One of the abiding concerns regarding climate change has been the prospect of a shift in the balance of certain natural systems that could speed up global warming.

Recently, NativeEnergy’s Jonny BearCub hosted a pair of unique characters in her home: renewable energy advocates Tom Weiss, president of Climate Crisis Solutions, and his friend Dr. Harvard Ayers.

It was a languid and rainy evening, but inside Manhattan Studios, the energy was sparking. People in black suits darted around, grasping tiny earpieces, and someone slipped a yellow band onto my wrist. “You’re about to enter a live set,” another said, reciting a list of rules as he ushered us toward the elevator.

When Hurricane Irene descended on Vermont last weekend, Burlington (including the NativeEnergy office) was relatively unharmed, but the rest of the state wasn’t so lucky.

In an effort to bring climate change the attention—and action—that it deserves, Al Gore has announced a new event to raise awareness of the facts. Just the facts, across time zones and continents.