours later.

Around 4:40 pm at the passenger drop off area of the Cedar Rapids Airport, I ran into a Facebook friend who was also at the same conference, Cathy Cowan Becker. We intended to meet up at some point during the conference to say ‘hello.’ After three busy days, it was a thrill to finally meet her and get my picture with her.

After we went through airport security, it happened that we had to hang out at the same

concourse gate area to wait for our flight. While we were waiting, Al Gore came walking up to us. It turned out that he was on the same flight with us. I asked him if I could get my picture with him and he was very happy about taking pictures with me. Then I made sure Cathy had her picture taken with him.

Cathy Cowan Becker and Al Gore Image Source: Brian Ettling

After three days of spending many hours sharing his knowledge about climate change, Al Gore must have been very tired. I would have totally understood if he needed his privacy with us. Just the opposite. He was very friendly with Cathy and me. While we chatted with Al Gore, I met a new friend on the spot, Videns Veritatis. She was also at the Climate Reality Project Conference. I helped snap of picture of her with Al Gore on her smart phone.

Thinking of the climate change contrarians, I made this joke while while Cathy, Videns, and I were all waiting for our plane: “Looks like we are all going to be flying on the same private jet as Al Gore.”

I am not sure though if Al heard that joke because I did not see him then. However, as I was boarding the airplane, seated in the front row looked totally exhausted was Al Gore. As a jokester, I could not keep quiet. As I walked past him, I shook my head and remarked, “I don’t know, Al. Looks like I am going to have to tell Fox News I saw you on a private jet.”

Rehia Quais, Al Gore and Javaria Quais Joiya Photo used by permission of Javaria Quais Joiya.

Al did not seem to be in the mood for my joke. He looked way too tired to laugh. However, his security detail seated across from him did bust out laughing.

I hope Al does not hold that joke against me if we do meet again.

Even then, he stood up to get his picture taken with Javaria Qais Joiya and her 9 year old daughter Rehia Qais. Javaria and Rehia are from Pakistan. They attend the Climate Reality Project Training. Rehia read a very beautiful poem to all 400 of us in attendance during the Training. Al looked very happy to get his picture taken with them.

Soon the plane took off for Chicago and we then went our separate ways.

Final Thoughts


This very positive interaction with Al Gore happened 7 months ago and I still remember it like it was yesterday.

Brian Ettling and Tanya Couture on their wedding day, November 1, 2015.

Just one day after my flight landed in St. Louis, I started driving across country to my summer job at Crater Lake National Park, Oregon. My job at Crater Lake keeps me very busy running from one ranger talk to the next. My fiancée Tanya came out at the end of June. She worked and lived with me at Crater Lake until late September.

I left Crater Lake in the second week of October to return to St. Louis to get ready for our wedding. Tanya and I got married on November 1st. I then taught a climate change class on November 14th. I went to Washington DC to lobby Congress on climate change November 15 to 19th.

After all of this, I finally have a chance to write this blog of gratitude how Climate Reality Project and Al Gore gave me the gift of how to respond directly to his critics.

Thank you Al Gore!

P.S. I hope my fellow mentors from The 2015 Climate Reality Project Training in Cedar Rapids, Iowa or The Climate Reality Project know they are more than welcome to contact me if I have misquoted Al Gore’s comments. I will be more than happy to correct them.

Two weeks ago, I had an experience of a lifetime lobbying six Congressional Offices in Washington DC as part of Citizens’ Climate Lobby‘s November Lobby Day.

If you are not familiar with Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL), it was started in 2007 by retired San Diego real estate broker Marshall Saunders. CCL is a a non-profit, non-partisan, grassroots advocacy organization focused on national policies to address climate change. With over 307 active chapters in the US and worldwide, CCL lobbies Congress in support of its Carbon Fee and Dividend proposal. Its thousands of volunteers do this by building friendly relationships with our federally elected representatives and senators. Their one rule is that they do so with respect, appreciation and gratitude for their service when they meet with members of Congress or their staff.

Citizens’ Climate Lobby has an annual Lobby Day Conference in Washington DC around the third week of June every year. At their June 2015 Lobby Day, close to 900 volunteers attended and they met with over 500 Congressional Offices. As I have blogged previously, my involvement with CCL started in April 2012. Unfortunately, I have not attended the June CCL Lobby Day in DC because of my commitment to my summer ranger job at Crater Lake National Park, Oregon.

Thus, it was a dream come true for me to be able to travel to Washington DC and lobby Congressional offices on climate change on November 17 & 18, 2015.

Here are 8 Lessons I learned from Lobbying DC Congressional Offices: 


1. We need to create a lot more political will so Congress will act on Climate Change. 

Larry Schweizer, Image source: The Climate Reality Project Presenter Profile for Larry Schweiger

As my friend Larry Schweiger, former President and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, once wrote, “It’s not enough to care; we must link our concern to each other & act collectively.”

Unfortunately, the staffs of both Democratic and Republican offices say they are not hearing their constituents voicing a loud concern about climate change.

The Congressional staff stated that their constituents seemed to be most worried about jobs, the economy and energy prices. Since then, you can probably add national security/the threat of terrorism after the recent Paris attacks to this list.

Thus, Congressional Offices did not seem highly motivated to act on climate change.

Therefore, if you are alarmed about climate change like me, then we must step up, organize, and let our members of Congress know that action on climate change is a top priority for us.

It is vital to write your members of Congress. Check out this amazing TED Talk, Political change with pen and paper by Omar Ahmad, the former mayor of San Carlos, California. It is about writing effective letters to your local politician to get them pay attention to an issue you care about deeply.

It should be noted that writing one letter is not enough. You should make it a regular habit to write letters, even a postcard, to your members of Congress. Regular stream of letters will enable climate change to rise to the top as a priority for Congressional offices.

Even more, consider writing letters to the editor and opinion editorials in your local newspaper about climate change. It has felt very fulfilling and empowering to get letters and editorials I wrote published in local newspapers. Make sure you include your elected Senators and Representatives names in these published writings so it will catch their attention.

US Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO), Brian Ettling, and Mark Gould, Citizens’ Climate Lobby volunteer from South Carolina.

Furthermore, send an e-mail to the staff of the Congressional Office to notify them of this newspaper editorial or letter to the editor. This reinforces the message that climate change is a high priority for you. For your US Senators and Representatives, mail letters to their local district offices, not their Washington DC offices. Because of the anthrax scare in 2011, letters going to Congress in Washington DC get screened for harmful substances. Thus, it could take up to 6 weeks for a staff or member of Congress to see your letter.

