YOUTH AS STAKEHOLDERS Thanks for being here today, everyone! First, we’d like to start by welcoming each of you to the [insert institution here]’s Community of Youth for Climate Leadership. Groups like this one are starting up at zoos, aquariums and environmental teaching centers across the country, so through this program, you’ll be part of a national youth leadership initiative working to address one of the most important issues affecting our futures: Climate Change.

We know that climate change is impacting the ecosystems that we belong to and depend on. We also know that you, as the next generation, are the guardians of your own futures. This means we all have a responsibility to protect the people, places, and things we care about. Since you’ve all decided to be here today, it’s probably safe to say that there’s something that you value, in our ecosystems or in your life that is at risk from climate change. This makes you a stakeholder. In environmental policy, stakeholders are politically powerful groups, because their passion and dedication often means they have a hand in directing the decision-making process around issues that are close to their hearts. Teens from around the country all have their own reasons for being climate change stakeholders. They have their own fears for how climate change could impact their futures. And they also have their own hopes for how we might be able to resolve these issues. Let’s see what some teens are thinking. (Play Video)

CALL AND RESPONSE INTRODUCTION

You are an integral part of this story and we want you to be involved. As you learn about climate change, its impacts and the difference you can make today, we would like you to listen for certain words and phrases. Whenever you hear us say fossil fuels, we want you to say “like coal, oil and natural gas”. Let’s try it right now, when humans burn fossil fuels (like coal, oil and natural gas) we release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Excellent!

We would also like to get you moving around a bit to engage that kinesthetic learning. So we have some body language for you to use when you hear some other phrases.

When you hear us say:

● Protection or Responsible Management — put your hands on your hips like a superhero!

● Heat-trapping Blanket — make a circle motion with your hands like a blanket around the earth

● Climate’s Heart — cross both hands over your heart● Regular and Rampant CO2 — for regular CO2 give us a big smile, for rampant

CO2 give us a mean face and claw hands ● Osteoporosis — pretend like you are walking with a cane● Solutions — if you hear us talking about a solution, give a big thumbs up

Don’t worry, we will be doing this with you to help you remember. Now let’s dive in!

POWER OF YOUTH It’s all about POWER and ENERGY and YOU! You have the POWER and the ENERGY to BE the change that is needed for this world! Throughout history teens have been at the forefront of social change. In the 1890s, young kids who sold newspapers—the Newsies—banded together and, through their community of strength, changed an abusive system! They got two of the most powerful men in the publishing world to bend and change. These kids didn’t have much money or much education, but they had heart and a voice fueled by their ENERGY. As a community they developed POWER to make change! Fast forward to the 1950s and 60s. The country was torn by the Civil Rights movement. Strong leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr. couldn’t make change alone. It was a community that carried Dr. King along and many in that community were young people like you. The ones taking the front line abuse at the lunch counter sit-ins were young people like you. The first brave students who walked past jeering crowds to integrate the schools were young people like you. Teens like you help make the change we need. In 1970 a college student from Stanford University, Denis Hayes, led the way to the first Earth Day. That young man became the CEO of the Bullitt Foundation which recently built an amazing “living building” expected to last 250 years while striving to be energy and carbon neutral. Just think what YOU might do in your lifetime as part of the environmental community! That first Earth Day led to many environmental laws: the Clean Water and Clean Air Acts, the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act. The energy of youth and the power of voices calling out together propelled the political

process that helped pass those laws. Today we need to join together again to support the legislation that will lead us to a clean energy future. Look at the first People’s Climate March. Here you see young and old marching together. Over 400,000 people marched in New York City in September 2014. A community came together to demand change for the sake of our planet. They included people from zoos and aquariums—and included youth just like you. (Play People’s Climate March video) That momentum from the People’s Climate March carried over to December 2015 when the leaders of 195 countries came together to construct a global climate agreement. When communities come together with ENERGY their combined POWER can accomplish great things. YOU can contribute to that ENERGY and help move us forward on the strength of your POWER.

