01. Question 1

Our Question: If you could choose anyone in the world to be your special climate hero or role model, who would it be?

02. Question 2

Our Question: Magic Johnson said: “I believe in the power of heroes. What is a hero? There are as many different answers to that question as there are people in the world, and that’s a good thing: we need different kinds of role models for different kinds of people. I personally think a hero is a leader who has a positive impact on people. A hero is someone who acts and through those actions changes the world.” – Tell me your definition of a hero.

03. Question 3

Our Question: A group of students thought it would be great to collect portraits of climate heros from all over the world. That’s what they say: “If we show people that if those local climate heros can make the effort, then anybody can. Let them see that what they are doing is rapidly becoming the norm, not the exception. Your climate heros don’t need to be famous. We’d like to show people just like you and me – with the little difference that they care. The goal is to realize an impressive exhibition of portraits from all over the world.” a) What are the most important things people in your country need to change in order to become climate heros? b) Some participants of this projects don’t like the word “hero”. Which other words could we use instead?

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01. Question 1

Our Answer: Hello, to students at Sokoine University of Agriculture -- our new friends. Thank you so much for connecting with us. Thanks very much as well to the team at MyClimate (Hot Stuff Chill Out) for for bringing us together. As an introductory note: I will be writing initially on behalf of myself and my team at ClimateChangeEducation.Org and GlobalWarmingKids.net. In time, I'll bring in fellow students at the University of California -- on the Berkeley and Davis campuses; but at the moment, I'm not drawing in larger classes. The ClimateChangeEducation.org team includes several of my colleagues at UC -- scientists, students, faculty and staff. ClimateChangeEducation.org is honored to work with MyClimate and Hot Stuff Chill Out. We look forward to sharing our resources and networks with MyClimate. If you are happy with the idea, we very much want to be supportive of your work in Tanzania, by sharing our resources with you. ++++++++++++++++++++ A great pleasure for me is finding MANY climate heroes worldwide. Role models, inspirational people on every continent, young and old -- who have made contributions in any of a wide variety of ways. Our portal websites -- especially GlobalWarmingKids.Net are designed to highlight international leaders; particularly younger heros (kids, students, teenagers, and young adults.) For the ClimateChangeEducation.org team, it is very important for us to recognize the work of others. We encourage different programs and efforts to work together, help one another. One way this happens is how we recognize leaders /heroes. Most often, we don't just find and call attention to an individual hero. We connect with programs that are already identifying and promoting the work of many leaders. Our web portals further promote what these programs are already doing. Since our web portals are VERY popular and very well respected, we lend our power to these programs. We are visited by millions all over the world. One such program we work with is Action for Nature. This marvelous program has recognized young eco heroes around the world for many years. They have a very well developed application, interview, awards program. You'll see Action for Nature prominently on our GlobalWarmingKids. Net website. Each year, they present awards to around 10 young activist leaders. We, in turn, promote these leaders as well -- while recognizing the Action for Nature program as a whole. With that in mind, you'll see that I can think of hundreds of climate heroes. I wouldn't want to try to select just one. There are so many doing great work -- I want to recognize them all. In fact, I want to see that number grow. Thousands and millions of heroes. We love to see different programs working well together. If MyClimate, Action for Nature and your programs work together, we are quite happy about that. We're glad to make introductions where that helps +++++++++++++++++++++++++ In responding to the questions you have posed below, I'll share more of my thoughts on "heros" -- how I like to use that term; and other words I tend to use. Most importantly, to inspire others to be involved, active, to work in a positive direction -- to make a difference.

02. Question 2

Our Answer: I am Ok with Magic Johnson’s definition of “hero”. I also like the comment made by one of the classes in Tanzania about an alternate word – “saint.” ++++++++++++++++++ I understand and appreciate that the Hot Stuff Chill Out website is in English. No problem. Please know though that I am very interested in the words people use in other languages. Sometimes there is a word that is better at describing an idea than one that directly translates into just one word in English. I am sure that is true with the first languages of Tanzania. If there are such words that convey ideas very beautifully, but require a few sentences to describe their meaning in English, please know that I am still interested. I have much to learn from you all. +++++++++++++++++++++ I probably use too many words when I write and speak, but I will share with you that “hero” is just one word I use – and only sometimes. Here is an idea of the kinds of words our team at ClimateChangeEducation.org uses: Climate change science and solutions are big subjects, in many ways they are complex topics. But that doesn’t mean that they are too hard to understand. Not at all. Our experience in teaching climate change science to hundreds of thousands of people over the last ten years proves this. People can very well understand the basics, the most important things, even if they are six years old or 106 years old. If they have had lots of school or very little school. Education on climate change can and should be engaging, involving, lively. It can make people passionate to act. It can help them to understand the hundreds of things any person can do. Yes, climate change is serious. When you learn about it, it is appropriate that you get angry, sad, even scared – for a little bit. But you should know there is much we can and should do – each of us, and together. Most of all, learning about climate change can and should be FUN!! That’s how it is when we teach it – very fun. Yet we don't hide how serious it is too. We don’t just teach about the science and solutions. We also locate and promote lots of great examples of what people are doing – kids, students and older people. Individuals, groups, classes. We look forward to doing this more, together with Hot Stuff Chill Out. People all over the world can learn from each other. Inspire each other, get ideas from one another. We are encouraging kids, people to be active, to be involved. We want to help them be able to make a big difference, to see that there are hundreds of ways they can do that. That’s the longer description. I’m OK if people shorten that to: we are working to help people be climate heros.

03. Question 3

Our Answer: Responding to Part “b” first: I’m somewhat commenting on this in question #2. I don’t mind the term “hero” the way many people use it. I use it sometimes. I wouldn’t be happy to see it used alone or too much. In question #2, you’ll see the kind of terms, the kind of words I tend to use. ++++++++++++++++++ For Part “a”: That’s a big question. There are lots and lots of thing people can do— with many things that everyone should do. We’ve created massive websites all about this, meant to be used the way people like best to find information: http://ClimateChangeEducation.org and http://globalwarmingkids.net. ++++++++++++++++ Here, maybe I’ll comment on one thing. In the United States, where I live, education is NOT valued highly. Making money any way you can is the biggest thing. Being famous or powerful is important for many. Having a good time. Well, it is important to know if what you do is hurting people all over the world. If you are destroying the world by your actions, if you are robbing future generations from having a planet where life can exist. Can you really feel good doing that? What should we think of such people? Education should be very important for many reasons. Helping, not hurting, people can be a source of pleasure too – something really worth feeling good about. How much stuff does one need to really be happy? Most of the people of the world have a hard enough time just having enough for a basic survival. A good education can help you to do just fine without feeling you need to own and waste lots of things. It can also help you to learn how to help others. That’s important. ++++++++++++++++ How important is education in Tanzania? Your opinion. How about the realities? ++++++++++++++++ A message I’m getting to is this. Especially for young people – kids, students: being involved in EDUCATION on climate change and solutions is a very valuable thing. Helping others to learn, to know to act. Making education really good, exciting, fun, powerful. Being involved in education is one area a young person can usually really act. There are so many you can help understand: your friends, your class, your parents, other older people. You might also be able to do even more in a group, being part of an education program in a school or museum or park. You can also connect with others all over the world to do great education – working with Hot Stuff Chill Out and ClimateChangeEducation.org. If someone says that you are too young to make a difference now – maybe let them say that. But you know, and I know that they are wrong. You are very important and can be very powerful. Do not underestimate what you can do as a teacher, and a climate change educator – right now. Also, your experience, your perspective as a person in Tanzania should be very enlightening to others around the world.

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