C-Change Conversations

C-CHANGE'S PRIMARY AUDIENCE FOR ALL OUR PROGRAMS IS MODERATE AND CONSERVATIVE BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS WHO ARE UNSURE HOW TO EVALUATE THE RISKS OF CLIMATE CHANGE. FROM BUSINESSES TO LAND TRUSTS, CHURCHES, SCHOOLS, GARDEN CLUBS, INVESTMENT CLUBS, AND MANY OTHER ASSOCIATIONS, WE ARE USING PEER-TO-PEER COMMUNICATION TO DELIVER STRONG DATA FROM CREDIBLE SOURCES TO EXPAND OUR AUDIENCE'S UNDERSTANDING OF THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH A CHANGING CLIMATE. OUR GOAL IS TO SHIFT THE PERCEPTION OF CLIMATE CHANGE FROM A POLITICAL ISSUE TO A HUMAN ONE. OUR AIM ALWAYS IS TO BE COMPLETELY NON-PARTISAN AND CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE PEOPLE FEEL COMFORTABLE AND ENCOURAGED TO ASK QUESTIONS. OUR PROGRAMS ACHIEVE THESE GOALS IN MANY WAYS.

C-CHANGE PRIMER: MOST PEOPLE LEARN ABOUT C-CHANGE AND OUR MESSAGE THROUGH THE "C-CHANGE PRIMER." THE C-CHANGE PRIMER IS A NON-PARTISAN, MULTIMEDIA PRESENTATION PROVIDING AN INTRODUCTION TO THE SCIENCE AND EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE. DEVELOPED IN CONSULTATION WITH SCIENTISTS, BUSINESS LEADERS, AND PUBLIC POLICY EXPERTS, IT IS WIDELY HAILED AS AN INTELLIGENT, DISPASSIONATE INTRODUCTION TO AND ILLUMINATION OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND ITS IMPACTS ON OUR HEALTH, ECONOMY, AND GLOBAL SECURITY.PRIMER PRESENTATIONS OF NOTE IN 2022 INCLUDED THE THIRD CONSECUTIVE PRIMER PRESENTATION AT THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE LAND TRUST ALLIANCE, ATTENDED BY LAND CONSERVATION PRACTITIONERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD. IN ADDITION, C-CHANGE PRESENTED THE PRIMER TO 1,000 STUDENTS, PARENTS AND FACULTY OF THE LAWRENCEVILLE SCHOOL, OUR LARGEST AUDIENCE EVER, AND TO THE CONSERVATIVE CLIMATE CAUCUS.WHEN SURVEYED 95% OF AUDIENCE MEMBERS RESPONDED THAT: THE PRESENTATION WAS NON-PARTISAN, IT IMPROVED THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF CLIMATE CHANGE, AND THEY WOULD RECOMMEND IT TO FRIENDS, CLUBS, AND ASSOCIATIONS. A SAMPLING OF 2022 PRIMER SURVEY RESPONSES INCLUDE: "... GREAT OVERVIEW AND FROM THE QUESTIONS, IT GENERATED AN EAGERNESS FROM THIS GROUP TO TAKE ACTION AND TEAR DOWN BARRIERS TO MOVING FORWARD. INSPIRED ME TO DO MORE. EXCEPTIONAL SCIENTIFIC DATA FROM RELIABLE RESOURCES REINFORCED THE URGENCY OF THE ISSUE." "GREAT PRESENTATION FULL OF INFORMATION. THE SPEAKER WAS GREAT BECAUSE SHE SEEMED VERY NEUTRAL AND CALM ABOUT THE ISSUE, THOUGH YOU COULD STILL TELL SHE WAS PASSIONATE ABOUT IT." "I HAVE A DEGREE IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE BUT UNDERSTANDING SOLUTIONS TO THESE ISSUES IS NEW TO ME."THE PRIMER HAS BEEN ADAPTED TO MEET AUDIENCE NEEDS AND INTERESTS. THE C-CHANGE HEALTH PRIMER REVIEWS THE BASIC SCIENCE OF CLIMATE CHANGE THROUGH THE LENS OF HOW IT IS COMPROMISING THE ESSENTIALS OF GOOD HEALTH: PHYSICAL SAFETY AND SHELTER, SECURE FOOD SOURCES, CLEAN WATER, CLEAN AIR, AND OUR ABILITY TO MANAGE DISEASES. INTENDED AS A FOLLOW ON TO THE