“irreplaceable: wildlife in a warming world”
By Brian Rice
2 October 2008
San Diego, California – October 7, 2008 – "Irreplaceable: Wildlife in a Warming World," a national traveling photo exhibit raising awareness about plants and animals threatened by climate change, opened this week at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego . The exhibit will be on display through October 15th as part of the University's 5th annual "Creation Care Week", a celebration of Christian values of environmental stewardship, including sustainability and the protection of biodiversity.
The "Irreplaceable: Wildlife in a Warming World" exhibition is a collaboration of art, justice, science, and faith groups that aims to inspire hope, wonder, and action through the beauty and power of images. Featuring work by award-winning wildlife conservation photographers, the 40-print exhibit brings the public face-to-face with the wildlife most threatened by climate change – from the Pacific salmon and monarch butterflies along California's coasts to the American pika and wolverine of the Sierra Nevada. The images will be on view in the Nicholson Commons Living Room, located on the main campus adjacent to the cafeteria. The Irreplaceable exhibit is co-sponsored by Earthjustice, Noah Alliance , International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP), and Conservation International's Center for Applied Biodiversity Science (CABS.) Local partners include Restoring Eden and Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU).
"All faith traditions teach that we are called to care for the vulnerable. And in today's world, this includes species suffering because of climate change," said Suellen Lowry, Noah Alliance program director. "We're honored to bring the Irreplaceable campaign to Point Loma Nazarene University as the campus celebrates its commitment to caring for creation."
PLNU is a leader in environmental stewardship and sustainability among Christian colleges and universities. As an early adopter of sustainable practices, the school has become a model for other liberal arts institutions seeking to become more sustainable. PLNU has been publicly recognized for its sound environmental practices and commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The Irreplaceable: Wildlife in a Warming World photography exhibit is one of next week's attractions during Creation Care Week, with the objective of highlighting the importance of protecting our planet and all its inhabitants from a faith-based perspective. The campus will host a multitude of activities including speakers, workshops, film screenings, discussions, campus tours, off-campus field trips, chapel addresses, a creation care fair, and a dinner banquet, all with the theme of responsible care of natural resources. A workshop co-sponsored by PLNU's Center for Pastoral Leadership will host pastors from churches around the county to explore strategies for bringing creation care into the life and programs of the local church. The Creation Care Fair, held at the Campus Mall on Wednesday, October 8 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., will feature vendors of sustainable products and organizations devoted to environmental stewardship.
The public and media are invited to tour the University's sustainability initiatives during Creation Care Week. For a complete schedule of events visit: http://www.pointloma.edu/PhysicalPlant/Sustainability/CreationCare/Creation_Care_Week_Schedule.htm
The Irreplaceable: Wildlife in a Warming World will be visiting other cities across the US in the future, including:
2008 Schedule
• San Francisco, CA (9/08 – 12/31)
• San Diego, CA (10/1 – 10/15)
• St. Paul, MN (10/25 – 11/30)
2009 Schedule
• Los Angeles, CA (1/01 – 1/31)
About the Irreplaceable: Wildlife in a Warming World Campaign:
The Irreplaceable Campaign educates the public and policy-makers on global warming's impact on wildlife. A collaboration of art, justice, science, and faith groups, the campaign aims to inspire hope, wonder, and action through the beauty and power of images. The exhibit has been on tour since April of 2008 and has been displayed in Providence, RI; Missoula, MT; Seattle, WA; Denver, CO; Aspen, CO; and now in San Diego, CA. A sister exhibit is currently on display in San Francisco at the Main Public Library through December 31, 2008. Other cities on schedule include St. Paul, MN; Los Angeles, CA; and Washington D.C.
About the campaign partners:
Earthjustice (www.earthjustice.org)- Earthjustice is a non-profit public interest law firm dedicated to protecting the magnificent places, natural resources, and wildlife of this earth and to defending the right of all people to a healthy environment. It brings about far-reaching change by enforcing and strengthening environmental laws on behalf of hundreds of organizations and communities.
Noah Alliance (www.noahalliance.org)- The Noah Alliance is a collaboration of Jewish, Evangelical, Protestant, and other religious community organizations, and individual people of faith, that are concerned about the protection of endangered species and biological diversity. It seeks to provide a service by facilitating education and action among members of the religious community who are concerned about the most imperiled species. The members of the Noah Alliance include Restoring Eden, Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life, and the Academy of Evangelical Scientists and Ethicists.
International League of Conservation Photographers (www.ilcp.com)- The International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP) is a consortium of professional photographers, known as Fellows, who have demonstrated the highest skills in photography, outstanding ethical standards in the capture, manipulation and captioning of images, and a sustained commitment to conservation. Its mission is to further environmental and cultural conservation through photography.
The Center for Applied Biodiversity Science (CABS), (http://science.conservation.org) the scientific hub of Conservation International, works to link science and action to guide the conservation of nature worldwide. Founded in 1999 with generous support from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, CABS brings together a staff of more than 70 research scientists who are highly respected in their fields and dedicated to saving our biodiversity.
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