Localizing a global problem

Group aims to educate on the environment

By: Joseph Harvie
   Members of the Earth Life Learning Center want residents to become more aware of global warming and how it is affecting the world around them.
   The nonprofit group, which has been inactive for about two years, is also looking for people who are concerned about the environment and wetlands to help re-establish the organization, Kendall Park resident Ruth Reisberg, founder of the center, said Monday.
   Ms. Reisberg said the group went inactive after her husband, Philip Reisberg, and co-founder, died two years ago and other members were busy with other initiatives.
   Ms. Reisberg said she wants to make more people aware of global climate change, and how an increase in carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere could be responsible for it.
   To that end, the group wants to let residents know that there will be a free screening of Al Gore’s film about global warming, "An Inconvenient Truth," at 12:30 p.m. March 16 at the township Senior Center on Route 522.
   "We think it’s an important movie," Ms. Reisberg said. "The situation is dire. People are sympathetic, but it doesn’t appear to be urgent, because it isn’t immediate. It’s not something they see right away."
   In addition, the group wants to bring attention to the Environmental Center on Old Road in Little Rocky Hill. Ms. Reisberg said the center is not used as much as it could be and she wants to bring more attention to it.
   "People don’t know it’s there," Ms. Reisberg said. "I just wish it was used more than two weeks a year."
   The center is located on a 17-acre site that includes nature trails and a walking path. The center has a classroom, meeting room and a kitchen area.
   Ms. Reisberg said she would like to work with the school district to help plan some uses for the building.
   "We talked about planting a butterfly garden at the center," Ms. Reisberg said. "And we could tie it to climate change and let the students watch the flowers blossom and see if it happens earlier each year, and look at the trees and see if they blossom earlier each year."
   Harriet Hershenov, a member of the Earth Life Learning Center, said she wants the kids to get involved because they will inherit the problem of global climate change.
   "This will be their problem," Ms. Reisberg said. "The children need to know about this. It’s a very important issue."
   Ms. Reisberg said global warming is a problem that needs immediate attention, because people can make changes that could reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere and reverse the effects of climate change.
   "I hate to say the sky is falling," Ms. Reisberg said. "But it is."
   Anyone who wants to join the Earth Life Learning Center can contact Ms. Reisberg via e-mail at [email protected].