BASIC SCIENCE [Transition: Understanding that youth holds great power to change the world, part of our mission to is to educate people about climate change and how we can work together to slow it. Now, we’re going to explore explore some tricky technical terms so that we really understand what is going on.] Most of these I’m sure you’ve heard before, but words have ways of wandering from their original meaning. This will make sure we’re all on the same page. Let’s start with WEATHER. Weather is the wind, precipitation and temperature conditions we experience over several days or weeks. Here in [name of location] one day may be rainy and the next day may be sunny. When scientists talk about CLIMATE they are referring to the average of weather conditions over a very long time—many years, decades, or even centuries. For example, when we think of the tropics, we think of a hot, humid climate. When we think of the Arctic, we think cold and dry. Climate is what we expect, and weather is what we get. Another way to think about this is that you buy your summer clothes based on climate but you pick your clothes for a specific summer day based on weather.

When we talk about CLIMATE CHANGE we mean any change in global temperature, precipitation or other weather patterns over the long term. In the past, climate has changed slowly, over long periods of time. Now, because humans are burning fossil fuels (like coal, oil, and gas!) and putting too much heat-trapping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, climate is changing much more quickly. Here is an example of how the climate has already changed. This photograph is from May 30, 1868 at a Memorial Day observance for Civil War soldiers in Lowell, Massachusetts. We see no leaves on the deciduous trees, there appears to be some snow on the ground and the people are wearing heavy jackets and cloaks, indicating the weather is still quite cool. Now look at this photograph from May 30, 2005. The same location exactly 137 years later. We see the deciduous trees in full leaf and no snow on the ground suggesting the weather is relatively warm. A single photo of weather on a single day is not in itself evidence of climate change. But, using many photographs from many family albums as evidence of past conditions, “scientists in New England have found that plants are consistently flowering and trees are leafing 10 days earlier today than they were 100 years ago.” Sometimes you may hear the terms climate change and GLOBAL WARMING used interchangeably, but they are not the same thing. (Start video of global temperature rise—continue narration) Global warming is the sustained increase in the average temperature of Earth’s atmosphere and ocean caused by excess heat-trapping gases. It is this increase in temperature that is disrupting the patterns of wind, warmth and water all around the world. Global warming is what causes the climate to change. And, we can’t talk about climate change without talking about CARBON DIOXIDE. It’s the most important heat-trapping gas—along with methane and water vapor. These gases prevent the Earth’s heat from escaping back into space, “trapping” heat close to the Earth’s surface making our planet suitable for life. Humans have a lot of influence over carbon dioxide and methane. The way humans use resources directly impacts how much carbon dioxide and methane get released into

the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is the most important heat-trapping gas because of how long it lasts in the atmosphere and how very much humans produce. Carbon dioxide is also an important part of the global CARBON CYCLE. In nature, there are sources (or producers) and sinks (or absorbers) of carbon dioxide. In the regular, natural cycle there are more mechanisms removing carbon dioxide from the system than there are adding to it. Now, human activities are changing the balance. Our additional carbon dioxide sources are rampaging out of control. Ocean water is getting warmer, too. Water is terrific at absorbing heat, and as the air above warms so does the water below. Globally, the temperature of the ocean has been rising steadily over the last several decades. As the ocean warms, water molecules “buzz” with the increased energy and take up more space. This is known as thermal expansion and is one of the causes of SEA-LEVEL RISE. (Play Thermal expansion dance video) The other primary cause of sea level rise is melting land ice. This includes glaciers like those in the Himalayas and the Alps as well as ice sheets like those in Greenland and Antarctica. And finally, the last term that we should all understand because of what it means to our beloved watery world—OCEAN ACIDIFICATION. Most simply ocean acidification is the change in the ocean’s chemistry caused by an increase of carbon dioxide. Among other changes, more carbon dioxide means more carbonic acid. This is where we get the word acidification. (Play NCAFF OA video) Ocean acidification is climate change’s evil twin—both are caused by the increase in carbon dioxide from human activities. [Transition: All this change may seem daunting, but we know that you, as teens, are more powerful than you can imagine. How can you harness that power into making a serious, positive difference in our world? Organization, empowerment, and inspiring others are great examples. But even more fundamental than that is simply talking to

people. Communication can be a means of harnessing your own power to create positive change.] TONE

It makes sense that if we want to create positive change, we need to use a positive tone when talking about climate and ocean chemistry change. People are motivated to take action when they feel like they can make a difference. When a situation seems hopeless, people are more likely to shut down and dissociate themselves from the issue. They don’t want to think that they could be the cause of a hopeless problem.

