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This reprint from the Klimaforum09 presents the Declaration of all participating people, communities, and social organizations in attendance, to build on the results achieved, and to further inspire further development of the movement and direction chosen. In summary, the declaration contains a preamble, which summarizes founding beliefs culled from the UN Charter, calling for environmental and climate debts to be paid, and all people to take action. Next, the Declaration discusses the challenges face, as the groups sees them, as per greenhouse gases (GHGs), the overall effects of climate change, and so-called strategies of "green growth" and "sustainable growth" correlated with economics and environmental destruction. Then the Declaration states the causes of human-induced climate change as viewed the group, through CO2 emissions and GHGs overplundering of natural resources in underdeveloped countries, and the prevailing patterns of thought and alternatives. The Declaration's authors then describe their "just and sustainable transition" regarding an overhaul of systematic change on food and ecology, energy, ownership and economic control, a reculturalization of science and education, and non-proliferation of military defense technology and warfare. Next, the Declaration then describes the paths to transitioning re the UN (i.e. UNFCCC) and the Conference of Parties (COP); listing and laying down six demands; and finally, laying out the plans for a global movement regarding sustainable transition. Adapted from the source document.

This reprint from the Klimaforum09 presents the Declaration of all participating people, communities, and social organizations in attendance, to build on the results achieved, and to further inspire further development of the movement and direction chosen. In summary, the declaration contains a preamble, which summarizes founding beliefs culled from the UN Charter, calling for environmental and climate debts to be paid, and all people to take action. Next, the Declaration discusses the challenges face, as the groups sees them, as per greenhouse gases (GHGs), the overall effects of climate change, and so-called strategies of "green growth" and "sustainable growth" correlated with economics and environmental destruction. Then the Declaration states the causes of human-induced climate change as viewed the group, through CO2 emissions and GHGs overplundering of natural resources in underdeveloped countries, and the prevailing patterns of thought and alternatives. The Declaration's authors then describe their "just and sustainable transition" regarding an overhaul of systematic change on food and ecology, energy, ownership and economic control, a reculturalization of science and education, and non-proliferation of military defense technology and warfare. Next, the Declaration then describes the paths to transitioning re the UN (i.e. UNFCCC) and the Conference of Parties (COP); listing and laying down six demands; and finally, laying out the plans for a global movement regarding sustainable transition. Adapted from the source document.

Global Warming ("GW") is easily one of the most pressing concerns of our time,and its solution will come about only through a change in human behavior.Compared to the residents of most other nations worldwide, Americans reportlower acceptance of the realities of GW. In order to address this concern in afree society, U.S. residents must be convinced or coerced to take the necessaryactions. In spite of the democratic appeal of education, however, many climatecommunicators appear to be settling on the notion that emotional persuasion issuperior to education.We'll set an empirical foundation in Chapter2, reviewing an experiment inthe Numerically Driven Inferencing (NDI) paradigm that sheds some light on thecognitive processes involved in learning and attitude shifts in response tosurprising policy-relevant information. Chapters 3–6 contain results froma comprehensive program of research specifically targeting climate-relatedattitudes and beliefs in the United States. As alluded to above, there have beenmany surveys of American attitudes. Chapter3 provides an overview of ourapproach to assessing climate-related beliefs and attitudes. In particular, wenote relationships observed in one survey between scientific literacy regardingthe GW mechanism on one hand and attitudes, including "willingness tosacrifice" on the other. As with some other empirical approaches, ourresults suggest that U.S. residents generally accept anthropogenic (i.e.,"human caused") climate change, and support action on this issue.But even if this is the case, Chapter 4 describes an experiment demonstratingthat these beliefs and attitudes are disturbingly fragile in the face ofcherry-picked, misleading numerical facts. Chapter5 then describes a pairof experiments evaluating the effects of representative numerical facts.Chapter5's Study1 (Section5.1) demonstrates that even whenstudents report strong psychological effects after receiving a set of surprisingnumbers, their beliefs and attitudes will not necessarily be affected.Chapter5's Study2 (Section5.2) improves upon the clarity ofmaterials used in Study1 and demonstrates that such materials can effectively increase climate change acceptance and concern.In both of these studies, as with the study presented in Chapter4, thisrelatively uncontextualized, surprising numerical information underminesstudents' confidence in their own knowledge. Chapter6 reports on threesuccessful experiments (spanning four samples) that provide a coherentexplanation of the mechanism of climate change that includes relevant numericalfacts. As with Study2 in Chapter5, this intervention shiftsparticipant attitudes towards the scientific consensus. Unlike uncontextualizednumerical information, however, this mechanism intervention additionally leavesparticipants feeling that they know more than they did prior to instruction.Chapter6's Study1 (Section6.1) establishes this effect inclassroom-based settings at two culturally distinct universities.Chapter6's Study2 (Section6.2) provides an initial evaluationof the time-course of retention for the cognitive shifts that followed ourmechanism intervention, and Chapter6's Study3 (Section6.3)provides a successful demonstration of durable shifts with the generalpopulation online.Taken together, these experiments point the way towards effective curricula andon-line materials that can help bolster support to combat climate change. Whilewe must certainly be sensitive to the needs, values, and interests of our targetaudiences, we should not reflexively steer away from science education. Indeed,the experiments in this dissertation provide empirical support for the notionthat science education materials can have a meaningful and lasting impact on GWattitudes and beliefs. While this may not provide the complete behavioralsolution we need for the United States (and the world), it seems likely thatsuch shifts will make behavioral and policy changes far more tractable in thecoming years.

Annual student essay contest endowed by Philip L. Carret aimed at having Elon College students reflect on the ideals and principles embodied in Thomas Jefferson's life and career. Top three prize-winning student essays from the competition based on the following topic: The 1803 Louisiana Purchase gave the United States a vast interior empire and raised significant social, economic and constitutional issues. Analyze and evaluate the decision-making process which led to the Purchase. Also, explore the implications of the Louisiana Purchase.

Next year, Burmese will vote in their first national elections for twenty years. The process is deeply flawed, but it will represent the most important political shift for a generation. The international community must seize this rare opportunity to induce the government to move towards greater openness and reform. Adapted from the source document.