Bottomline: Write letters to your members of Congress regularly and frequently.

To paraphrase Irish orator John Philpot Curran from 1790: ‘The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.’

2. It is more effective to meet with staff or members of Congress than to protest in front of their offices. 

While I was rushing to meet with Congressional offices, it was easy to see various protests in front of the Capitol Building about protecting our local police, closely screening Syrian refugees, and climate change. However, when I asked the Congressional staff, they knew nothing about these protest gatherings. Even more, they told me that protests in Washington DC are so common are the Capitol that they don’t even pay attention anymore.

This made me feel more empowered in the 15 to 30 minute meetings I had with staff.

Brian Ettling protesting against the Meramec Coal Plant, April 25, 2013

I was able to look them in the eye as I shared with them my story how I witnessed climate change while working as a ranger in the national parks. In addition, I shared my story of living close to Meramec Coal Power Plant may have been a contributing factor to my Dad’s cancer.

One Republican staff member seemed a little shook up by my story. To my surprise, she did not defend coal, she replied, “There’s no excuse for these (coal) plants to be inefficient.”

Yes, I have protested the Meramec coal plant and have been attended climate marches in St. Louis. However, it felt so much more empowering for me to share my story directly with Congressional Staff and feel them being emotionally impacted by my story. No way had I ever felt this level of satisfaction before from protesting in a march or even writing a letter to Congress.

3. It is a valuable learning experience to learn how they really feel about action on climate change. 

It was a helpful gift to hear where Congressional Offices stood on climate and CCL’s carbon fee and dividend proposal.

First, none of the Republican offices that I met denied the science of climate change.

The offices seemed to confirm the quote from David Yarnold, President and CEO of the National Audubon Society: “Most Republicans say the same thing behind closed doors: ‘Of course, I get that the climate is changing, of course I get that we need to do something.”

At worst, some of the staff members would become awkwardly silent or started squirming in their chair when CCL volunteers or I would engage them on the negative impact of climate change on their constituents’ businesses.

At best, the staff of one Republican Congressional Office told me that climate change is real and their boss would like to take action to address it.

Clearly, I got the sense from the staff that they wanted to do something and this issue was not going away. All of the offices I spoke seemed unwilling to take the leap of action.

Their main objections:

a. No significant movement in Congress right now to pass legislation on climate.

b. Climate change was a low priority for their voters, compared to the economy, jobs, and energy prices.

c. Citizens’ Climate Lobby’s carbon fee and dividend proposal did not meet WTO & GATT compliance for world trade agreements.

d. President Obama’s EPA Clean Power Plan created “a poisonous political climate.”

By genuinely listening and learning their objections, naturally led to my next lesson learned.

4. It is empowering to answer Congressional objections to climate change solutions. 


It was an uplifting experience to be a resource for Congressional staffs how CCL’s carbon fee and dividend solution is beneficial.

Our responses to their objections:

a. In the House, Republican Rep. Chris Gibson recently introduced Resolution on Conservative Environmental Stewardship (H.Res 424), now co-sponsored by 11 other House Republicans calling for action on climate change.

In the Senate, Four Republican senators — Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Mark Kirk (R-IL), and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) — recently formed a Senate Energy and Environment Working Group that, according to Ayotte’s office, will “focus on ways we can protect our environment and climate while also bolstering clean energy innovation that helps drive job creation.”

Yes,  movement is happening in both houses of Congress among Republicans for climate change.

b. We demonstrated that action on climate change is a high priority for voters. For this November Lobby Day, Citizens’ Climate Lobby showed it is creating the political will for action with around 140 volunteers traveling from as far away as California and Miami meeting with over 170 Washington DC Congressional offices. This was the follow up to the June 2015 Lobby Day with 900 volunteers meeting with over 500 Congressional Offices. Furthermore, CCL is getting the attention of Congress with with our actions so far in 2015 with over 1,155 meetings with Congressional Offices, 2,897 published media and over 12,832 handwritten letters to Congress.

c. Citizens’ Climate Lobby completed extensive homework to show that its plan meets total WTO & GATT compliance for world trade agreements.

5. The rewarding satisfaction of giving a successful “off the cuff” sales pitch to a Congressional Staff. 

As noted above, Republican Congressional made it clear that offices President Obama’s EPA Clean Power Plan created “a poisonous political climate.” For me, it was thrilling to provide a counter argument that CCL’s Carbon Fee and Dividend allows members of Congress to go “on offense” instead of defense trying to stop President Obama’s Clean Power Plan.

One Republican staff person told me that his boss spent most of his political capital “playing defense right now” with President Obama’s EPA Clean Power Plan.

My response was that we are telling Democratic Representatives and staffs that carbon fee and dividend was a much better alternative than the EPA Clean Power Plan. The EPA rules are designed to reduce emissions from power plants by 30% below 2005 levels by the year 2030. Regional Economic Models Inc. (REMI), which conducted a 2014 study of CCL’s Carbon Fee and Dividend (CF&D) proposal, found that CF&D would achieve a 90% reduction below 2005 levels in the power sector by 2030. Thus, CCL’s carbon fee and dividend results in greater emissions reductions sooner, cuts emissions deeper, while growing the economy and creating jobs.

This aide seemed to be very happy when he heard me say that CCL prefers carbon fee & dividend over the EPA Clean Power Plan because this EPA plan has basically no Republican support. CCL would much rather support a bipartisan solution in Congress. That plan is much more likely to be passed with broad approval.

On the spot, I then asked the aide point blank, “Does our Carbon Fee and Dividend Plan help you and your boss start playing offense instead of defense?”

That Congressional aide was speechless. It felt like hitting a home run making this sales pitch to him. He was definitely considering my invitation to look at our proposal.

It felt like I had carefully listened to the aide’s defensive position. I then invited him a positive step forward that could lead for a victory for his boss, the Republican Party, and our planet.

6. The technique of showing admiration, appreciation and respect for members of Congress & their staff works. 


Citizens’ Climate Lobby likes to say that their one rule is that their volunteers show members of Congress or their staff respect, appreciation and gratitude for their public service when they meet with them.

Gulp. That one rule can be extremely hard. Often, CCL volunteers like me are meeting with the the members of Congress or staff where we have totally opposite points of view. In those instances, my first reaction would naturally be to yell at them and berate them for their deep ties to the fossil fuel industry.

Brian Ettling, Sarah, Erik Rust & Larry Kremer Sarah is an intern for Erik Rust. Erik Rust is Energy & Environmental Aide for Rep. Wagner. Larry is a CCL volunteer from Texas.