Focusing on the positive opportunities of solving a problem is a more effective way to communicate than emphasizing the terrible results of poor choices. Using a reasonable, measured tone that gives positive examples of solutions works better than using crisis and doom with examples of negative impacts. When talking about any conservation issue, it’s important to stay positive and avoid crisis tone.

VALUE: PROTECTION [Transition: When we talk to people about climate change, we want to put them at ease, giving them information while letting them know we identify with things that are important to them.] Think of some examples of personal values. Family, love, honesty... When we talk about the environment, we know that starting a conversation with a value is one of the most effective ways to encourage productive conversations that inspire action. The idea of protection emphasizes our need to keep people, animals and ecosystems safe from harm. Opening conversations about climate change with a value like protection is a good way to ensure that we don’t overwhelm people. Let’s look at some examples. Example 1: Here is our first example.

(Student reads): “It’s important that we protect people and places from being harmed by taking action against climate change.” And what words jump out at us the most in this first example? (Students offer feedback) That’s right—all these words and phrases help us start our conversation and then keep it productive and positive. Example 2: Let’s look at the next example.

(Student reads): “We believe in protecting people, animals and the habitats we all depend on.” Are you starting to see the pattern here? We want to begin our conversation by appealing to people with something that is important to them, and research shows that the value of “protection” effectively inspires action. Example 3: Let’s look at one more example. (Student reads): “By taking action to circumvent climate change today, we can protect people and the natural resources we depend on.” By using the value of “protection” we remind people that we have a shared fate—we are in this effort together, and working together to protect our planet, the animals, and ourselves, we can make serious change for the better. [Transition: Protection is not the only value we can use to appeal to a large number of people. Research also shows that “responsible management” of our natural resources resonates with the vast majority of people we get to talk to. Let’s a take a closer look and see how this value can help us frame our conversations.] VALUE: RESPONSIBLE MANAGEMENT Responsible management is when we take simple steps today to preserve something for future generations. Let’s say you’re having a great conversation about sustainable fisheries. You might begin your conversation with something like, “It’s awesome that you’re a seafood fan! Both fish and people depend on a healthy ocean and one of the main threats to the ocean is climate change. When we take steps today to manage our use of fossil fuels (like coal, oil, and gas!) we can ensure that future generations will also enjoy the same delicious seafood.” And there you go! You’ve started your conversation with something that everyone can agree on. Here’s another example, and this time we’ll talk about something that is “otterly” popular. Imagine standing in front of an otter exhibit and you find that—shocker—the people you are talking to are hardcore otter fans. Try gliding into our value, “Otters are amazing creatures, though they have an uncertain future. Luckily, through responsible

management of our use of fossil fuels (like coal, oil, and gas!), we can protect their habitat and ensure that otters will remain a constant for future generations to observe and enjoy.” Boom! You’ve got it! Talking about taking reasonable steps to ensure a safe future is all we need to start one of these conversations. We want to empower and inspire people to take action, and what better way to get someone started than to begin the conversation with a value we can all agree on? [Transition: As science communicators we have a responsibility both to understand the science behind climate and ocean chemistry change and to be able to communicate that science to the people we interact with here at the [insert institutional name here]. Next we’ll discuss some helpful tools that make communicating the science effective and positive.] METAPHOR: Heat-trapping Blanket Earth is a unique planet in the solar system; only Earth has a climate able to support a great diversity of life.

Our climate is determined, in part, by the overall temperature of the Earth. The “ideal for life” temperature of the Earth is due to an atmosphere made up of heat-trapping gases that act as a blanket around the planet. Just as a blanket keeps us warm on a cold night by trapping our body heat, these gases trap some of the heat radiating off the Earth’s surface that would otherwise escape into space.

