Program by Rich Rusk, Secretary, Georgia Climate Change Coalition
Friday, February 21, 2014, 1:00 – 2:15 PM
River’s Crossing – 850 College Station Rd., Athens, GA 30602
1 session – $8 plus parking
Recently trained by Al Gore and his Climate Reality Project, Rich will blend Mr. Gore’s riveting and inspirational slides on climate change with his personal journey facing Vietnam’s carnage and his father’s role as secretary of state. “I learned how NOT to deal with Inconvenient Truths,” said Rich. An avid fly fisher and climate activist, Rich’s work with fellow Trout Unlimited fishers offers clues on rallying Americans at the grass roots. “Climate change threatens not only our trout and salmon, but the planet’s ecology and everything we hold dear in life.” Rich hopes to trigger vigorous discussion AND engagement.
Born in 1946, Rich joined the Marines after high school in D.C., studied political science at Cornell, then lived 14 years in Nome, Alaska where he fished for salmon, built houses, taught in Eskimo schools and co-founded a weekly newspaper. Moving to Athens in 1984 to co-author his dad’s memoirs (Dean Rusk), he married the former Janice Turner, did civil rights work and now focuses on climate change. Why? “Four kids and fly fishing.” Now active with Trout Unlimited, Sierra Club, 350.Org and the Athens-based Georgia Climate Change Coalition, Rich hopes to reach out to more conservative Americans. “To take global warming seriously, millions of our fellow citizens will need more than Sixties-era protest.”
For a guaranteed seat, pre-register at www.olli.uga.edu.