Thus, I have had to learn to be very friendly, patient, and kind when setting up these meetings with Congressional staff. I made it a habit to treat them like lifelong friends. It took in some cases up to 10 e-mails and phone calls with the office receptionists to set up the meetings with staff. In every step, I made sure I was polite and friendly when setting up these appointments.

When the Congressional staffs meetings took place November 17 & 18th, the tone felt very friendly and relaxed. It felt very easy for an exchange of ideas to flow.

I looked at their objections and questions not as barriers, but my homework to provide future information for them. The other volunteers in the meeting and I consciously strived to listen carefully to their questions and concerns. Our goal in Citizens’ Climate Lobby is to be interested not interesting. We are interested in what they have to say and pay close attention, rather than longing to be interesting in who we are.

As a result, it felt like the Congressional staff was interested in engaging us in conversation and then listening closely to our ideas.

Years ago, I applied for a job for another environmental organization. During the interview, the hiring official wanted to know my experience of political organizing. I explained my experience using Citizens’ Climate Lobby’s technique of showing respect, admiration, and gratitude for Republican members of Congress and their staff.

This interviewer bristled at my response, and retorted, “We don’t talk to these people. We defeat them.”

I totally respected this environmental organizer’s point of view. Yes, there are elected officials that I will be voting against on election day that must be defeated. I totally get political campaigns against politicians with awful to 0% voting records for protecting the environment. They should be defeated.

On the other hand, these same elected leaders may still be holding office for years. I would much rather use Citizens’ Climate Lobby’s strategy of finding common ground with elected officials and working for solutions together with them. On the other hand, I see it as a very limited and polarizing strategy of just defeating them.

7. Meeting with the staffs of Congressional Offices was fun, rewarding, and inspirational. 

Citizens’ Climate lobby’s mission is to create the political will for a livable world by empowering individuals to experience breakthroughs in exercising their personal and political power.

Hilary Pinegar, Legislative Correspondent for Sen. Roy Blunt meeting with Brian Ettling. Blunt’s office used to be the office of Senator & Vice President Harry S. Truman, before he became President.

It was a lot of fun to plan this trip,  do my homework to learn about the member of Congress and their staffs, spend time exploring Capitol Hill and Washington DC, walk around Capitol Hill to locate their offices, and see the mementos in their office that represents their district and state.

For instance, it amazed me to learn from the staff of Senator Roy Blunt that his office used to be the office of Senator and Vice President Harry Truman. I also had a meeting with the staff of Rep. John Yarmuth of Kentucky. His district it encompasses almost all of Louisville metro area, including the famous Louisville Slugger factory & Museum and the Kentucky Derby. Thus, it was fun to be greeted by a giant Louisville Slugger bat when entering his office and pictures of the Kentucky Derby.

I wish I would have had time to step inside all 535 Congressional offices to see the valuable decorations from their home district or state.

It did feel very empowering for me to personally engage the Congressional staff on climate change solutions. It felt like I was taking effective action on the issue that I care the most deeply. It stretched my comfort zone to chat with Congressional Staff who are making policy decisions and advising member of Congress. For years I had dreamed of going to Washington DC to lobby on climate change, it felt surreal and a peak life experience to actually do it.

I hope to lobby in Washington DC again soon, especially for Citizens’ Climate Lobby.

Through the adventure of lobbying, I have experienced firsthand the Joan Baez quote that “Action is the antidote for despair.”

8. I got to lobby Congressional Offices with old and new friends. 

Don Kraus, Brian Ettling, Elli Sparks, and Tim Fitzgerald getting ready for a meeting with staff of Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR) on November 17, 2015.

None of these meetings, I was alone. I had at least 2 to 4 other Citizens’ Climate Lobby volunteers in all of these meetings. It truly felt like teamwork.

In all of these meetings, Citizens’ Climate Lobby Volunteers divided up roles: such as note taking, showing admiration for a particular action of that member of Congress, asking a specific request, seeing if the staff had questions, timekeeping to be respectful of the staffs’ busy schedule, and a leader to facilitate the meeting.

This was always a relief because it never felt like the burden of the Congressional meeting was squarely on my shoulders. I still have a lot to learn about Citizens’ Climate Lobby’s carbon fee and dividend proposal.  Thus, I was grateful to have friends in the meetings who knew more about their proposal than me. All of the other volunteers in the meetings were excellent at answering the questions I would have been more shaky at answering.

For me, making friends has been the deepest reward with taking action on climate change. These friends have given me hope and inspiration. It is empowering to know there are thousands of involved citizens volunteering on the climate issue, meeting with Congressional offices, creating deeper awareness in their communities on the climate issues, and offering solutions that allows society a forward. These are the people I want to “hang with.”

As Reid Hoffman, Chairman and Cofounder, LinkedIn, stated, “The fastest way to change yourself is to hang out with the people who are already who you want to be.”

Unfortunately, I did not get pictures of the Citizens Climate Lobby volunteers who were with me in each of the six meetings. The exception was the picture that was taken of the CCL volunteers who were with me before the meeting in Rep. Greg Walden’s office, shown above.

However, Citizens’ Climate Lobby did get a group photo of all 140 volunteers, including me, who did get to lobby Congress in DC on November 17th and 18th.

Image Source: Citizens’ Climate Lobby Blog

With all of the climate activists who could not make it to this conference because of work, school finances, or other commitments, this gives me tremendous hope that Congress will eventually pass significant legislation to reduce the impact of climate change.

“The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not ‘Eureka!’ but ‘That’s funny…'” – Isaac Asimov

Brian Malow

Looking to be entertained by someone with a mutual geeky love of science? Look no further than Brian Malow, Earth’s Premier Science Comedian (self-proclaimed). He has performed for NSF, AAAS, JPL, NIST, ACS, AGU – and many other acronyms, as well as comedy clubs nationwide.

Brian currently works in science communication for the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh, and blogs for Scientific American.

Brian has made science videos for Time Magazine’s website and is a contributor to Neil deGrasse Tyson’s radio show. He gives workshops and presentations to train scientists to become better speakers and that is where I first encountered Brian Malow.

He was a guest speaker for the December 2011 Communicating Your Science Workshop at the AGU (American Geophysical Union) Fall Meeting in San Francisco. His workshop for scientists and science communicators like me was called, Delivering Your Message: Lessons from Stand-up Comedy. 

To this day, this was one of the most beneficial workshops I have attended for tips to successfully engage an audience on science, especially climate change.

This is a presentation with tips I needed to learn. As I blogged about previously, I saw evidence of climate change while working as a ranger at Crater Lake National Park, Oregon and Everglades National Park. While working in the Everglades in November 2007, I decided to dedicate the rest of my life to be a climate change communicator.

