Press Releases


November 17, 2008/FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jennifer Marshall, SEEAL Coordinator at (508) 493-4343

Author Bill McKibben to present on Climate Change at SEEAL Annual Event

SEEAL’s (Southeastern Environmental Education Alliance) Annual Meeting and year-end celebration will be held on Friday, Nov. 21, and will be a memorable afternoon of reflection on our work, inspirational presentations, entertainment, and engaging exhibits. SEEAL will also be honoring local sustainability leaders and educators who are blazing a path toward improving awareness and stewardship in Southeastern Massachusetts.

The meeting is scheduled for 3-6:00 p.m., at the Whaling Museum, 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA. This event is free and open to the public, but since space is limited, it will be first come, first served.

The event will include a presentation from Bill McKibben, an American environmentalist and author known for his writings on global warming and alternative energy. He has written several books and is a frequent contributor to various magazines including The New York Times, The Atlantic, Harper's, Mother Jones, and The National Geographic.

In 2007, Mr. McKibben founded Step It Up, which organized hundreds of rallies to demand that Congress enact curbs on carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050. Most recently he founded 350.org, an international campaign to unite the world around the number 350, the safe upper limit for atmospheric CO2, which we have currently exceeded. Mr. McKibben’s presentation will be followed by a social hour featuring SEEAL partner exhibits, music, food, and beverages.

Which local leaders are you honoring (this is what the lead says)?

SEEAL, whose mission is to support its partners’ capacity to provide quality environmental education and stewardship in Southeastern Massachusetts, is a program of the Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts (CFSEMA). The collaborative is open to any individual or organization that shares this goal.
If you have any questions, please contact Jennifer Marshall Grantham, SEEAL Coordinator, at jmarshall@seeal.org, or 508-493-4343.

About SEEAL
Some of SEEAL’s active educational and institutional partners who are present and provide programs in New Bedford include New Bedford Public Schools, Global Learning Charter School, New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School, UMass Dartmouth, and SMAST. Present and/or active SEEAL non-profit partner organizations that deliver programs and resources to the City of New Bedford include The Trustees of Reservations, Lloyd Center for the Environment, Schooner Ernestina, Buttonwood Park Zoo, and Operation CleanSweep. To learn more about SEEAL, visit www.seeal.org.

About the Community Foundation
Since 1995, area residents have been turning to the Community Foundation to make their philanthropic giving as effective as possible. CFSEMA is a public charity serving thousands of people who share a common concern – improving the quality of life in Southeastern Massachusetts. While the Foundation’s primary grantmaking focus is on the SouthCoast communities of Greater New Bedford, Greater Fall River, and Greater Plymouth County, CFSEMA is a regional foundation serving 41 cities and towns. To date, the Community Foundation has distributed more than $7 million from 110 funds to humanitarian, educational and cultural organizations in the region. To learn more about the Foundation, visit www.cfsema.org.