On November 21st, Raoul Empey, father of Thibaud and Marius, joined former US Vice President Al Gore and The Climate Reality Project for 24 Hours of Reality: Truth in Action, a global conversation about the climate crisis and its solutions in communities around the world.
For one full day, Vice President Gore and members of Climate Reality’s network of more than 20,000 Climate Reality Leaders from 154 countries participated by sharing the presentation first made famous by the Academy Award-winning documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, in their own communities across the globe.
Over 1,000 Climate Reality Leaders presented across the globe in community centres, places of worship, homes, schools, businesses, and even on social media. Climate Reality Leaders put truth into action and brought the hopeful message about today’s climate solutions directly to their friends, family, and neighbours.
As a trained Climate Reality Leader, Raoul Empey, presented to the older students in 3rd-6th Class, with the hope of inspiring local action. The children will also have the opportunity at a later date to participate in planting some trees in a local Native Woodlands Scheme in Ashford, as well as spur meaningful action under the school’s green flag.
Raoul’s presentation focused on the local impacts and solutions of the climate crisis in Ireland, especially as they relate to our children. It was thoroughly enjoyed by all the students and very inspirational.
“I have two environmentally minded boys at Nuns Cross, Thibaud aged 10 and Marius aged 8. Naturally I am concerned for their future and that of their friends in a heated world. The scientists and politicians have been speaking about climate change since the Rio Earth Summit in 1992 – that’s nearly 30 years – to little effect. Compare what children like Greta Thunberg have done in one year under the school climate strike movement Fridays for Future. Climate change is happening now, and it is their future we are talking about.”
“Millions of people around the world are fed up and demanding urgent action on the climate crisis,” said Al Gore. “The tide is turning, thanks to dedicated activists speaking truth to power every day – including the tireless work of more than 20,000 highly trained and dedicated Climate Reality Leaders. I’m thrilled that this year’s 24 Hours will lift up the voices of the inspiring people carrying the climate movement on their shoulders, and I’m honored to join them for this exciting day of grassroots action and education.”
Those who attend the presentations have the option to have a tree planted on their behalf through a collaboration between The Climate Reality Project and One Tree Planted.