Unsure how to pursue this passion, one day I was brainstorming with my friend, Naomi, in Ashland, Oregon. She was giving me lots of advice. Finally, I said out of honest desperation, “If I could do anything, I would like to be the Climate Change Comedian!”

Naomi just about fell out of her chair laughing. She said, “You go home and grab that website domain.” I immediately did that and a friend helped me build the website, climatechangecomedian.com in March 2010. I have not done much with the website since then, even though I love to blog, create videos, and contribute posts to the website Climatebites.org.

In Spring 2010, I also created my first powerpoint attempt to find that sweet spot of sharing the science and solutions to climate change while incorporating humor. It was called Let’s Have Fun Getting Serious about Resolving Climate Change. 

I gave this talk a few times for friends to get comfortable Towards the beginning of my talk, I shared some of my favorite quotes trying to find the sweet spot between humor and serious learning:

– ‘Good teaching is one-fourth preparation and Three-fourths Theater.’ ~ novelist Gail Godwin

– “Jokes of the proper kind, properly told, can do more to enlighten questions of politics, philosophy, and literature than any number of dull arguments.” – science fiction writer Isaac Asimov

– “When humor goes, there goes civilization.” – humorist Erma Bombeck

– “You can turn painful situations around through laughter. If you can find humor in anything, even poverty, you can survive it.” – comedian Bill Cosby.

Fran Ettling, Tanya Couture, and Brian Ettling

Ok, you can tell I need a lot of help with my humor. To this day and in my short videos, my mom and fiancée Tanya tell me that I am not that funny. 

Therefore, yes, I was in great need of Brian Malow’s workshop at AGU in December 2011, Delivering Your Message: Lessons from Stand-up Comedy.

That information is so valuable to weave into my talk, establish more rapport with the audience and get them on my side for the topic I am presenting.Brian went further to say to know that your audience is human. Therefore, connect with them with human ideas. He encouraged us to put ourselves in our programs. I took this to heart nine months later when I developed my own ranger evening campfire presentation at Crater Lake National Park on YouTube, called the The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly. I put goofy images of myself in my program so my audience could relate more to me and the information I was sharing with them. Such as me below catching my first gigantic kokanee salmon at Crater Lake in 2012.

 

Brian Malow pointed out that every story has a conflict. We need to engage an audience on our topic in a way that answers their question: Why should I care?

 

One of my favorites: confused about weather vs. climate, then check your underwear drawer.

“Climate is percentage of long underwear vs. shorts in your closest. Weather is deciding to wear long underwear or shorts today.” – Inspired John Morris, retired Interpretive Specialist, National Park Service, Alaska Regional Office.

 

Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson. His profile Twitter Image

Or, Climate change A political issue? That’s like choosing sides over E = mc2

“Climate change has taken on political dimensions…That’s odd because I don’t see people choosing sides over E = mc2 or other fundamental facts of science.”
— Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist, Host of Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey.

Image from the YouTube talk from Brian Malow, How Wine Saved the World

He then showed his funny and educational powerpoint about Louis Pasteur which is on YouTube called How Wine Saved the World. To illustrate how Louis Pasteur was a “super-chemist,” the slide shows a Photoshopped image of Pasteur’s head on Superman’s body.

Even more, Brian’s powerpoint shared a great scientific story how Louis Pasteur proved that life can only come from life. Pasteur crushed the previous accepted doctrine of spontaneous generation. He performed experiments that showed that without contamination, microorganisms could not develop.

 

– Brian thinks it is odd that people trust experts for everything, except for evolution and climate change. People think they know more than these experts.

There’s something fascinating about why people don’t trust scientists. I mean we defer to so many experts in our lives. You know, if you have a problem with your plumbing, you call the plumber. If you have a problem with your car, you call the mechanic.

But for some reason when it comes to evolution or climate change, you’re going to trust some politician and not the experts? It’s so absurd. What if we greeted plumbers with the same skepticism? “Oh, yeah, right, right. You’re just gonna snake that little thing down there and it’s gonna clear up the problem? Sure. And I’m supposed to believe that?”

What really shines through Brian’s comedy routines, radio interviews, videos, and scientific workshops is his love of science. He told us that science is a process. Science is the pursuit to satisfy our curiosity.

Thank you Brian Malow for your humor and inspiring me to more effectively use humor when I am giving talks on climate change. I blogged about my own success over a year ago: Using Humor Effectively to Communicate Climate Change.You have been a big influence on me.

Brian Malow with Brian Ettling. Image taken on February 25, 2015 after Brian Malow performed at St. Louis Community College, Meramec Campus

 

 

Last November, the leader of my local Toastmasters Club, Steve,
started out the meeting with this joke: “New York Times just reported that weapons of mass destruction were found in
Iraq. The next thing they will probably tell us is that global warming is not
real.”

Sure, I love a good joke. I attempt to use lots of humor in my
ranger evening talk on impact of climate change at Crater Lake National Park, on
YouTube, called The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly. I have blogged about using
humor to convey a message about climate change. On a dare over five years ago,
I even grabbed the web domain, Climate Change Comedian and set up a website by
the same title.

Brian Malow and Brian Ettling

Science comedian Brian Malow (pictured on left) is an excellent example of marrying
a deep love of science with very funny comedy in his stand up routines he performs across
the United States. I will write more about him on a future blog.

Rock Reef Pass. Highest elevation point on Main Park Road in Everglades National Park

Because of climate change, sea level is now expected to rise at
least three feet in Everglades National Park by the end of the 21st
century. The sea would swallow up most of the park since it lies less than
three feet above sea level.

Learning that fact alarmed me because I had a fantastic time canoeing along the coastal areas in the Everglades. It was a thrill to go explore to see the endangered American crocodiles and Florida manatees. The dolphins would swim under and around the canoe, Bald Eagles soaring overhead, beautiful shorebirds and herons working along the shoreline for all you can eat seafood dinners. Peregrine Falcons would then come out of nowhere to attack the shorebirds.

Best of all, it was fabulous to canoe around the four foot tall
magnificent wild Flamingos which were feeding and standing around the tidal
flats.

I could even see changes in the park with my own eyes over the two
decades I worked there. I could see that it was raining more and snowing less
in the months of May, June, September, and October. It was stunning how little
snowpack I had seen when I arrived for the summers of 2013 and 2014. The winter of 2014-15 projects to have even less snowpack when I arrive in May or June.

Aware of this knowledge of the impact of climate change on
Crater Lake, I have presented my The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly evening
program at the Crater Lake campground amphitheater since August 2011. This
presentation turned out to be very beneficial for me.

