The event offered several booths and informational stations, with organizations such as the Superior Watershed Partnership, the Citizens Climate Lobby, the Marquette Food Co-op, the Climate Adaptation Task Force, Climate Reality U.P. and the Northern Climate Network represented.

The goal of the event, organizers said, was to bring people together to learn about climate change and connect them with resources to communicate the facts and science to others.

“Most people kind of accept that something is going on (with the climate), but they need to get comfortable enough with the idea that they’re willing to talk with their neighbor about it, or their Uncle Ernie,” said event organizer John Forslin, who is a volunteer climate leader with Climate Reality U.P.

Wednesday’s event aimed to “connect some dots” and “fill in some blanks” about climate change to make it easier for attendees talk about it with others, Forslin said.

Informational brochures from the event are pictured. The Marquette Food Co-op was one of several local entities represented at the event, along with Superior Watershed Partnership, the Citizens Climate Lobby, the Climate Adaptation Task Force, Climate Reality U.P. and the Northern Climate Network. (Journal photo by Cecilia Brown)

The event offered a wealth of informational resources, ranging from posters detailing climate facts and local projects, to informational booths for organizations such as the Citizens Climate Lobby, to a wide variety of handouts and materials for attendees to take home with them.

“It’s educational really,” PWPL Programming Coordinator Carolyn McManis said. “We may present a lot of kind of fun things like movies and music, but we also bring classes here and give people the opportunity to experience new things, to come across new ideas; or find out information about ideas that they have, to learn further and to expand upon their knowledge. And the climate is something that really affects everybody.”

The take-home materials and displays at the event aimed to expose attendees to a wide variety of information and perspectives on climate science, Forslin said, as the event offered in-depth recent climate reports, as well as short summaries, lists and graphics that provided facts about climate change and how to fight it.

Attendees also had a chance to learn about some of the ways climate change is being addressed locally, such as through the Marquette County Climate and Health Adaptation Plan, which aims to address human health impacts of climate change.

Beyond local projects, displays also highlighted regional, national and international efforts to address climate change, ranging solar-powered computers used in a rural African school, to Michigan’s clean energy economy.

“We’ve got 300 Michigan companies already involved in the clean energy supply chain, so it’s happening,” Forslin said. “Good stuff is going on, we just have to focus on it.”

The wide variety of materials and information provided aimed to make climate science accessible and understandable to all, Forslin said, emphasizing that the science behind climate change isn’t anything new or unconventional — it’s the same basic science and physics behind everyday items and experiences.

“If you buy the idea of refrigerators, if you buy the idea of airplanes, if you would let your children fly on an airplane and you depend on your refrigerator for cold air; you have accepted climate science,” Forslin said. “There is nothing exotic about climate science. It’s basic physics and those are the two basic exemplars of the application of that technology.”

Overall, Forslin emphasized that there are many ways to address climate change; and it all starts with recognizing that everyone has a role to play in the solution.

“The trick is, we caused this; which means we can fix it if we want to,” Forslin said.

For those who weren’t able to attend the event, but are interested in obtaining informational materials and handouts, email Forslin at kc8ule@arrl.net. For more information on Climate Reality U.P., visit facebook.com/ClimateRealityUP.