Arkansas Climate Awareness Project Launches Global Warming Effort

For Immediate Release
April 20, 2006
Contact: April Ambrose 501-733-9996

Arkansas Climate Awareness Project Launches Global Warming Effort
Web Site, Earth Day Sponsorship and Essay Contest Seek to Inform Public

Conway, AR – Today a new project aimed at addressing the effects of global warming kicked off a public awareness effort to inform Arkansans about the importance of combating global warming now and how Arkansas' agricultural industry can help develop solutions to this problem.

The Arkansas Climate Awareness Project (ARCAP) launched its Web site, www.arclimate.org, which provides background information on how global warming works and it impacts on Arkansas. Over the next several months, as the ARCAP's public outreach increases, arclimate.org will list events sponsored by the project.

Today, ARCAP announces sponsorship of Conway Earth Day and a student essay contest. ARCAP is a leading sponsor of the third annual Conway Earth Day Festival, which is set for this Saturday, April 22nd at the Faulkner County Fairgrounds. The theme of this year's Conway event is global warming. Next year, due to its success, Conway Earth Day is expanding statewide and the event will take place in downtown Little Rock at the Riverfront Amphitheatre. "Global warming was chosen as this year's Earth Day theme because we're experiencing the effects of a warmer climate right now," said April Ambrose, Conway Earth Day Foundation Event Coordinator and ARCAP representative. "ARCAP is a natural Earth Day partner since its goal is to raise awareness about the threats posed by global warming and how solutions can benefit our economy."

ARCAP is also announcing a Global Warming Essay Contest for the 2006-2007 school year and will be asking high school students throughout the state to submit an essay. The winner will receive a $4,000 college scholarship and an invitation to read the essay to a statewide gathering of community leaders working to reduce the threat of global warming. "I'm excited to work with ARCAP on the global warming essay contest," said Dr. Corbet Lamkin, Vice President of Academic Affairs, Southern Arkansas University. "This is a great way for students and teachers to learn about global warming impacts on Arkansas and prepare the next generation of Arkansans to help find solutions."

The Arkansas Climate Awareness Project (ARCAP) is a broad-based, nonpartisan effort to inform Arkansans about how global warming threatens our state and how we can actually gain economically from seriously addressing the problem.

###