"Teen Carries Inconvenient Truth Torch to Kirkwood"
Adam Jensen
February 20, 2007, Tahoe Daily Tribune
Link
KIRKWOOD - A high school freshman with ties to the South Shore stood at the forefront of global-warming education at Kirkwood on Saturday during his own presentation of Al Gore's slideshow used in the movie "An Inconvenient Truth."
Although Taylor Francis utilized much of the slideshow Gore presents in the Oscar-nominated documentary, he is certainly no hack. The 14-year-old was invited to sharpen his presentation skills under the guidance of Al Gore himself during a three-day December training session in Nashville, Tenn.
Gore's passion for his work amazed Francis, who described working with the former vice president as a "life-changing experience."
Francis was selected to attend the meeting, from a field of thousands of online applicants, by The Climate Project, a non-profit organization started by the producers of "An Inconvenient Truth."
While the teenager lives in the Bay Area, Francis said his family has owned property at Kirkwood for nearly the past decade. He cited a love of outdoor recreation and his initial viewing of "An Inconvenient Truth" as catalysts for his deep environmental concern.
The well-attended presentation on Saturday night went off without a hitch, even though it was only his fourth since the training session.
Francis used graphs to illustrate how atmospheric carbon dioxide and global temperature have moved in "lockstep" with one another over time. He then went on to describe the predicted effects of climate change if it happens according to current projections.
These effects include the break up of polar ice shelves, sea-level rise and widespread drought due to less precipitation being stored as snow in Alpine areas around the globe.
Francis was well-spoken throughout, but faced serious questions after his presentation concluded.
A young woman, about the same age as Francis, asked the tough question, "How do you get young people to care?"
Generations of parents have faced the same perplexing question with less convincing answers. Francis admitted that it would be a "huge challenge," but expressed confidence in his generation.
"I think kids realize that this is our problem," Francis said. "The time is now and it's up to us."