Empowerment Institute is a wonderful organization promoting community action around the world. In this post from our friend Craig Hamilton, he describes a great new partnership between Step It Up 2007 and their Low Carbon Diet program. The Global Warming Cafe is a great action idea.

Here at Empowerment Institute, we’re excited to find ourselves at the center of a growing nationwide grassroots movement for climate action on a personal and local level. Ever since we launched our illustrated carbon reduction guide, Low Carbon Diet, last fall, we’ve been heartened to discover how many Americans will commit to reducing their own CO₂ footprint when given the tools and support to act.   

So, when we saw the Step It Up campaign’s plan to ignite rallies for national climate action on April 14^th, we did some igniting of our own. “What if we could bring the local and the national, the personal and the political together?” was the question I asked Robbie at the Step It Up offices. “What if, in addition to asking Congress to make CO₂ reduction a priority, we encouraged people to gather in their local communities around a commitment to reducing their own carbon footprints, and empowering their community to do the same?” The result of that conversation is an exciting new partnership between Step It Up 2007 and Empowerment Institute—and an invitation for April 14^th: 

If you’re looking for an April 14^th action that will have local as well as national impact, consider hosting our easy-to-organize climate change workshop: “The Global Warming Cafe.” 

Based on the successful World Cafe large group discussion format, the Global Warming Cafe is a 4-hour participatory workshop to empower community members to become part of the global warming solution. Its easy-to-implement design engages participants in a heartfelt conversation about Global Warming, and then invites them to take personal action to reduce their carbon footprint and, if they wish to go further, help others do the same. Specifically, they are introduced to the carbon-reduction tools and strategies in Low Carbon Diet, and the “Cool Community Campaign” to mobilize their community to reduce its CO₂ footprint 20% by 2010.  

For April 14^th, we’re working to organize at least 100 Global Warming Cafes across the country. We’ve put together a Cafe Hosts Toolkit on our website, where you can find a comprehensive workshop description and script, Powerpoint slideshows, a customizable event flier and press release, and reports and media coverage from recent Cafes. We’ll also be hosting two free “Cool Community Tele-trainings” on March 15^th and April 3^rd, which will include training in hosting the Global Warming Cafe. 

Then, on April 14th, we’ll invite everyone who is attending the Cafes to make a personal CO₂  reduction pledge at the end of the workshop. We’ll then collect the CO₂ reduction pledges made at Cafes around the country, and enter the collective CO₂ reduction totals from each Cafe on our website. This collective pledge of millions of pounds of carbon reduction will then be provided to Step it Up 2007 to deliver to Washington with the message: “We, the people, have collectively pledged to reduce our own individual carbon footprints by ____million pounds, but as individuals we can only go so far. Now, it’s your turn. Step It Up, Congress! Cut Carbon 80% by 2050.” 

So, if you’re looking for a way to make April 14^th a leaping off point for climate change action in your community, as well as a call to our policymakers, we invite you to host or participate in a Global Warming Cafe. Visit our website to learn more or email me at chamilton@empowermentinstitute.net.

Thanks! 

Craig Hamilton

www.empowermentinstitute.net/lcd

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