 

NASA invited me to give a version of this talk at the National Association of Interpreters
Convention in Hampton, Virginia in November 2012. Grand Canyon National Park
invited me to give this talk at their Shrine of the Ages Auditorium in May 2013. Oregon Wild conservation group invited me to speak on climate change
impacting Crater Lake at their annual conference in in Portland, Oregon in May
2014.

Most of us tend to think of the impacts of climate change coming
in the distant future. However, it struck Michael that the glaciers of Glacier
National Park may disappear while his kids are still teenagers.

During his talk, Michael gained the total respect from audience
members like me. Instead of just raising kids as a squeezed in priority, like
most people, Michael compiled over years a growing to-do list of adventures he wanted
to enjoy with his kids before they were independent adults.

 

Gambel Oak

 

According to Stephanie, with the warming climate temperatures, gambel oaks
are now putting out their leaves earlier in the spring. The winter moth caterpillars
then emerge earlier to take advantage of the earlier leaves. Unfortunately the
Pied Flycatcher still arrives around the same time during the spring migration
only to find all the caterpillars gone into their cocoon stage. As a result of
no food, scientists noted up to a 90% population decline of the Pied
Flycatcher.

The Lanza family day hiked to Yosemite Valley’s waterfalls:
first to Upper Yosemite Falls, which drops a sheer 1,430 feet, and then on the
Mist Trail to Vernal and Nevada Falls.

Glacier Bay has seen the fastest glacial retreat on Earth. 40
years ago, there were 12 tidewater glaciers.

Brian Ettling and Larry Lazar

Today there are five. 99% of Alaska glaciers are retreating.”

 

Michael shared, “I’ve been to Yellowstone many times; my
favorite season is winter. We cross-country skied the Upper Geyser Basin,
Mammoth Hot Springs, Tower Fall, and the spectacular rim of the Grand Canyon of
the Yellowstone River.

I really love the white bark pines at Crater Lake.
They are hanging on to the tops of the mountains at Crater Lake by the edges of
their fragile roots as a warming climate brings ever-bigger invasions of
mountain pine beetles attacking them.

Image Source: wikipedia.org

 

One of many solar panel to power the South Rim Grand Canyon Visitor Center, pointed out by Park Ranger Pete Peterson

Next to the visitor center, there is a large
cistern tank to reclaim rainwater for landscaping and restroom toilets. The South Rim Village has a very convenient shuttle bus service and bike rentals so visitors can drive less and not idle in traffic jams.

Recently
constructed maintenance and natural resource offices are LEED certified (Leadership
in Energy and Environmental Design) by the US Green Council. According to Grand
Canyon park signage, “All new buildings in the park meet strong standards for
sustainable materials and energy efficiency. Building features include:

Everglades Park Ranger Larry Perez Image Source: miamitodaynews.com

In his powerpoint, he mentions
park buildings using more energy efficient light bulbs. Park visitor centers,
office buildings, and maintenance facilities using more solar and wind
power.  Other steps include: providing a
recycling service for employees and visitors, using shuttle buses to transport
visitors within park boundaries, and converting park staff work vehicles to
electric or hybrid vehicles.

I always emphasize in my evening program that Crater Lake National Park is doing what it can to reduce its carbon footprint. It has purchased hybrid vehicles for employee work transportation. It offers trolley tours on compressed natural gas, which emits 90% less carbon dioxide than a large recreational vehicle traveling through the park, according to the trolley company. For over two decades, the north entrance station received 100% on solar power. Starting two years ago, Mazama camper store has portable solar panels to reduce its electric demands.

Mobile solar panels next to Mazama Camper Store, Crater Lake National Park

I
acknowledge those actions is not nearly enough for Crater Lake to seriously
reduce our carbon emissions. Thus, I empower my audience to get involved. At my
conclusion, I ask my audience to stop by our visitor centers and fill out
comment forms. I request that they demand Crater Lake National Park do more to
reduce the impact of climate change.

Hopefully, you will contact
your member of Congress, reduce your carbon footprint at home and with your
car, and join effective groups like Citizens’ Climate Lobby, 350.org, BeyondCoal, The Climate Reality Project, etc. Your actions can make a difference
because climate change impacting our national parks is no joke.

For almost 23 years, I have been a summer seasonal park ranger at Crater Lake National Park, Oregon. The biggest change I saw in the park during this time was climate change.

Unfortunately, Crater Lake has only been a summer seasonal job for me.

From 1992 to 2008, I worked as a winter seasonal park ranger in Everglades National Park in south Florida. My favorite memory from my time there was canoeing in an area of Florida Bay called, Snake Bight. Isn’t that a funny name? Bight spelled b-i-g-h-t is actually a nautical term for a bay within a bay. This coastal bay is located south of Miami and north of the Florida Keys.

The best time to canoe there was the winter, when the average temperature in south Florida is 77 degrees. It is a little humid, but not as oppressive as summer. The cool winter breezes would be an amazing relief as you work up sweat canoeing and get the sticky salt water spray on you. Because you totally leave civilization to canoe to Snake Bight, it is so silent The only sounds you hear are the canoe paddle hitting the water and the sea water sloshing on the outside hull of the canoe.

An American Crocodile lurking in the water

I never saw any snakes when I canoed to Snake Bight. However, the variety of wildlife I did see there was incredible. The bay is very shallow only about 2 to 4 feet deep during high tide! Thus, if you fall out of your canoe, you just stand up. Because it is so shallow, it becomes an all you can eat seafood buffet for the birds: shrimps, crabs, oysters, small fish, etc. I will never forget seeing thousands of tiny shorebirds that would take off in flight when they would be suddenly pursued by a Peregrine Falcon. They swoop in like a jet pilot to go after these clouds of birds that would suddenly turn like they were one organism.

While canoeing around that area I got to see the endangered American Crocodile while would lurk in the water like a WWII U Boat submarine with its iron grey color. They can get up to 8 to 12 feet long. However, they were always leery of the canoes and kayaks which they considered to be larger and more dominating animals.

My highlight though was seeing flocks of up to 40 Flamingos. They stand up to 4 feet tall and have a muted pink color. They would let me circle around them in the canoe as they would stand and feed on the bay shrimp. However, if I got too close, they would suddenly run to gain speed to go into flight. In flight, they have a 6 foot wing span. These birds have a jet black colors on the back half of their wingspans that is only revealed when they take off in flight. These birds are so skinny and gangly looking that you wonder how on earth can they stand or fly so gracefully.It was one of highlights of my life to see the Flamingos, crocodiles, Peregrine Falcons, and all the other amazing wildlife I got to see there.

