During the last Ice Age the global average temperature was only about 5°C cooler than now. Since man began farming, the average temperature has stayed within a 1-2°C range. With a business-as-usual approach, the Earth’s temperature is predicted to rise 4°C by 2100. What is the hot-house equivalent of glaciers reaching all the way to Kentucky?

The Earth Day: Climate Action initiative (edca2014.org, @EDCA2014) is working to bring climate change to the fore on Earth Day by organizing rallies and educational events around the country. In this, our inaugural year, we have seven events planned in Michigan, including a large rally on the campus of the University of Michigan and educational events in Jackson, Chelsea, Saline, Ypsilanti, Brighton and Canton. Earth Day: Climate Action is a project of Clean Water Action Michigan, Organizing for Action Michigan and Ann Arbor 350, in partnership with the Earth Day Network (earthday.org). For more info or to volunteer, contact info@edca2014.org.

More about our events below the fold.

Our currently scheduled events all feature either professors from the University of Michigan or presenters trained by the Climate Reality Project:



“The Climate Reality Project is dedicated to unleashing a global cultural movement demanding action on the climate crisis. Despite overwhelming international scientific consensus on climate change, the global community still lacks the resolve to implement meaningful solutions. The Climate Reality Project exists to forge an unwavering bedrock of impassioned support necessary for urgent action, and to ignite the moral courage in our leaders to solve the climate crisis.”

Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Campus

This event will open with a presentation by Prof. Knute Nadelhoffer on the science and projected impacts of climate change. Prof. Richard Rood will then discuss the impact of a warming Arctic on the jet stream and the Arctic Oscillation, especially the role of blocking patterns in causing droughts, floods, heat waves, and cold snaps. A third speaker will address the dangers of sociopolitical unrest posed by climate change. Finally, State Representative Jeff Irwin will address the political challenges of fighting climate change.

Where: The Ingalls Mall of the University of Michigan campus, Ann Arbor, MI 48104

Date: Tuesday, April 22

Time: 5:00PM - 6:30PM

Ypsilanti, MI: Prof. Gretchen Keppel-Aleks, University of Michigan

Prof. Gretchen Keppel-Aleks will present "The science of climate change":

In the talk, Prof. Keppel-Aleks will examine the science behind the greenhouse effect and climate change. She will also explore the observational and modeling tools that scientists use to understand the climate system. Finally, she will discuss strategies to alleviate the human causes of climate change.

Prof. Keppel-Aleks is an assistant professor at the University of Michigan in the Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Space Sciences department. Her research focuses on using observations of atmospheric CO2 to understand the global carbon cycle and, in particular, how climate variability affects the exchange of carbon between the atmosphere and terrestrial ecosystems. She completed her PhD in environmental science and engineering at Caltech.

Chelsea, MI: Eric Harrington, Climate Reality Project

In anticipation of Earth Day 2014, on April 21st (7:00-8:30 pm in the McKune Room of the Chelsea District Library), Eric Harrington will speak about the climate change issue in a presentation entitled “Our Chaotic Climate Future.” He will discuss the current global situation, and also bring it closer to home with information on the effects of climate change on the Great Lakes and the State of Michigan. His presentation is based on the work of the Climate Reality Project, founded by Al Gore following the release of his movie and book “An Inconvenient Truth.”

Brighton, MI: Prof. Christopher Poulsen, University of Michigan

Jackson, MI: Peggy Coyle, Climate Reality Project

Canton, MI: Bill Richardson, Retired EPA scientist, Climate Reality Project

Saline, MI: William Gittlen, MD, Climate Reality Project