Now, humans are changing this system and rapidly raising the Earth’s temperature. When we burn fossil fuels (like coal, oil, and gas!) for energy and transportation, we add more of the heat-trapping gas carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Since the atmosphere acts like a blanket around the earth, as more heat-trapping gases collect in the atmosphere the blanket becomes denser. As the heat-trapping blanket becomes denser, less heat escapes Earth’s atmosphere causing both the Earth and ocean to warm. (Play HTB Video) Sometimes it can be difficult to understand what’s going on, especially at a global scale, so we use metaphors to help people understand a little bit better. Even though there is no real blanket over the earth, we use this heat-trapping blanket metaphor to help people visualize what is really happening even when they can’t see it. This “heat-

trapping blanket” is the primary metaphor we can use to explain the basic science of global warming. [Transition: Let’s talk about another tool we can use to help explain the science of climate change to our visitors. While the “heat-trapping blanket” is helpful for explaining the mechanism of how heat gets trapped close to the earth’s surface, our next metaphor helps draw the line between regular amounts of carbon dioxide needed for life on earth and “rampant” amounts of carbon dioxide that are getting out of control.] METAPHOR: Rampant & Regular CO2

Remember that carbon cycle diagram? Carbon is an atom that is all around us. All living things are made up of carbon and carbon is also found in rocks, the ocean and even in the air. Carbon is especially good at bonding with other atoms. Some of this carbon can form bonds with oxygen to form carbon dioxide (CO2). Animals breathe in oxygen and breathe out CO2, which goes into the air. The CO2 in the earth’s atmosphere might be taken in by plants that live on land or algae found in the ocean, rivers and lakes. These organisms use the CO2 to build complex molecules when they photosynthesize. When those plants and algae die, the carbon might be released back to the atmosphere or stored in the soil. This natural transfer of carbon dioxide is referred to as regular CO2. When humans burn fossil fuels (like coal, oil, and gas!) for generating electricity or fueling cars, we’re taking ancient underground carbon and releasing it into the atmosphere where it builds up and unbalances the system. We call this “rampant” carbon dioxide because there’s too much of it and it’s getting out of control. [Transition: By helping people understand the difference between regular and rampant CO2 we clarify why climate change is not part of the regular or natural cycle of earth but is instead, something caused—and also solved—by human action. Let’s look at a way to describe what rampant CO2 is doing to our ocean and how this is distinct from what is happening in Earth’s atmosphere.] Metaphor: Osteoporosis of the Sea The ocean absorbs much of the rampant carbon dioxide we emit into the atmosphere when we burn fossil fuels (like coal, oil, and gas!), and that changes the chemistry of the ocean. We call this ocean acidification. The change in chemistry reduces the amount of carbonate in the ocean. When humans lack calcium, they can develop a disease

called osteoporosis which results in thin, brittle bones. Just as humans need calcium for their bones, sea creatures need carbonate to build strong skeletons and shells. As a result of the changing ocean chemistry we are seeing “osteoporosis of the sea,” with sea creatures’ skeletons and shells becoming thinner and more brittle. Osteoporosis of the sea prevents animals from building and maintaining the protective shells they need to survive. This is matters because many of these vulnerable animals are at the base of the ocean food web. [Transition: By helping people understand that ocean acidification is different from climate change, and by comparing ocean acidification to this very common ailment of osteoporosis, we emphasize just how important the ocean is to survival. In our next metaphor, we’ll learn how we can use another part of our own biology—the circulatory system—to help educate people about how our climate system works.] METAPHOR: Climate’s Heart The Earth (start video—continue narration) is made up of several systems that work together as one—much like the human body. The ocean is a key part of the system that makes Earth habitable. The bands of color in this image (red indicates warm and blue indicates cold) show us that the ocean absorbs the energy of the sun as heat, particularly near the equator. As the image moves, think about how the ocean is like the climate’s heart and circulatory system. Like our heart pumps blood, heat, and nutrients around our bodies, the ocean pumps water, heat, nutrients and even living things, all around the world. What do you notice from the movement of the ocean currents? (pause for reflection) Currents like the Gulf Stream in the Atlantic, or the Kuroshio in the Pacific, carry heat from the tropics to higher latitudes, giving northern places like England and Washington State more moderate climates than you might otherwise expect. Just like our bodies need a healthy heart, the earth needs a healthy ocean to regulate the climate and stabilize Earth’s temperatures.

