The Climate Change

In the past year, Jens Rasmussen has given his slide show about the climate change for more than 20 groups. Jens is the resident artist at the Springer Opera House has appeared in "A Christmas Carol" and "To Kill a Mockingbird," and is currently in "Carousel." He'll tackle the role of a priest accused of inappropriate behavior in "Doubt" next month.

I was talking to my niece, Jessica, about Jens and "An Inconvenient Truth."

Her response?

"Duh! People should know that. They don't need to see a movie."

Well, Jess, a lot of people don't believe that there is a problem.

Jens applied to the Climate Project for further training after he saw the movie. A year later, he was in Nashville with 999 other people who thought like he did.

He was trained by a lot of scientists and activists as well as the movie's narrator, Al Gore.

Here's what Gore wrote: “Jens Rasmussen is an outstanding example of the millions of Americans who have been energized by the call to action on the climate crisis. We are so pleased that he’s made a serious commitment to this challenge by coming to Nashville to become part of this unprecedented grassroots effort. Jens will be spending the next year making presentations all over the country, discussing how individuals and businesses, schools and other organizations can be a major part of the solution to the growing crisis of global warming.”

Last year, Jens presented the slide show at the Columbus Public Library to a small, but very interested group of local residents.

"Lots has changed in Georgia in a year," Rasmussen said. The drought, of course, has been a big topic the past year, and is becoming a more and more urgent problem, he said.

So when the Go Green Committee of the Columbus State University Student Government Association asked him to present the slide show, he gladly said yes. He will present it twice on Tuesday.

Nicole de Vries, a CSU graduate business student, is an SGA senator who began the Go Green movement on campus, and asked Rasmussen to participate. She admits never having seen "An Inconvenient Truth" until she attended a "Two Percent Solution" conference where the
Academy Award-winning documentary was shown.

Like Jens, after watching the movie, she was motivated to do something.

Nicole and a committee of CSU students, staff and professors are trying to make the campus more energy efficient.

"We have recycling bins for paper, but the paper is thrown away," she complains. "There's one container for cans."

She thinks there should be recycling bins in the cafeteria especially, and in each building on campus as well as in each dormitory.

"It's really exciting," Rasmussen said of the Go Green committee's efforts, which will include tip sheets for students on how to make life more sustainable on campus.

"We're starting at the bottom and working up," Nicole said. "We're hoping the board of Regents will listen."

Jens made his presentation in New Orleans last fall and he said the experience was "sobering." People who think New Orleans is back to normal by just watching footage of Mardi Gras have no idea that entire neighborhoods are still ghost towns, he said.

I don't know what you'll be doing tomorrow, but I plan to see one of Jens' presentations. I hope to see you there.

What: Actor and activist Jens Rasmussen will present a slide show on global warming as part of Columbus State University's Student Government Association's Go Green initiative for March. Includes informational displays by the Columbus Water Works, the Georgia Forestry Commission, CSU SGA
When: Noon and 1 p.m. Tuesday
Where: CSU's Davidson Student Center auditorium on main campus
Tickets: Free
Information: Nicole de Vries at 706-507-8835