FREE KICK OFF EVENT to feature NRDC’s new film ACID TEST
and former pro-basketball player turned urban farmer Will Allen

Thursday, October 22
7:00pm (doors open at 6:30pm)
Zeiterion Theatre, Downtown New Bedford

Sponsored by the Women’s Fund of Southeastern MA

This year’s event will highlight a wide array of issues surrounding climate change and how it directly affects the vitality of New Bedford, from its potential to transform our booming commercial fishing industry to our food systems. There will be a screening of the Natural Resources Defense Council’s (NRDC) newly released short film ACID TEST, featuring Sigourney Weaver, followed by a discussion led by ecology and evolutionary biologist and NRDC senior scientist Dr. Lisa Suatoni. The film was made in an effort to draw attention to the virtually unfamiliar issue of ocean acidification. “Like global warming,” cites NRDC, “ocean acidification stems from the increase of carbon dioxide in the earth’s atmosphere since the start of the Industrial Revolution.”

Due to today’s increase in carbon dioxide, ocean acidification, known commonly as the other carbon problem, is transforming the chemistry of the ocean. New Bedford, the top US commercial fishing port in terms of volume and dollar value, is dependent on the ocean. Maintaining the continuance of the commercial fishing industry is fiscally fundamental for all citizens of this city.

This event brings both climate changes effect on land and sea together with speaker Will Allen, and his contributions to urban farming. This will be a preview of Allen’s keynotes and workshop on the first day of the conference, Friday, October 23rd. Allen, founder and CEO of the urban based farm Growing Power, is at the forefront of the “good food revolution”. The former professional basketball player and Maryland native has dedicated his life to the vision of making health locally-grown foods available in cities—a message which resonates with the New Bedford community, familiar with a lack of healthy organic foods accessible.

The all encompassing event will be sponsored, hosted and Emceed by the Women’s Fund and their Executive Director, Kate Fentress and, Jennifer Marshall coordinator of the Southeastern Environmental Education Alliance.

This is a non-ticketed, FREE and OPEN to the public event. For more information on the kick off event please call 508.748.0816, or e-mail info@connectingforchange.org.

WHEN: Doors open at 6:30 pm, event begins at 7:00 pm
              Thursday Evening, October 22nd

WHERE: New Bedford’s Zeiterion Theatre
                 684 Purchase St.
                 New Bedford, MA 02740

DIRECTIONS