[Transition: Hopefully, you are starting to see that everything we humans do is connected to every other system on earth. Let’s try to connect all the dots with some explanatory chains.] EXPLANATORY CHAINS Consider the global environmental changes that are occurring in the world today. We know that burning fossil fuels, (like coal, oil, and gas!) results in rampant carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This rampant CO2 acts like a heat-trapping blanket which holds in the earth’s heat. That increasing heat destabilizes our climate and the climate is one way all life on this planet is connected. As such, the rampant carbon dioxide that fills the atmosphere over one area of the planet will have impacts felt around the globe. The ocean (start video—continue narration) also connects all the continents and the people of the earth. The currents of the ocean conveyor belt move waters around the globe distributing warm and cold water, nutrients, and food supplies. A lot of the excess heat from burning fossil fuels (like coal, oil, and gas!) is absorbed by the waters of the ocean. As the ocean warms, currents can be disrupted. Along with fishermen, many fish, birds, and marine mammals rely on ocean currents to provide the food they need for survival. So again—our burning fossil fuels (like coal, oil, and gas!) is connected to the food supplies of both people and wildlife. It is important for people to understand just how connected everything is on this earth. When one thing is changed, it results in a domino effect. We can see how our actions are affecting environments that may seem far removed from us. Here are a few examples showing how we can use explanatory chains to connect our visitors’ every day actions to animals at our facilities. CHAIN: Mammals

Many terrestrial mammals are being affected by a warming climate. For example, during hibernation, bears slow their bodies’ metabolism and do not eat or drink. Instead they live off of a layer of fat they have built up by eating high fat foods during the summer and fall. One of the main foods black and brown bears eat is the seeds of the whitebark pine tree.

However, this food source is rapidly decreasing due to a beetle infestation triggered by a warming climate. The mountain pine beetle historically could not survive in the northern habitats of the whitebark pines because it was too cold for them. As the climate

warms scientists are noticing that this beetle is able to move into more northern habitats where it is damaging whitebark pines.

Without reliable food sources to help them store up fat for hibernation, many hungry bears are venturing closer and closer to human habitats in search of food—which is a serious problem for humans and bears.

When we work together to power our lives with renewable energy, we protect our climate, which is good for bears and people! (See how easily we moved to a solution? We’ll talk more about solutions shortly.)

CHAIN: Sea Turtles

Here’s another example of an explanatory chain.

Sea turtles are feeling the effects of a changing climate in a variety of ways. Remember those melting glaciers and the warming ocean water? A warmer world from rampant CO2 means not only more water from melting ice but warmer water expanding and taking up more space. Both of these lead to rising sea levels. When sea level rises, beaches get smaller. With this already limited space for nesting further reduced, we could see greater declines in sea turtle populations. Warmer temperatures caused by climate change can also affect the balance of males and females in sea turtle populations. As the average air temperature increases, this causes the temperature of a turtle’s nest to increase as well. Temperature in the nest influences whether an egg develops into a male or female turtle. Higher temperatures increase the likelihood of females developing. If there are too many female turtles and not enough males, this will make it harder for the female turtle to find a male. Let’s look at one last example of an explanatory chain. CHAIN: Oysters The humble oyster, a filter-feeding bivalve, is actually a keystone species—providing a whole host of functions that maintain the stability of an ecosystem. Oysters provide food and habitat for many species, sediment and shoreline stabilization, and improved water quality through filter feeding. These are all things that benefit the members of their ecosystem, including humans. However, right now, oysters and their benefits are at risk from ocean acidification.

When we burn fossil fuels (like coal, oil, and gas!) to power our lives, we emit rampant carbon dioxide. About 30% of the CO2 we emit actually gets absorbed by our ocean, where it reacts with seawater to change the ocean’s chemistry. This change reduces the amount of carbonate available in the ocean. Many sea creatures that form the base of marine food webs, like oysters, need carbonate to build their shells. When ocean acidification reduces the amount of carbonate in the ocean, it affects these creatures like an osteoporosis of the sea, leaving their shells thinner and more brittle. WIth weaker shells, oysters have a difficult time surviving to provide important benefits to the rest of the ecosystem. To safeguard our oysters and estuaries for generations to come, we must reduce our reliance on fossil fuels (like coal, oil, and gas!). [Transition: If you think about each of these stories, you’ll see they highlight our connection to the problems these animals are experiencing. When we understand that we are part of the problem, we can quickly move to thinking about changes we can make to be part of the solution.]