PRIMER, IT ALSO WORKS JUST AS WELL WITH AUDIENCES WHO ARE NEW TO THE TOPIC OF CLIMATE CHANGE. OF NOTE, IN OCTOBER 2022, C-CHANGE PRESENTED THE HEALTH PRIMER AS PART OF PENN MEDICINE PRINCETON HEALTH'S MEDICAL GRAND ROUNDS, THE CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR PHYSICIANS AND OTHER HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS. THE C-CHANGE BUSINESS PRIMER COVERS THE SCIENCE AND EFFECTS OF WARMING TEMPERATURES AND EXPLORES THEIR PHYSICAL, REPUTATIONAL, LEGAL, AND REGULATORY RISKS TO BUSINESSES. INTENDED FOR EMPLOYEES, BOARDS, AND OTHER DECISION MAKERS AND STAKEHOLDERS WHO WILL BENEFIT FROM THINKING ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE THROUGH A RISK ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK. THE SPANISH-LANGUAGE PRIMER WAS FINALIZED IN 2022 AND WILL BE PRESENTED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2023.PRIMER PRESENTATIONS DIRECTLY LED TO C-CHANGE EXPANDING IN 2022 BEYOND OUR HOME CITY OF PRINCETON TO THE DEEP SOUTH. AUDIENCE MEMBERS IN ATHENS, GA AND COLUMBIA, SC WERE SO INSPIRED BY THE PRESENTATION AND THE URGENCY OF THE CLIMATE CRISIS THAT THEY ASKED TO ESTABLISH C-CHANGE AFFILIATES AND USE OUR EXPERTISE AND RESOURCES TO PROMOTE NON-PARTISAN EDUCATION AND CONVERSATIONS ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES AND BEYOND. TO THAT END, THE ATHENS AFFILIATE CREATED A MAILING LIST OF ABOUT 360 PEOPLE TO BEGIN RECEIVING C-CHANGE'S MONTHLY NEWSLETTER, "CURATED CLIMATE NEWS." THE ATHENS TEAM ADDS ITS OWN REPORT ON CLIMATE NEWS OF HOPE AND CONCERN IN ATHENS AND ACROSS THE STATE. THE TEAM ALSO APPLIED TO PRESENT THE PRIMER AT A CLIMATE CONFERENCE HOSTED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA AND REGULARLY ATTENDS CITY AND COUNTY GOVERNMENT MEETINGS TO ADVOCATE FOR GREATER USE OF CLEAN ENERGY. C-CHANGE ATHENS WAS THANKED BY TWO COUNTY COMMISSIONERS FOR ENGAGING IN THIS WORK. PLANNING IS UNDERWAY FOR ADDITIONAL PRIMER PRESENTATIONS IN MAY 2023.WITH SUPPORT FROM C-CHANGE COLUMBIA, THE CITY WAS AWARDED A GRANT FROM THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION FOR HEAT MAPPING, WHICH WILL SUPPORT EFFORTS TO CREATE MORE TREE CANOPY IN VULNERABLE AREAS AND ASSESS WATER NEEDS AND LIVABILITY OF THE ENTIRE CITY. THE TEAM ALSO ATTENDED AND HELPED PUBLICIZE "CLIMATE READY COLUMBIA," A TWO-DAY CONFERENCE SPONSORED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA'S ANN JOHNSON INSTITUTE FOR SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY AND THE CITY OF COLUMBIA, WHERE AREA LEADERS GATHERED TO DISCUSS LOCAL AND MUNICIPAL POLICY OPTIONS RELATED TO CLIMATE CHANGE. C -CHANGE'S IMPACT AS OF DECEMBER 2022 INCLUDES: 250 PRESENTATIONS GIVEN SINCE 2015, A 29% INCREASE IN DONATIONS SINCE 2020, A 34% INCREASE IN NEWSLETTER READERSHIP SINCE 2018, AND A 45% AVERAGE NEWSLETTER OPEN RATE (PEER AVERAGE IS 33%). IN 2022, WE GAVE PRIMER TALKS TO 24 DIFFERENT AUDIENCES IN 12 STATES. SINCE C-CHANGE BEGAN OFFERING THE PRIMER IN 2016, APPROXIMATELY 16,500 PEOPLE IN 32 STATES HAVE HEARD OUR PRESENTATIONS.

