Northeast activists trained as Climate Leaders by Nobel Laureate Al Gore

A Climate Reality Leadership Corps training was organized at the Kempinski Ambience Hotel at New Delhi on February 22-25. Several environmental activists from the north east, including Pranjit Sarma (Aaranyak), Thaza Akoijam (Green Guard Nature Organization), Bhaargav Nath and Nadeem Subhra from Assam, Janbemo Lotha from Nagaland and Albert Zamlal from Manipur, trained to be 'Climate Leaders' under the Climate Reality Project Chairman, Nobel Laureate Al Gore. Rituraj Phukan, also from Green Guard Nature Organization, who had trained to be a 'Climate Leader' at Istanbul in 2013, had the honor of being a 'Mentor' at the training, which saw the participation of over 500 trainees from 30 countries. 

The former US Vice President, whose efforts to spread climate change awareness was documented in the Academy Award winning documentary 'An Inconvenient Truth', said that the future of mankind was dependent on the COP 21 at Paris, where the world leaders will gather in December 2015 to agree on a legally binding and universal treaty to avert catastrophic warming. The conference saw a lot of focus on the vulnerability of Bangladesh from rising sea water levels due to polar melting, and the influx of 'climate refugees' into neighboring countries, a very significant issue for Assam and the north east. Mr. Gore also dwelt on how the water security of the Indian subcontinent and China will be affected by the accelerated melting of Himalayan glaciers and the threat of extreme weather events in the region. He exhorted world leaders to quickly embrace clean energy to help avert catastrophic warming and said that recent trends in energy investments and the mobilization of public opinion has given us reason to hope for a better and sustainable future. 

Climate Reality Project CEO and President Ken Berlin, leading climate scientist and Professor Emeritus of the University of Michigan Dr. Henry Pollack, former CEO of The Australian Conservation Foundation and CRP Director Don Henry, CRLC Director Mario Molina, and Barefoot College Founder Sanjit Bunker Roy were among several distinguished persons who joined Mr. Gore in training the Climate Leaders to spread the truth about climate change. The newly trained Climate Leaders will join a global alumni network of over 7000 that helps mobilize public opinion against fossil fuel dependency that has perpetrated the gravest threat to humanity.