SOLUTIONS: Solar Gardens It’s a good thing humans are innovative problem solvers! There are ALWAYS creative solutions to be found when we work together. Burning fossil fuels (like coal, oil, and gas!) is not the only way that we can get energy to run our modern lives. How about that big burning ball of gas that we spend our lives rotating around? That glorious orb is a renewable resource that doesn’t use one bit of fossil fuels (like coal, oil, and gas!) to power our lives. Everything from calculators to appliances in your home can be powered by the sun! When we wrap up conversations with our audience about reducing the use of fossil fuels (like coal, oil, and gas!), we can segue into a solution-based conclusion that includes solar energy. And we should scale it up from just one household buying solar panels. Let’s make this a community-level solution! Community solar gardens are an excellent way to create electricity. It’s clear that not every household can be outfitted with solar panels, and solar panels can be a costly endeavor. But think about how much more accessible we could make solar panels if we purchased them as a community. It’s a similar idea to a traditional community garden, you buy a plot, you “harvest sunlight” and you receive credit on your electricity bill as if the panels were on your own home. This is an easily accessible solution that can be achieved by working together as a community. Imagine, if we think big and scale the solution to fit the problem, we CAN fight against climate change.

[Transition: How might we scale solutions that start with personal choices? Let’s look at something that many of use everyday.] SOLUTIONS: Eliminating Single-Use Plastic to Reduce Fossil Fuel Consumption No straw, please! Single-use plastic is something that can be found everywhere from bags to straws to bottles. And all of that plastic requires fossil fuels (like coal, oil, and gas!) as the base material as well as fossil fuels (like coal, oil, and gas!) to generate the power to manufacture these items that will only be used once. That’s adding a lot of rampant CO2 to the atmosphere just to make things we throw away after one use. Let’s work together to stop using single-use plastic. There is a movement called ‘The Last Plastic Straw’ based in Santa Cruz, California that is working to reduce this single use item. They contact restaurants and try to get them to put a note on their menus that a straw is available upon request and then, if requested, provide a paper straw. This is a movement already in progress and is easy to join. There are informational print-outs that you can leave with your waiter or a manager when you are at a restaurant. And, this is not the only movement out there. There are so many groups working toward the common goal of eliminating single-use plastics. For example, in Washington State Anacortes High School students hated seeing all those plastic water bottles piling up in recycling bins. So, the students worked together to find grant money to purchase water bottle filling stations for their school. The stations count the number of bottles saved, and everyone in the school can drink good, clean water from their reusable water bottles. When we reduce single use plastics, not only are we keeping plastic out of our ocean, we are also reducing the wasteful use of fossil fuels (like coal, oil, and gas!) that are contributing heat-trapping gases to the atmosphere.

[Transition: Scaling up your solutions gives your audience the power and the knowledge they need to help make change. We are inspiring people to work as a community to solve today’s challenges.] SOLUTIONS: Shopping Local

Locals only! We’ve seen there are many ways to reduce our carbon footprint, from solar energy to single-use plastics. Your purchasing power makes a big impact. From food, to clothing and everything in between, you have the power to make a difference every day, by what you buy. Much of the food you buy travels an average of fifteen-hundred miles before it makes it to your dinner plate. The farther your food travels the more carbon is emitted into the atmosphere via trains, trucks, airplanes and boats. Growing your own produce can be a creative way to ensure that you are consuming locally grown fruits and vegetables. Recreational fishing is another way to help reduce your carbon footprint. Grains, vegetables, and beans are great sources of nutrients and healthy alternatives to the large-scale production of animal proteins, which contribute to a large amount of heat-trapping gases. Buying clothes and other items from locally owned businesses can help make a difference, too. Often these businesses make local purchases. Looking for American-made brands will help reduce carbon emissions from product transportation. SOLUTIONS: Reducing Your Carbon Footprint at School Ever see lights left on at school? Heated classrooms with the thermostat turned up too high? Air conditioners running so cold that you need a sweater to stay warm? Teachers using disposable, single-use cups? Why not help your school get it together and fight climate change? The Cool School Challenge is a way to get a whole school community onboard. Students can audit each classroom’s energy use, and challenge teachers and fellow students to make changes that keep rampant carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. Redmond High School in Washington State saved 76 tons of carbon dioxide in one year! There’s a whole website set up to help you out. To get involved, look for the Cool School Challenge at the National Wildlife Federation. SOLUTIONS: Transportation Last but not least, we all know that cars use gasoline and put lots of rampant carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Riding a bike is a great way to avoid using a car, but some communities and schools aren’t exactly bike-friendly. People can work together to protect our communities and world from the effects of climate change when they make it easy for people to bike. Towns have created safe bike lanes, schools have provided secure, dry bike sheds for students, and people have joined together to celebrate biking

