Tuesday, October 07, 2014

EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy to visit Miami Beach with CLEO environmental and civic leaders on Miami Beach for King Tide event … by gimleteye

It takes a big event to draw the nation's top environmental officer to Miami. That happens Thursday when EPA chief Gina McCarthy comes to Miami Beach, helping draw the mainstream press to a vision of America's future.

Rising sea levels are permanently erasing political lines drawn in the sand.

Imagine how history will record these years, if Governor Rick Scott and US Senator Marco Rubio continue turning their backs on the real economic impacts of climate change. One example: instead of endorsing consumer-driven solar in Florida, both side with the state's electric utilities.

Wednesday and Thursday's high tides forecast what is to come. Annual high tides extremes will become monthly. Over time, if the pumps now being installed on Miami Beach fail, a single tide event could erase a $400 million taxpayer investment.

Today, what matters more than money pitted against the tide is leadership. On that front, Caroline Lewis -- founder of the CLEO Institute in Miami -- is one of the most dynamic climate change educators in the nation.

This blog chronicled Ms. Lewis' career and achievements. Her steadfast determination and enthusiasm is an example of overcoming obstacles. READ our archive, how Ms. Lewis, past director of environmental education and creator of the Fairchild Environmental Challenge, surmounted objections of a board frozen by parochial interests.

Too much fertilizer in the Everglades from tomato and sugar farmers? Too little social justice in Florida's environmental movement? These are issues that Ms. Lewis helped raise with students across Miami-Dade County but disputable by a board tipsy with its own hubris.

Global warming and sea level rise, on the other hand, are indisputable. Ms. Lewis is helping to build the next generation of climate change leaders. On Thursday, the nation's top environmental officer will be at her side.


News from The CLEO Institute
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 6, 2014
Contact: Marissa Prieto
(305)284-0908

MEDIA ADVISORY
EPA Administrator joins The CLEO Institute and Florida International University for Miami Beach King Tide Events

Oct. 6, 2014 – (MIAMI) The CLEO Institute is excited to announce that Administrator Gina McCarthy of the Environmental Protection Agency will be joining us, eyesontherise.org and the FIU School of Journalism and Mass Communication for a press conference at our Oct. 9 King Tide Day events.

The press conference will begin at 10 a.m. at West Avenue & Sixth Street on Miami Beach with students, scientists and leaders speaking about the flooding and the threat of sea-level rise. Speakers will include: Dean Raul Reis of FIU’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication, President Mark Rosenberg of FIU, Mayor Philip Levine of the City of Miami Beach and Mayor Cindy Lerner of the Village of Pinecrest, in addition to McCarthy. The press event will be followed by discussions, interviews & sensor demonstrations with students at 10:40 a.m.
CLEO will open the day at 8 a.m. at the FIU Miami Beach Urban Studios (420 Lincoln Road), followed by fieldwork. One of CLEO’s roles is to maximize the intergenerational and interdisciplinary opportunity whereby youth experience a King Tide event and witness some of the effects of climate change. More than 70 high school and college students will work with scientists at high tide on the streets of Miami Beach to analyze tidal flooding. They will assess data quantitatively as well as qualitatively (photography, journaling, interviews) and participate in an interactive panel discussion with local and national leaders. Areas of Miami Beach, where pumps have been installed, should help showcase adaptation efforts by the city.

Ultimately, each student will develop a narrative to describe the experience. This may develop into further opportunities to tell their story creatively.

The event will conclude with a panel discussion and Q/A with students. Panelists include:

George Cavros, Florida Energy Policy Attorney, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy
Dr. Brian Haus, Associate Professor, University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science
Mayor Cindy Lerner, Village of Pinecrest; President, Miami-Dade County League of Cities
Adrianna Quintero, Senior Attorney, Natural Resources Defense Council

CLEO provided Climate Leadership Training to prepare students for the Oct. 9 King Tide Day events. The 2-hour interactive training for these 35 MAST at FIU high school students focused on the science behind climate change and sea-level rise and how these relate to greenhouse gases and carbon pollution. In addition to MAST and FIU students, CLEO is involving students from our Youth Task Force at Miami Palmetto Senior High. These students were also trained in preparation for the Eyes On The Rise event. CLEO will assist students with their roles as citizen scientists.

The CLEO Institute is a non-profit that promotes an informed and engaged public, better poised to become involved, make changes and support climate resilience locally, regionally, nationally, and globally.

For more information about the day’s activities, visit www.eyesontherise.org.

The CLEO Institute & Eyesontherise.org King Tide Schedule
Thursday, Oct. 9, Miami Beach
8 a.m. - 8:10 a.m. CLEO launches event at FIU Miami Beach Urban Studios (MBUS) (420 Lincoln Rd, Miami Beach, FL 33139)
9 a.m. - 11 a.m. High school & college students stationed at various locations along Alton Road performing qualitative and quantitative data collection with sensors, journals, and cameras

10 a.m. Press conference, featuring EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy (West Avenue & Sixth Street)
- 10:25 a.m. Press Pull Asides
- 10:40 a.m. Meet & Greet/Experiment Demonstration with Students
11:20 a.m. All reconvene at FIU MBUS for panel discussion
(NOTE: Panel open to public)
Panelists:
- George Cavros, Florida Energy Policy Attorney, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy
- Dr. Brian Haus, Associate Professor, University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science
- Mayor Cindy Lerner, Village of Pinecrest; President, Miami-Dade County League of Cities
- Adrianna Quintero, Senior Attorney, Natural Resources Defense Council
12:15 p.m. Panel concludes and students return to schools

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Contact: Marissa Prieto, 305.284.0908, Marissa@CLEOInstitute.org

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks to EOM for keeping the focus on what really happens in Miami.

Anonymous said...

I also understand that US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (RI) will also attend this event on Miami Beach. He remains the loudest voice in the Senate on the issue of climate change and the need for related legislation.

Ross said...

The location of the press conference has changed to 10 a.m. at Maurice Gibb Memorial Park (aka Purdy Park) between Dade Boulevard and 18th Street and Purdy Avenue on Miami Beach.