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In Alaska, climate change is creating an unforeseen humanitarian crisis. Arctic sea ice - which had protected communities from coastal erosion and flooding - is rapidly disappearing and signalling a radical transformation of this northern ecosystem. Scientific observations during the summer of 2007 documented a new record low. In 2006, the US government completed a $2.5m (£1.7m) seawall to protect the native village of Kivalina, located on an island in the Chukchi Sea. But on the day of the dedication ceremony, a storm surge partly destroyed the newly constructed sea barrier. One year later, the community was evacuated to protect inhabitants from a severe storm.

# Ning, a social networking system which lets you create a community * An example: The Falmouth Kids Global Climate Change Institute is a unique opportunity for teachers and students to communicate and collaborate with a global audience as they study the causes and effects of global climate change. This project was designed to inspire teachers to empower students to use Web 2.0 tools in contextual learning environments

Founded by the organizers of the first Earth Day in 1970, Earth Day Network (EDN) promotes environmental citizenship and year round progressive action worldwide. Earth Day Network is a driving force steering environmental awareness around the world. Through Earth Day Network, activists connect, interact, and have an impact on their communities, and create positive change in local, national, and global policies. EDN's international network reaches over 17,000 organizations in 174 countries, while the domestic program engages 5,000 groups and over 25,000 educators coordinating millions of community development and environmental protection activities throughout the year. Earth Day is the only event celebrated simultaneously around the globe by people of all backgrounds, faiths and nationalities. More than a half billion people participate in our campaigns every year.

Through raising the profile of existing climate solutions in India, IndiaClimateSolutions will become a resource for multiple Indian stakeholders on climate change best practice and a catalytic tool for accelerating the national and international climate response. Potentially this model could be expanded to other countries to become a global network of positive collaboration. It will provide; * A means to accelerate the uptake of climate change best practice and innovation across sectors. * A means to showcase to the international community the work that India is doing, a potentially strategic negotiating tool for the Government of India in international fora. * A forum to question, discuss and commenton India's climate strategy and how to capturelow carbon opportunities most effectively. * An opportunity to demonstrate and encourage leadership on climate change from the Indian nation.

The impact of climate change will make the poorest communities across the world poorer. Many of them are already affected by conflict and instability and thus face a dual risk. International Alert's new research finds that the consequences of climate change will fuel violent conflict, which itself hinders the ability of governments and local communities to adapt to the pressures of climate change.

Welcome to the Internet's largest global community of connected classrooms! Safely connect, collaborate and learn using our leading protected email and blog solutions for schools and districts

Of the challenges surrounding global climate change, communicating its potential impact and increasing public awareness of the scientific research undertaken to monitor and model its effect on society are quite pressing. Today we are pleased that the British Government is launching with Google Earth Outreach, and in collaboration with the Met Office Hadley Centre and the British Antarctic Survey, new layers in Google Earth that utilize geographical information to show how climate change will affect our planet and its people.

Climate change is already affecting our lives and the places we live, and has the potential to dramatically impact the lives of future generations. The Nature Conservancy is joining with policy makers, community members, businesses, scientists, industry leaders and others to slow the pace of climate change. We work to reduce the accumulation of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere and help natural areas adjust to the impacts of climate change.

I can say without hesitation that all my traditional educational experiences combined, everything from grade school to grad school, have not taught me as much about learning and being a learner as blogging has. My ability to easily consume other people's ideas, share my own in return, and communicate with other educators around the world has led me to dozens of smart, passionate teachers from whom I learn every day. It's also led me to technologies and techniques that leverage this newfound network in ways that look nothing like what's happening in traditional classrooms.

These are the things I think I should do at the beginning of any globally collaborative project. (Kim Cofino provides lots of insights!) Define Project Goals ~ Develop Explicit Expectations ~ Develop a Communications Structure ~ Determine Assessment Methods ~ Design Matters

The effort responds to and builds upon the leadership of Pope Benedict XVI, the U.S. Catholic Bishops, and many Catholic religious communities who believe that our response to climate change must be guided by the exercise of prudence, the pursuit of the common good and a priority for the poor. Pope Benedict most recently referenced "troubling climate change" in his Easter message to the world and has insisted that, "Before it is too late, it is necessary to make courageous decisions that can recreate a strong alliance between humankind and the earth. A decisive 'yes' is needed to protect creation and also a strong commitment to invert those trends which risk leading to irreversibly degrading situations."

It is most appropriate for Alaska to be hosting this week's Indigenous People's Global Summit on Climate Change here in Anchorage. Alaska's indigenous people know well a cruel irony of global warming: Those who are suffering the most from a warming climate are those who contribute least to the problem -- and they generally have the fewest resources to cope with the damage. Warming trends in the world's Arctic are undeniable. Sea ice is shrinking, giving storms more chance to pound unprotected shorelines and eat away at low-lying communities. Melting permafrost causes homes and other buildings to heave and twist.

The world has only six years left to limit greenhouse gas emissions, Pachauri warns. "It's essential that we take action by which we allow emissions to peak no later than 2015," he says, to limit the world's temperature increase to 2C. Beyond that and we reach a tipping point when the world's poorest communities will suffer the most. "They are the ones who are the most vulnerable" due to a much greater scarcity of water, a decline in agricultural lands, and the danger of sea level rises, as spelt out in the fourth assessment report by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Some "O Ambassador" projects include: * Building a package of school supplies for a classroom in need * Planting a tree on school grounds * Creating "AIDS Awareness" posters * Organizing "Read-A-Thons" * Collecting old blankets and sleeping bags for local homeless shelters

The goal of education is to enrich the lives of students while producing articulate, expressive thinkers and lifelong learners, that are socially responsible, resilient, and active citizens of the world.

A funny thing happened just before a ceremony was to be held last week to commemorate a $3 million sea wall around the village of Kivalina way up on Alaska's Arctic coastline. The village, home to Inupiat natives for 4,000 years, is about to be washed into the sea, and the 1,800-foot wall is supposed to stop that. Alaska There's growing evidence that villages in the far North like Kivalina, Alaska, are being eaten up by the ocean due, at least in part, to global warming. (Northwest Arctic Borough,The Anchorage Daily News/AP Photo) But along came a modest storm, with winds of up to 40 miles per hour, and 160 feet of the wall washed out. The ceremony was canceled.