While working as park ranger in the Everglades, I quickly learned that visitors expect rangers to know everything, don’t they?

 

Visitors started asking me about this global warming thing that I personally had no knowledge. Soon after I started giving ranger talks in the Everglades in 1998, I started read all I could about climate change so I could be well informed. In the summer of 1999, I went to a Florida City bookstore on my days off and bought the book, Laboratory Earth: The Planetary Gamble We Cannot Afford to Lose by  climate scientist Dr. Stephen Schneider (1945-2010) of Stanford University.

I then became hooked ever since to to all the books I could find about the science of climate change.

Unfortunately, I soon learned human could easily cause climate change sea level in the Everglades to rise 3 feet in 21st Century.

Park Ranger Steve Robinson

That really shocked me most of the Everglades could be lost due to climate change, but especially the magnificent Snake Bight. The crocodiles, shorebirds, Peregrine Falcons, and beautiful Flamingos could all lose this ideal habitat that is actually very rare in the overly developed Florida.My mentor, veteran park ranger Steve Robinson (1950-2007), who was a fourth generation Floridian and a worked in the Everglades for 25 years. He loved to canoe sail along the mangrove coastline. Steve shared with me his observations how salt water intrusion was changing the mangrove habitat of the Everglades. The science I had read back then was that sea level rose in the Everglades 8 inches in the 20th century. That was four times more than the sea level rose in last several centuries. The mangroves live in a brackish tidal mixture of two to four feet of water, where the fresh water of the Everglades meets the salt water of the Gulf of Mexico. In some cases, the higher sea water, plus human coastal development along the coastal Everglades had help erode the natural mangrove barriers in some areas.

Climate change scared me as a distant threat caused by humans. Unfortunately, I also learned as a ranger that Everglades National Park is one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world. Coastal human development spreading from Miami and Ft. Lauderdale shrunk the historical natural Everglades ecosystem in half. Most of the natural Everglades water in the went to the urban areas and farms. As a result, the ecosystem had lost about 90% of its fish, birds, and alligators since early 20th century. On some days, a visitor could still see some alligators and birds. However, all the historical reports talked about the natural Everglades once teeming with fish, birds and other wildlife.

As I spent more time in the Everglades, it did look like the ecosystem severely beaten up by humans.

I thought it was a breath of fresh air to return to Crater Lake each summer. I had the impression that Crater Lake was relatively free of the climate change and human caused environmental damage impacting the Everglades. I soon learned I was wrong.

 

Stumbling Across Climate Change While Working in Crater Lake National Park

 

Currently and as far back as 2008, my good friend and lead interpretation ranger, Dave Grimes, wrote all the articles for the summer visitor guide or newspaper Reflections. Interviewing the park scientists and complying historical data enabled Grimes to write various articles that put together a picture of the climate change impact on Crater Lake.

From Grimes articles, I composed a handout on the Impact of Climate Change on Crater Lake, first published in 2013. While composing this document, I submitted my document to the park scientists to make sure the science in the article was accurate.

This is what I learned how climate change is impacting Crater Lake:

1. Less snow is falling in the park.

Total annual accumulation of snowfall at Crater Lake is around 533 inches every year or 44 feet. It is enough snow that it almost buries the four story Crater Lake lodge in the winter.Since the 1940s, totals have been trending downward by decade and climate researchers expect the trend to continue. Scientists predict the Pacific Northwest will experience even less snow and warmer temperatures in the decades to come.

Most snow that falls in the park eventually leaves the park to nourish the rivers of southern Oregon and northern California. Less snow falling in the park means less water is leaving the park to support cities, ranches, farms, and wildlife downstream.

 

2. The waters of Crater Lake are getting warmer.

Scientific lake monitoring began in 1965. Since then, scientists have documented the waters of Crater Lake getting warmer. Surface temperatures in the summer have risen at an average rate of 1 degree Fahrenheit (.6 Celsius) per decade, from 54 degrees Fahrenheit (12 degrees Celsius) in a typical year in the 1960s to 59 degrees Fahrenheit (15 degrees Celsius) today. Similar increases have been seen in other North American lakes, including Lake Tahoe and Lake Superior.

It remains to be seen what impacts (if any) this increase will have on the lake’s ecology. I personally hear a researcher speculate that warming lake temperatures could spur the growth of algae, reducing the water’s clarity.

That would be very unfortunate because Crater Lake is still considered to be one of the clearest and purest bodies of water in the world. In fact, its water is cleaner than the tap water in your home. This is because roughly 83% of it comes from rain and snow falling directly on the lake’s surface, while the rest is runoff from precipitation on the caldera’s inner slopes. No rivers or creeks carry silt, sediment, or pollution into the lake.

3. Climate change puts pikas in peril.

Photo by Beth Pratt-Bergstrom, California Director at National Wildlife Federation

The American pika (Ochotona princeps) is a small mammal that inhabits rocky slopes from Canada to New Mexico. At Crater Lake, pikas are often seen harvesting wildflowers along the Garfield Peak Trail, which starts by the historic Crater Lake Lodge in Rim Village.

Rising temperatures appear to be driving some pika populations extinct. Pikas are not able to tolerate warm weather; their dense fur is not efficient at releasing heat. A few hours in the sun at temperatures as low as 78 degrees Fahrenheit (26 degrees Celsius) can be fatal. Climate change also may be altering vegetation patterns and shrinking the food supply of some populations.

Many pika populations live high up on isolated peaks. While other mammals might be able to migrate in response to climate change, most pikas cannot. At least three Oregon pika communities southeast of Crater Lake have vanished in recent decades.

4. Climate change threatens whitebark pines 

Whitebark pines (Pinus albicaulis) grow on the rocky rim of Crater Lake and atop the park’s tallest peaks. They are considered a “keystone” species, since so many other species depend on them for food, shelter, and survival. Unfortunately, half the park’s whitebark pines are currently dead or dying.

Tiny mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae), rarely seen, is responsible for much of the damage. Scientists think, however, that the real culprit may be climate change. For millennia, mountain pine beetles have thrived in the forests of western North America. In the past, however, their intolerance of cold weather generally safeguarded high-elevation trees. Lower elevation trees, such as lodgepole pines and ponderosa pines, were the beetles’ main targets.

Recently, however, the beetles have turned their attention to whitebark pines. Our warming climate is helping these insects survive the winter at higher latitudes and elevations.

