Resident recognized for innovative efforts to address climate change

May 17, 2007

Windsor Journal

On May 21 Governor M. Jodi Rell's Steering Committee on Climate Change (GSC) will honor Dr. Charles E. Button for his efforts to address global climate change. Button lives in Windsor and is an assistant professor of geography at Central Connecticut State University.

Gina McCarthy, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection praised Button for his "exemplary actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and advance the goals of the Connecticut Climate Change Action Plan."

McCarthy elaborates on her praise of Button by stating that, "we are pleased to acknowledge your successes in educating students and the greater community about solutions to climate change, promoting sustainability at Central Connecticut State University, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. As we spread the word about your fine work, we hope that others will follow your lead."

Button has also been selected by The Climate Project to serve as a climate change educator. He is available to facilitate group discussions regarding the global climate change crisis in conjunction with a screening of former Vice President Albert Gore's movie "An Inconvenient Truth." Contact him via email (buttonche@ccsu.edu) if your agency, organization, or business would like to host a discussion regarding global climate change.

The Connecticut Climate Change Leadership Awards Program was developed by the Governor's Steering Committee on Climate Change to recognize individuals and organizations that take exemplary actions to reduce global warming pollution and promote the goals of the Connecticut Climate Change Action Plan. The GSC was established in 2003 and is made up of leaders from key state agencies. It is charged with leading a collaborative effort to develop and implement a Connecticut Climate Change Action Plan (CCCAP). The Climate Change Leadership Awards Program is an annual program.

For further information, contact Lynn Stoddard, Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, 860-424-3236 or c4info@ctclimatechange.com