Park worker trained to present Gore's climate slide show

The Daily Inter Lake

'He's very inspirational'

Michelle Tafoya believes that once a person has seen former Vice President Al Gore's slide show on the subject, it's "pretty much impossible" to be skeptical that human activity is largely responsible for global climate change.

In fact, the Oscar-winning documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth," which has Gore's slide show at its heart, motivated Tafoya to respond to the film's call for volunteers to spread the message.

In December 2006, Tafoya, 27, traveled to Nashville for an intensive weekend of education conducted by Gore himself, with the intent that trainees later share Gore's slide show on global warming with their communities.

She presented the slide show at Flathead Valley Community College in April, and recently gave seven showings at Browning High School over two days, speaking to around 700 students.

"The students were very interested, and for the most part I got positive feedback," Tafoya said. "I did have a couple kids come up to me and ask what they can do, how they can make a difference."

The FVCC presentation drew a small crowd, but Tafoya said the event was set up with little advance notice and there was not much time to publicize it. She hopes to give another presentation at the college in the fall.

A native of Kansas, Tafoya has a bachelor's degree in biology from Northwest Missouri State University and is currently pursuing a graduate degree in environmental policy and management through an online program at Denver University.

She lived in Whitefish for the past two winters, working at The Wave and volunteering for the National Parks Conservation Association.

Tafoya has been spending summers as a ranger in Glacier National Park since 2001 and will be in St. Mary this season.

Her work in the park had her concerned about the effects of climate change long before she saw "An Inconvenient Truth."

"I've been interested in the subject for quite some time," she said. "Glacier is a big place to study this because the glaciers are melting. There's so much research going on here; it's a perfect area to observe the effects of global warming."

Tafoya said park visitors have demonstrated a growing awareness of the issue. Few have challenged her directly on the role of humans in climate change.

"I had one guy last year who was pretty skeptical," she said. "It's important for me to balance the respect for the views of other people, but yet to convey what scientists are seeing. It can be a pretty fine line to walk."

Some of the park staffers began addressing the subject of climate change last summer, Tafoya said, though they're careful not to offend people.

"Science itself is convincing enough to most people," she said. "I hope that it really hits home for them."

When she went through the training in Nashville, her work in Glacier gave her some common ground with Gore.

To call attention to glacial recession in the park, then-Vice President Gore made a well-publicized hike to Grinnell Glacier in the Many Glacier Valley in 1997. Even at that time, he said "Global warming is no longer a theory; it's a reality and it's time to act."

Tafoya said she met and talked briefly with Gore at the end of her weekend in Nashville.

Over the weekend, Gore took the 200 trainees through his presentation slide by slide, explained the science behind it and answered questions.

A climatologist from the University of Michigan was present to lend his expertise, but Tafoya said Gore rarely deferred to him.

"I was actually very impressed with how well Al Gore had a handle on the subject," Tafoya said. "He's been interested in it for decades and he knows his stuff. To see that true intellectual in person, he's very inspirational."

Tafoya has made sure to educate herself on both sides of the climate-change argument.

"I've seen those skeptics and read those articles, but have not been impressed with their arguments," she said. "The overwhelming majority of scientists have consensus on this."

Tafoya said the scope of the subject can make it daunting to those who want to make a difference.

"I think the biggest thing is you don't have to be perfect," she said. "Things like unplugging appliances when you're not using them, turning off lights, changing to compact fluorescent light bulbs. I can't go out and buy a hybrid, and not everyone can do that. Making small changes is a big step.

"I do need to get a bike," she added.

She predicts that there is one action people will take in reaction to climate-change predictions.

"I think it will draw more people into the park, just to see the glaciers before they're gone," she said.

For more information, visit www.theclimateproject.org

Reporter Heidi Gaiser may be reached at 758-4431 or by e-mail at hgaiser@dailyinterlake.com