My Personal Observation of Climate Change

My first time seeing Crater Lake with my own eyes was May 20, 1992, just 3 days after my college graduation ceremony from William Jewell College, in Liberty, MO. I was amazed how much snow there was on the ground, about 5 to 6 feet, when I arrived to work there for the first time. I love cold weather and seeing snow falling. Because of the high elevation, it was amazing for me to see that snow could fall anytime of year at Crater Lake. This was a welcome relief for me since I grew up hating the very hot and humid summers in my hometown of St. Louis, MO.

At Crater Lake, I always loved seeing snow falling throughout May, the first three weeks of June, and in the autumn months of September and October. However, I am now noticing that it is raining more and snowing less in May, June, September, and October.

The summer of 2013, the total winter snow pack was only 354 inches, only 67% of average accumulation. Because of the low snow fall, the park held emergency staff meetings in May and June to inform us of water conservation and restriction measures.

The summer of 2014 was even worse: the total winter snow pack was 257 inches, less than 50% of average. By 2014, I have been able to document the changes with my own eyes.

One of the advantages for me of working in the same park so many years was that I was able to arrive early in the summer season, typically around the beginning or mid May. Even more, I was assigned to the same park housing unit for the past three years in a row.

On June 9, 2012 and May 5, 2014, I took two pictures from the exact same location from my living room window. The winter of 2011-12 was consider to be closer to an average winter, with close to 400 total inches of accumulated snow. Most of the snow came late in the winter season, so the depth on the ground looked typical for June 9th with 3.5 feet on the ground.

However, when I arrived at Crater Lake on May 5, 2014, there was only about 3.5 feet of snow on the  ground. I was shocked at how little snow I saw. It was half of the normal snow depth 7 to 8 feet of snow that I had seen in past years around this time. It felt like I had arrived at Crater Lake in June, not May!

No, three years do not make a trend. It may not seem like much a difference to many people, but I see with my own eyes a downward trend of the snow at Crater Lake.

The Winter of 2014-2015 continues to show this downward trend of snow for Crater Lake

The winter of 2014-15 seems to continue to show this downward trend of snow. The current depth of snow on the ground at Crater Lake National Park headquarters is 32 inches as of February 22, 2015. The average snow depth for February 22rd is 109 inches, only 29% of average.

The total accumulation so far this winter since October 1, 2014 is 135 inches. The average total accumulation by this date 344 inches, about 39% of average.

Brian Kahn Image Source: Climatecentral.org

For the second winter in a row, Crater Lake is not alone in the western United States for extremely low snow accumulation. According to Brian Kahn, science writer for Climatecentral.org, California Ski resorts such as Mt. Shasta Ski Park, Badger Pass and Mt. High are closed until the next storm dumps enough snow for skiing. Kahn then writes that “the snow drought extends north into Oregon and Washington. In the Olympic Peninsula located west of Seattle, only 3 percent of its average snow-water equivalent has fallen this winter — an important snow metric for water managers.”

In the meantime the winter of 2014-15 has hammered New England with twice their average snowfall to date. Ironically, Brian Kahn, a native of Boston, MA, a friend, and a former ranger colleague at Crater Lake from 2006 to 2010, then writes “Crater Lake National Park in southern Oregon, normally one of the snowiest places in the nation, with less snow on the ground than Boston according to Kathie Dello, deputy director of the Oregon Climate Service.”

 

Using Hope and Humor to Educate Park Visitors about Climate Change

 

Since August 2011, my evening campfire program at Crater Lake National Park is about the impact of climate change at Crater Lake National Park. It is vital when communicating about climate change, whether as park ranger or a private citizen, that we provide people with a sense of hope.

In 2010, a published paper, Apocalypse soon? Dire messages reduce belief in global warming by contradicting just-world beliefs by Rob Willer and Matthew Feiberg of the Psychology Department and Sociology Department of the University of California, Berkeley, discovered “Fear-based appeals, especially when not coupled with a clear solution, can backfire and undermine the intended effects of messages.”

Thus, I built my climate change evening program around a message of comedy about myself, serious education how climate change is impacting Crater Lake, hope how Crater Lake National Park is striving to reduce its carbon emissions, and a concrete action for how my audience can get involved.

I show my audience that Crater Lake is doing what it can to reduce its carbon emissions with trolley tours, hybrid and electric staff vehicles, and solar panels installed by our Mazama Camper store and our North Entrance station. I acknowledge that is not nearly enough for Crater Lake to seriously reduce our carbon emissions. Thus, I challenge my audience to get involved.

The title of this talk is The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly, just like the old Clint Eastwood spaghetti western of the same title. At my conclusion, I ask my audience to stop by our visitor centers and fill out comment forms. I request that they demand that Crater Lake National Park should do more to reduce the impact of climate change. Hold our feet to the fire. Be as tough on us as Clint Eastwood would be in The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly. 

 

Seeing the negative impacts of climate change at Crater Lake and Everglades National Parks over the past 22 years is not fun.

Brian Ettling Presenting at Grand Canyon National Park May, 2013

On the other hand, seeing the hundreds of park visitors positively respond to my climate change evening program has wonderful experience for me. Since presenting this talk numerous times since 2011, I had a paper published about my talk in Yale Climate Connections in April, 2012. I was invited to give this talk as a guest speaker at Grand Canyon National Park in May, 2013. National Journal writer Claire Foran wrote an article about my efforts communicating with park visitors about climate change in the December 2014, Next Time You Visit a National Park, You Might Get a Lecture on Climate Change.

Of all the audiences I am most proud reaching though is my own father, LeRoy Ettling. My Dad loves listening to Rush Limbaugh and occasionally watching Fox News.  When I first became concerned about climate change about 10 years ago, my Dad did not accept climate change. He totally dismissed it saying that ‘the earth goes through natural cycles.

However about three years ago, my dad changed his mind about climate change and accepted the science. I recently asked him (in a soon to be released video) What caused you to change your mind?His response: “You did! You showed me graphs that indicate the snow pack had diminished and rainfall had increased at Crater Lake National Park over the past 70 years.”

I then asked him: “So it was my visual evidence and personal story of that convinced you?”

My Dad: “It sure was.”

 

 

Below is the text of a speech I gave at South County Toastmasters in St. Louis, Missouri on Wednesday, February 11, 2015.

Image Source: kspr.com/news

Image Source: link2portal.com

Image Source: scholar.harvard.edu

Image Source: insider.foxnews.com

GeorgeWill, Conservative Political Commentator for FOX & ABC News also supports a carbon tax. Why do so many conservatives support this?

Image Source: citizensclimatelobby.org

Image Source: fleetcarma.com

Image Source: zh.wikipedia.org

However, I now know three sure things about life:
1. Death & Taxes
2. Don’t get caught with a bad haircut when you do
meet famous conservatives.
3. A carbon tax is good for conservatives and you!