C-CHANGE SOLUTIONS SERIES: ANOTHER LANDMARK ACHIEVEMENT IN 2022 WAS THE LAUNCH OF THE "C-CHANGE SOLUTIONS SERIES," WHICH FEATURES CONVERSATIONS WITH THE MODERN DAY HEROES WHO ARE DEVELOPING THE SOLUTIONS NEEDED TO ADDRESS THE CHALLENGE OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND GIVE US HOPE FOR THE FUTURE. THE SOLUTIONS SERIES IS THE EVOLUTION OF OUR VERY FIRST PROGRAM, THE C-CHANGE CONVERSATIONS LECTURE SERIES. FROM OUR FOUNDING IN 2014, C-CHANGE BROUGHT EXPERTS FROM A BROAD RANGE OF FIELDS TO OUR HOME COMMUNITY OF PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY TO DISCUSS CLIMATE CHANGE WITH SMALL AUDIENCES. THE EVENTS WE HOSTED FEATURED DISTINGUISHED SPEAKERS WITH BACKGROUNDS IN SCIENCE, AGRICULTURE, ECONOMICS, POLITICS, ENERGY, AND MORE. IN 2022, C-CHANGE BEGAN FILMING AND DISTRIBUTING INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED BY C-CHANGE CONVERSATIONS FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT KATHLEEN BIGGINS WITH SCIENTISTS, ENTREPRENEURS, POLICYMAKERS, ENERGY EXPERTS, AND OTHERS. THE FIRST SOLUTIONS SERIES EPISODE WAS WITH SIR STEVEN COWLEY, A WORLD LEADER ON FUSION ENERGY AND DIRECTOR OF THE PRINCETON PLASMA PHYSICS LABORATORY, WHO EXPLAINED HOW FUSION COULD BE THE HOLY GRAIL OF RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES. THE SECOND EPISODE FEATURED EMILY A. CARTER, AN INTERNATIONAL LEADER IN SUSTAINABILITY SCIENCE, FOUNDER OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY'S ANDLINGER CENTER FOR ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, AND STRATEGIC ADVISOR AT THE PRINCETON PLASMA PHYSICS LABORATORY. SHE DISCUSSED "CARBON DIOXIDE UTILIZATION" THE PROCESSES OF TRANSFORMING CO2 EMISSIONS FROM BURNING COAL, OIL, AND GAS INTO USEFUL PRODUCTS. THE THIRD EPISODE FEATURED SEAN O'SULLIVAN, MANAGING PARTNER AT SOSV, ONE OF THE WORLD'S LARGEST CLIMATE TECH INVESTORS. SEAN SHOWCASES COMPANIES THAT ARE CREATING CLIMATE-FRIENDLY FOODS AND CREATING NEW TECHNOLOGIES IN TRANSPORTATION, ENERGY STORAGE AND EFFICIENCY, AND RECYCLING. THE INTERVIEWS ARE BEING DISTRIBUTED TO OUR SUBSCRIBERS AND VIA LINKEDIN AND OTHER CHANNELS. OUR VISION IS TO EXTEND THE REACH OF THESE VIDEOS TO AN AUDIO PLATFORM, LAUNCHING THE C-CHANGE SOLUTIONS SERIES PODCAST IN 2023.

C-CHANGE'S PRINT AND DIGITAL RESOURCES: OUR OTHER TOOLS HELP AUDIENCES LEARN MORE ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE AND CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION FOLLOWING OUR PRIMER PRESENTATIONS. THESE INCLUDE:1. THE FULL COLOR "5 QUESTIONS'' BROCHURE - SUMMARIZES THE PRIMER PRESENTATION AND ANSWERS THE QUESTIONS MOST AMERICANS HAVE ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE: IS IT REAL? IS CLIMATE CHANGE CAUSED BY HUMANS? WHAT IS THE SCIENTIFIC CONSENSUS? WHAT ARE THE DANGERS? IS THERE HOPE THAT WE CAN MEET THE CHALLENGE? PRIMER AUDIENCE MEMBERS RECEIVE EITHER A PRINT OR AN ELECTRONIC VERSION (IF THEY PROVIDE US WITH THEIR EMAIL ADDRESS) OF THE 5 QUESTIONS BROCHURE FOLLOWING THE PRIMER PRESENTATION.2. OUR WEBSITE - FEATURES AN INTRODUCTION TO THE SCIENCE AND EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE, WAYS TO TAKE ACTION, HOW TO BOOK A PRIMER, AND MORE.3. BLOGS AND SPECIAL REPORTS - AUTHORED BY C-CHANGE TEAM MEMBERS AND BUSINESS, POLITICAL, AND CLIMATE CHANGE EXPERTS. EXAMPLES IN 2022 INCLUDE SPECIAL REPORTS ON THE LANDMARK INFLATION REDUCTION ACT AND AN UPDATE ON BATTERY STORAGE TECHNOLOGY.4. NEWSLETTERS - INCLUDING THE MONTHLY "CURATED CLIMATE NEWS," WHICH HIGHLIGHTS AND PROVIDES CONTEXT FOR CLIMATE NEWS OF HOPE AND CONCERN, "ASK A SCIENTIST," WHICH ANSWERS CLIMATE SCIENCE QUESTIONS, AND A QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER SHARING C-CHANGE CONVERSATIONS' NEWS AND PROGRESS. 5. SOCIAL MEDIA - EXTENDING THE CONVERSATION ON THE CLIMATE VIA LINKEDIN, FACEBOOK, AND INSTAGRAM.IN ADDITION, IN 2022 C-CHANGE WAS HONORED THAT "PRINCETON MAGAZINE," A LEADING PUBLICATION IN THE COMMUNITY WHERE WE BEGAN, PUBLISHED A COMPREHENSIVE AND COMPLIMENTARY ARTICLE ABOUT OUR TEAM, INCLUDING OUR FOUNDING, OUR SUCCESS, AND WHERE WE'RE HEADED. LIKE AUDIENCES AROUND THE COUNTRY, THE MAGAZINE RECOGNIZES THE VALUE OF OUR UNIQUE OUTREACH. WITH A PRINT RUN OF 35,000, THE MAGAZINE IS DELIVERED TO HIGH-END HOTELS, RESTAURANTS, ATHLETIC CLUBS, ART GALLERIES, HOSPITALS, AIRPORTS, ART MUSEUMS, BOUTIQUE CLOTHING, AND JEWELRY STORES IN THE NEW YORK METROPOLITAN AREA AND TO THE HOMES OF HIGH-NET WORTH INDIVIDUALS IN THE GREATER PRINCETON AREA.