AAAS Declares 22-28 April 2007 as "Climate in the Community Week" in Recognition of Earth Day

WASHINGTON, D.C.—In recognition of Earth Day and greater public awareness about the science of global climate change, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is declaring 22-28 April 2007 as "Climate in the Community Week" in collaboration with 10 science centers throughout the United States.

The centers will celebrate the week with a range of interactive events and activities for teachers, K-12 students and the general public. Activities will include exploring the basics of climate science, building models of the atmosphere, and determining an individual's "carbon footprint."

Participating science centers and examples of their activities are:

• Adventure Science Center, Nashville, Tenn. Students and adults will learn about the causes of global warming, the potential impact of temperature increases on humans and other organisms, and how to combat global warming.

• California Science Center, Los Angeles. Community youth groups and parents are taking a field trip to the California Mediterranean Research Learning Center.

• The Exploratorium, San Francisco, Calif. Webcasts on the human aspects of global warming are featured.

• Great Lakes Science Center, Cleveland, Ohio. A series of activities will encourage closer observation of how the environment is intertwined.

• Maryland Science Center, Baltimore. The center will focus on applications for classroom lessons.

• McWane Science Center, Birmingham, Ala. Participants will be able to build their own model of the atmosphere and demonstrate how human activity can change it. Teachers will learn how to conduct relevant climate chance activities in their classrooms.

• Miami Museum of Science and Planetarium, Fla. High school students' will participate in the Decide Game, and younger students will see demonstrations about water conservation, habitat preservation, and recycling.

• Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, San Diego, Calif. The center will unveil a 10,000-foot solar power array on its rooftop that will generate up to 100 kilowatts of clean electricity.

• Science Museum of Minnesota, St. Paul. A special playlist of animations and visualizations will focus on a global warming and global human impacts storyline.

• St. Louis Science Center, Mo. Activities culminates with a program where invited meteorologists, climatologists, ecologists and professionals in areas of science impacted by the effects of global change can interact with visitors through information booths, hands-on activities, and live interactive presentations.

AAAS has provided the science centers with hands-on resources—including a video that demonstrates the human impacts of climate change, teacher's guides and an interactive game—for their use. Visit the AAAS climate-change resources page.

Tiffany Lohwater

20 April 2007