Image courtesy of Climatebites.org

Over the past four years I have communicated about climate change, the most helpful website for me is Climatebites.org. In 2011, Tom Smerling and Don McCubbin created this website to offer metaphors, soundbites, quotes, humor, cartoons, stories and graphics for anyone looking to communicate more effectively about climate change.

As I wrote about in a previous blog, a mutual friend, Sundae Horn, introduced me to Tom Smerling in August, 2011. Tom and I then met in person in Washington, D.C. to figure out how I could collaborate on Climatebites. Tom challenged me on the spot to contribute writings to Climatebites. Gulp. I had very limited experience with writing. However, it did seem like it could be fun.

It took me a couple weeks, but I did post my first bite post on Climatebites on October 14, 2011, Would you argue with your doctor over a heart condition? Over the next two and years, I got hooked writing bites. I ended up writing about 154 bites. Some of my Climatebites were then re-posted on other websites, such as boomerwarrior.com, climatemama.com, and elephantjournal.com.

For me, it felt like Climatebites filled a niche to provide helpful soundbite tools to climate change communicators and scientists struggling to explain the very complex science of climate change.

Image Source: climatesight.org

This frustrating inability of how to best communicate the complicated science of climate change with good metaphors had long been a source of discussion. Greg Dalton, Founder of Climate One, brought up this topic when he interviewed the late Dr. Stephen Schneider, climate scientist from Stanford University, on November 3, 2009. Dalton asked:

“Can the scientific method with all of its caveats and doubts…how can that change in terms of better informing or scientists changing for better informing policy makers and the media who work in a world of soundbites and short simple plications? How is that going to be bridged?”

Stephen Schneider’s response: “What we have to do and what I advice my science colleagues to do and what I do myself: Yes, I have my soundbites, but I also have oped which are three sound bites. I also have my Scientific American articles and Atlantic Journal articles, which are a little more in depth. I have a 300 page website, www.climatechange.net, where you can find out where I really think in depth and then I write long books. And those long books not only have to tell the nuisances, but they also have to tell where you changed your mind, where the community was wrong and how it evolved. It is what I call a hierarchy of backup products.

I think that scientists can be responsible, even in the soundbite world if they try to have that hierarchy. The only sad part is that the soundbite is heard by 20 million, the op ed is read by, maybe if you are lucky, 2 million, The Scientific American by 200,000, the website by 20,000 and the book, I hope, by 20,000, and you keep dropping down, but what else can you do?…

Scientists have been part of the problem in their reluctance of not wanting to get out there and use simple metaphors because if they cannot put in full disclosure in their first paragraph they are somehow irresponsible, which means they will never get on the air.”

Image Source: Amazon.com

It was a wonderful metaphor responding to the climate denial myth that we need absolute certainty before we can take action on climate change.

Suppose your doctor says ‘Well, I am very concerned about your heart condition. I think you should be on a low cholesterol diet and exercise.’ Would anybody say to their doctor ‘If you can’t tell me precisely when am I going to have the heart attack and how severe it will be.’ then why should I change my lifestyle?’

Climatebites.org then became an incredible creative outlet for me to share sticky climate change messages that had been bouncing around my head for years. Even more, it became a fun challenge to look for sticky climate change soundbites when I was reading or watching documentaries on climate change.

4. Myth: Climate has always changed.
Climatebite: “Beavers felled trees before humans. So lumberjacks aren’t real?

Climatebite: With Superstorm Sandy’s and the 2012 extreme US drought, Mother Nature is already imposing ‘an extreme weather tax.’14. Myth: In the 1970s, climate scientists said the Earth was cooling
Climatebite: That idea is even more outdated than wearing those 1970s disco outfits.

15. Myth: China pollutes
Climatebite: Therefore, we should just keep polluting too?

16. Myth: China pollutes
Climatebite: “That is like saying ’We won’t protect free speech until China does.’”

17. Myth: China pollutes
Climatebite:  China is actually “eating our lunch” on clean energy

18. Myth: It’s just weather
Climatebite:  “Climate is what you expect. Weather is what you get.” — Mark Twain

19. Myth: It’s the weather
Climatebite: Check your underwear drawer.
“Climate is percentage of long underwear vs. shorts in your closest. Weather is deciding to wear long underwear or shorts today.”

20. Myth: It was cold last winter
Climatebite: April 15 was cooler than Apr 1. So spring is a hoax?

21. Myth: We just experienced a record snowstorm!
Climatebite: Yep. That is actually global warming. Warmer air holds more moisture.

22. Myth: Global warming paused since 1998
Climatebite: ‘paws are for kittens & puppies. Global warming is still increasing.’ — Joshua Willis NASA Climate Scientist

23. Myth: No global warming since 1998
Climatebite: “Taking 1998 as the starting year is a joke. Why not 1997 or 1999? Anyone doing this gets an ‘F’ grade in introductory statistics.” — climate scientist Pieter Tans

24. Myth: Scientists still disagree
Climatebite:  ‘If 98 doctors say my son is ill and needs medication and two say, ‘No, he doesn’t, he is fine,’ I will go with the ninety-eight. It’s common sense – the same with global warming. We go with the majority, the large majority.’ — former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger

25. Myth: I am still skeptical
Climatebite: So am I! I am skeptical we can keep burning fossil fuels with a business as usual mentality without harming the planet.

26. Myth: Politicians won’t respond
Climatebite: “politicians don’t create political will, they respond to it.”

27. Myth: It’s hopeless
Climatebite: “The fact that humans are causing climate change is good news. That means we can do something about it.” — NASA scientist Robert Cahalan

28. Myth: It’s hopeless
Climatebite:  “Action is the antidote for despair.”— Joan Baez

29. Myth: It’s hopeless
Climatebite: Hope is a verb with its sleeves rolled up

30. Myth: I cannot make a difference
Climatebite: Think Globally, Act Daily.
— Brian Ettling

“Each and every person can change the world. We do this by the way we vote, the products we buy, and the attitudes we share with each other.” — Brian Ettling

Former Florida Governor Charlie Crist Image Source: Wikipedia.org

Even worse, I fell off the routine of composting Bite posts, which had been such a productive outlet for me. While the site was down, I remember finding a couple of soundbites that I really wanted to turn into climate bites, such as:

“I’m not a scientist either, but I can use my brain, and I can talk to one.”

Image Source: NASA.gov

“The spreading sheet of sea ice around Antarctica could be viewed as a napkin being draped over a monstrous water pistol.”