A Lancaster University student won the privilege of being trained by Nobel Laureate and former US Vice President Al Gore over the Christmas break. Terzian Niode attended the Climate Project Asia-Pacific Summit 2011 in Jakarta, Indonesia between the January 8-10, which focused on the topic of climate change. Gore is renowned for his documentary An Inconvenient Truth which won two Academy Awards in 2006. 350 people attended the summit from 21 different countries worldwide.
When asked about his day with Gore, Niode said: “Our training session with Al Gore occurred from nine in the morning until four in the afternoon. We were trained on how to present Al Gore’s slide show”, which was a modified version of the one he presented in his renowned documentary. Niode went on to say “it included the fundamental theory behind climate change, the science behind it, real life occurrences, the solutions and what we can do to solve it”. The summit also aimed to show the volunteers how to can reduce their pollution levels and explain the transition to clean energy solutions. As well as being trained by Gore, the volunteers were also taught by various other speakers on creating an effective presentation and perfecting presentation techniques.
Niode applied to attend the summit having been told by a friend it was taking place in Jakarta. According to Niode, there were more than 2000 applicants. Niode said: “I applied online over a month ago and I’m glad I made it through the selection process”.
When asked how he felt about being trained by one of the most influential campaigners in the climate change movement, Niode said: “I am very thankful and excited that I was trained by Al Gore. I hope I can increase awareness about the climate crisis and aspire people to live a greener lifestyle”.
