community news
may8
2012
Climate Change Presentation at VCLC
Mr. Paul Rippey will visit
Vernonia on Friday May 25, 2012
and lead a discussion based on An
Inconvenient Truth, the book about
global climate change written by
former US Vice President Al Gore.
The evening will include
a narrated slide presentation with
lots of time for discussion, sharing
and questions. The event will be
held at the Vernonia Community
Learning Center on at 7:00 PM.
The audience is invited to bring
their questions.
Over the last decade,
former US Vice President and
Nobel Laureate Al Gore has
developed a powerful presentation
showing the science behind global
climate change, the threat that
climate change presents to us, our
children and their children, and pointing
to what people can do as individuals
and as societies to reduce the impact
of climate change. A version of his
presentation formed the basis of his
film, An Inconvenient Truth. Mr. Gore
has trained five thousand volunteers
around the world to lead climate
presentations based on his slides. Paul
Rippey participated in that training, in
Nashville Tennessee in January 2007.
Paul Rippey moved to Oregon
with his family in 2007 after spending
20 years in Africa. Paul’s presentation
includes the latest scientific findings and
events, and reflects a can-do, optimistic
approach for dealing with climate
change. There is a lot of work to be done,
to international organizations,
donors, schools, members of the
Parliament of Uganda, churches,
Rotary Clubs, as well as the general
public. Rippey will talk about how
the climate crisis is perceived in
the developing world. He’ll also
share his experiences upon moving
to prosperous, green, Portland
Oregon, and his family’s two year
experiment trying to live without a
car.
We’re fortunate to have Paul
Rippey speak here in Vernonia
through the efforts of local residents
and The Climate Reality Project:
h t t p : / / p r e s e n t e r s .
climaterealityproject.org/
Paul Rippey on location in Uganda
but we can do it. If you have seen the
movie An Inconvenient Truth, much of
the presentation will be familiar to you,
but augmented with new information.
Paul’s presentations include many
ideas that have inspired him from such
diverse sources as the latest science,
civic leaders, economists, and other
climate change activists. One finds few
climate change deniers in Sub-Saharan
Africa. There, people have to deal with
its affects every day, especially at meal
time, and are constantly having to find
ways to adapt to it.
Rippey has given more than
40 presentations in the United States,
Uganda, Kenya, India, Senegal,
Morocco, Ghana, Sierra Leone,
and Switzerland. He has spoken
The new K-12 school and
community center in Vernonia is one
giant step closer to completion today.
Catalyst: the campaign for Vernonia’s
schools has announced the successful
completion of a $1 million challenge
grant to raise support for this innovative
project.
Dozens
of
generous
businesses, foundations and people
from across Oregon have stepped
up with contributions of $10,000 or
more, unlocking a $1 million one-to-
one matching contribution from The
Ford Family Foundation to help this
rural timber town recover from two
devastating floods.
“We thank The Ford Family
Foundation for their longstanding
and generous commitment to our
community,” stated Vernonia School
District Superintendent Dr. Kenneth
Cox. “The Foundation understood
from the start that recovering from two
500-year floods in 11 years is more
than a single community can bear on
its own. They were willing to make an
extraordinary grant to leverage even
more support for our town.”
With the support from The
Ford Family Foundation, the campaign
has secured $37 million in funding
and long-term financing toward the
$40 million dollars needed to replace
all of Vernonia’s schools at once. The
total includes a $13 million bond that
district residents overwhelmingly
passed in 2009, a 2010 FEMA waiver
allowing the district and city to access
$11.2 million, and numerous grants and
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Contact: scott@vernoniasvoice.com
Paul has adapted the “Inconvenient
Truth” presentation to make it more
appropriate for audiences in Africa
and other Third World areas, with more
information on adaptation and with
many encouraging success stories.
One year subscriptions
(24 issues) $35
Vernonia’s Voice is published
on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday
of each month.
Paul has given his presentation about
40 times in both English and French,
and in nine countries: Uganda, Kenya,
US, India, Morocco, Ghana, Sierra
Leone, Senegal and Switzerland.
contributions from public sector and
philanthropic organizations, businesses
and individuals from all across Oregon
who have stepped up to fill the gap and
get the town back on its feet.
“This Vernonia project tells the
story of who we are as Oregonians,” said
Norm Smith, president of the Roseburg-
based foundation. “When we stand
together, we can bridge what many see
as urban and rural divides, and create
a new model for rural sustainability,
multi-use design and partnerships with
higher education institutions to create
economic and community opportunities.
It’s an exceptional story, we are proud to
be a partner and we hope others will join
us as supporters to take it over the finish
line.”
Ninety percent of construction is
Vernonia’s Voice, LLC
PO Box 55
Vernonia, OR 97064
503-367-0098
www.VernoniasVoice.com
complete, and the school and community
center is on track to open in September.
The Catalyst campaign committee is
pursuing the balance of funds needed
through public sector and private
philanthropic sources, and is working
diligently to continue the momentum
and reach the finish line.
About The Ford Family Foundation:
Started in 1957, The Ford Family
Foundation is a private, non-profit
foundation located in Roseburg, Oregon
that manages large, internal initiatives
and makes grants to public charities
predominantly benefiting communities
in rural Oregon and Siskiyou County,
California. The Foundation’s mission
is: “Successful Citizens and Vital Rural
Communities.”
A Presentation
about
Global
Climate
Change
May 25, 2012 7:00 PM
Vernonia Community
Learning Center
939 Bridge Street
Based on
An Inconvenient Truth
(by former US Vice President Al Gore)
Presented by Paul Rippey
Gift certificates available
Publisher and Managing Editor
Scott Laird
503-367-0098
scott@vernoniasvoice.com
Paul Rippey is a freelance
consultant working in the promotion
of economic development savings
groups and solar lamps in Africa and
Asia. Website: savings-revolution.org
Vernonia Completes $1 Million Challenge
Grant From The Ford Family Foundation
3
The eoening mill include
a narrated slide
presentation mith lots of
time for discussion, sharing
and questions.