with fun events. Some colleges and universities even have bike maintenance shops to make sure students can get to and from class without worry. We can get around without burning fossil fuels (like coal, oil, and gas!), and what a fun, healthy way to keep our climate livable! [Transition: Do you see that you’ve had the power to be the change all along, and now you have the information to create the change with others. Knowing what to say, and how to say it, can truly bring about active change in others.] PROGRAM SUMMARY

Whew! That’s a whole lot of information to take in a short amount of time!

Here are the key points we hope you walk away with…

First and foremost, you are a stakeholder. Combined with all the teens across the country, you are a force to be reckoned with.

History has shown that when teens become engaged in issues—from labor to civil rights to environment—major changes become reality. Right now a People’s Climate Movement is happening all across the world, and you have the opportunity to change the future.

As we work towards this change, we know that connecting with others through commonly held values makes all the difference. Starting conversations with the protection of vulnerable animals, plants and places through responsible management is a key to success.

Using metaphors and explanatory chains to connect the complex science to the activities we do every day builds on this solid foundation.

Quite simply, when we burn fossil fuels (like coal, oil, and gas!), we pump rampant amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, and this build-up creates a blanket-effect, trapping in heat around the world.

While plants grow by using the regular CO2 that humans and other animals naturally exhale, this “rampant” CO2 from the burning of fossil fuels (like coal, oil, and gas!) is getting out of control.

The ocean absorbs much of that rampant carbon dioxide. We call this “ocean acidification.” As a result of the changing chemistry, we are seeing “osteoporosis of the sea,” with sea creatures’ skeletons and shells becoming thinner or more brittle. Osteoporosis of the sea disrupts food webs, undermining the stability of ocean ecosystems.

Unstable ecosystems are just one concern because the ocean also regulates the climate system the way your heart regulates the flow of blood throughout your body. As the heart of the climate’s circulatory system, the ocean moves energy and nutrients all around the earth. When we burn fossil fuels (like coal, oil, and gas!), we put a lot of stress on the ocean itself, damaging its ability to keep the climate stable.

Fortunately, we know the solution to these issues is grounded in our communities. By working together, we can reduce rampant carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and adapt to changes in the environment.

You have tremendous power as change agents in communities as small as your family and as large as the entire world.

Let’s hear from some students about how they are making a difference in their communities.

(Show Seattle Youth CAN video)

PROJECT LAUNCH What we’ve done tonight is just the beginning! Our [Insert Teen Program Name Here] program is just one community within a larger nationwide community of youth who are inspired to make a difference and be the change we all want to see. CYCL is Communities of Youth for Climate Leadership, and as you saw in this presentation you are part of a much larger world of youth making a difference for our planet! We want you to join together and begin thinking about what you can accomplish as a community. You are the Youth in CYCL—we are here to help you get out in front of the crowd, bang the drum and start the parade rolling toward a brighter future and healthy planet! ENERGIZER! [high energy, loud voices!]

Alright, everyone! It’s time to get up and move! Stand up! Stand up! Shake out those limbs and get ready to shout. [Insert Teen Program Name Here] you have joined CYCL, you are the youth community of [Insert Institution Name Here] and you will rock the world! Everyone, please hold up your right hand and repeat after me: “I do so solemnly swear [pause] that I will protect [pause], respect [pause], and lead this world to a safe and healthy future [pause].” Congratulations to all of you for becoming a part of this growing, powerful community of teens. Give yourselves a round of applause! Great job, everyone! Now it’s time to lay down the gauntlet for the next group of teens around the country to join us. Let’s take a group picture of our CYCL group and post it on Instagram (#CYCL). Now everyone huddle up and hands in the center. We’ll say ‘CYCL’ on three—ready, one, two, three, CYCL!!

Let’s go [Insert Teen Program Name Here]!! ☺