Alliance for Climate Education, Inc.

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The Alliance for Climate Education, Inc. (ACE) is a 501(c)(3) organization that provides free multimedia climate change presentations to public and private schools.[1][2] The group encourages students to engage in activities to address climate change, like starting recycling programs, putting solar panels on the roof and forming clubs.[3] The group also offers scholarships to assist students with paying for college, grants for school projects, and "action grants" to "pump up starter teams." [4]

ACE says that all of the climate science that they teach comes from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report - "one of the most heavily researched science reports in history."[5]

Their stated mission is "to educate high school students on the science behind climate change and inspire them to take action to curb the causes of global warming."[6]

Reach/Social Media participation

The organization has a Facebook page, a Twitter account, a YouTube account, and posts photos on Flickr.[7]The ACE Web site has a counter showing how many schools and students it has reached. As of July 9, 2010, it claimed it had reached 890 schools and 423,114 students.[8] As of July 9, 2010, ACE's Facebook page boasted 12,190 fans[9]

Funding

Funders include as of October 2010:[10]

Previously the Alliance for Climate Education, Inc.'s Web site did not provide any information about the group's funding. In 2009, ACE CEO Michael A. Haas claimed he was the sole funder of ACE.[11][12]

Despite ties of its personnel to BP, ACE denies any type of connection, financial or otherwise, to BP.[13]

Changes noted in ACE's Web site

On July 22, 2010, PRWatch.org published a blog exposing ACE board members' ties to BP. By July 25, ACE had made several changes to its Web site further obscuring the link. For example, the blog contained a passage stating, "One is a statement applauding BP and other companies on climate change, with no mention of the fact that the fiduciary leaders of ACE are so closely tied to BP." That sentence contains a link to the following page on the ACE website, which contained a list of companies including BP: http://www.acespace.org/get-inspired/what-leaders-are-saying

By July 25, 2010, the sentence on ACE's Ace site was changed to read:

Many companies have taken the lead on curbing climate change. Just a few leaders include Hewlett-Packard, General Electric, PG&E, Virgin, Patagonia and Apple, but the list goes on and on. ACE applauds all companies and shareholders who work to reduce the impact of climate change.

"BP" was mysteriously deleted from the list in the prior 48 hours.

The PRWatch report also stated, "The price [BP paid to purchase Orion Energy, LLC] has not been publicly disclosed, but what is known is that BP acquired two companies in 2006, Orion Energy, LLC, and Greenlight Energy, Inc., paying a combined total of $688 million (pdf) for both."

The following link that the sentence pointed to for verification of the price paid has been deleted on the BP.com corporate site: http://www.bp.com/liveassets/bp_internet/globalbp/globalbp_uk_english/SI/STAGING/local_assets/downloads_pdfs/ara_2006_performace_review.pdf

Partners

[14]

Personnel

Board:[17]

Science Advisory Board which provides guidance and reviews the science used in teaching: [18]

  • Kevin R. Arrigo, Professor, Stanford University Environmental Earth System Science program; Director of the Graduate Program in Earth, Energy, and Environmental Sciences; IPCC Author.
  • Robert B. Dunbar, Professor, Stanford University Environmental Earth System Science; Director, Stanford University Earth Systems Program
  • Reto Knutti, Professor, Climate Physics at the Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science at ETH Zurich; IPCC Author
  • Amy Luers, Senior Environmental Program Manager, Google.org
  • Terry L. Root, Professor, Stanford University Department of Biology; Senior Fellow, Woods Institute for the Environment; IPCC Author

Contact

Alliance for Climate Education, Inc.
360 22nd St. Suite 730
Oakland, CA 94612
Phone: 510-251-5990
Fax: 510-419-0383
Email: info AT climateeducation.org
Web: http://www.acespace.org

Resources and articles

Sourcewatch resources

References

  1. Alliance for Climate Education Donate, organizational Web site, accessed July 9, 2010
  2. Newburyport News Residents urged to take Carbon Challenge, June 30, 2010
  3. Alliance for Climate Education Act Now, organizational Web page, accessed July 9, 2010
  4. Alliance for Climate Education Grants & Scholarships, organizational Web page, accessed July 9, 2010
  5. About, Alliance for Climate Education, accessed October 2010.
  6. Mission, Alliance for Climate Education, accessed October 2010.
  7. Alliance for Climate Change Education, Inc. "Connect", upper right corner of organizational home page, accessed July 9, 2010
  8. Alliance for Climate Education, Inc. AceSpace.org, organizational Web site, left side of home page, accessed July 9, 2010
  9. Alliance for Climate Education, Inc. Home page, lower right hand corner, "Alliance for Climate Education on Facebook," accessed July 9, 2010
  10. Supporters, Alliance for Climate Education, accessed October 2010.
  11. David Liscio Lynn Classical High Students get Green Education, The Daily Item, September 30, 2009
  12. Claire Thompson New group inspires teens to combat climate change, July 8, 2009
  13. Pic Walker ACE’s Executive Director: Year in review + thanks, June 25, 2010
  14. Partners, Alliance for Climate Education, accessed October 2010.
  15. PR.com ACE Appoints Pic Walker as Executive Director, Press release, November 1, 2009
  16. PR.com ACE Appoints Pic Walker as Executive Director, Press release, November 1, 2009
  17. Board of Directors, Alliance for Climate Education, accessed October 2010.
  18. Science Advisory Board, Alliance for Climate Education, accessed October 2010.

External articles

External resources