Dear Cool the Earth Community,
Welcome back to a new school year--an opportune time to set goals for the year ahead and reflect on long summer days of the past few months.
This summer our family enjoyed time in the pristine, rugged Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Working in the climate change arena and vacationing with two young children can sometimes pose a challenge. Here’s why:
“Mom, why are there so many brown trees?”
I had read about the infestation of the mountain pine beetle in the lodgepole pine trees and the devastation that followed. However, I was not prepared for what it would feel like to see it up close, nor how to explain this to my kids.
It’s not the basic science that is hard to explain.
The hard part is talking about hope.
I had to decide how these mountainsides of brown giants affected me. Could I look at these lines of SUV’s, the zero-recycling and the dead trees and maintain hope?
Then, I realized I was asking myself the wrong question. My question instead became, could I abandon hope? Can we, collectively, give up?
I turned to my kids and explained, “The trees are dead, but the forest may eventually restore itself. Know that we are powerful. Every person alive has the opportunity to make positive change to help the trees and every living thing!”
Has summer restored your hope? Please share your stories with us.
We look forward to a new school year focused on our mission of bringing grassroots action to school communities. Thank you for your continued support.
CARLEEN CULLEN,
Founder and Executive Director
Cool the Earth
As an environmentally-conscious parent living in a community with a high percentage of Latinos, Sayuri Yamanaka, (pictured here with husband Alejandro and son Ian) was thrilled to finally find a school-program that could be assimilated into her population at Magellan International School
. “I was very pleased to find Cool The Earth, not only because it was available in Spanish, but also because it is a well-organized program with clear goals.” Despite the eco-friendly ambiance in Austin, Texas, there are very few sustainable programs geared toward the Latino population. “The Assembly and coupon actions are an excellent tool to increase awareness regarding global warming,” says the mother of two boys, “but it is also important to enlist a teacher to guide the rhythm of the campaign inside the school.” Sayuri received such key support from teacher Mara Bernal, whose classroom got very involved. So, what was her favorite part of being team leader? “It was very cool to help catalyze the energy of the community into specific goals,” says Sayuri. But most of all she liked seeing the kids learn. “I really enjoyed
seeing first grade students develop an eco-sensitivity of their energy impact on global warming,” says Sayuri. “They even discussed new ways that technology can help them use less energy. That was very inspiring!”
 TIP OF THE MONTH
Join MOVING PLANET, a world-wide day to move beyond fossil fuels. On Saturday, September 24, groups across the globe will put our demands for climate action into motion—marching, biking, skating—calling for the world to go beyond fossil fuels. Join the mega-event in San Francisco, featuring 350.org founder and climate change activist extraordinaire, Bill McKibben, or to find an event in your area, or start one with your Cool the Earth team, go to http://www.moving-planet.org. Remember, every action counts!
We're thankful to our many partners and supporters who have enabled Cool the Earth to grow to reach the milestone of reducing over 100 million lbs of carbon this year.
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