Barnegat had its eyes opened Monday Feb. 26th when Barnegat High School along with the Barnegat Democratic Club showed the multi-Oscar-winning documentary "An Inconvenient Truth". This was a free, non-partisan event open to the public, and it was inspiring to see both young and old -- conservative and liberal -- come together to view this eye-opening presentation of scientific facts. The film clearly details what is causing global warming, and the effect it is now having on our world, and coastal towns like Barnegat. But most importantly what global warming means to the children of Barnegat if no action is taken. If you have not yet seen this documentary, do yourself a favor and rent or buy the DVD. Knowledge can't hurt you, but a lack of action most certainly can. The movie includes tangible, common sense steps everyone can take to start reversing the indisputable trends scientists have been tracking for years. If you have any doubts whatsoever about the legitimacy of global warming, see this movie...then talk about it. To learn more about the film click here..

If you thought the extreme cold weather we experienced during the last few weeks is an indication that global warming is non-existent, think again. That is a common misconception about an issue that isn't political, but moral. It's time to put politics aside and show our children and grandchildren how much we really love them. Get informed and take advantage of this great opportunity to get involved in the discussion.

Barnegat High School and the Barnegat Democratic Club presents an important event about global warming on Wednesday, March 7th at Barnegat High School (180 Bengal Blvd.). There will be a panel discussion about our carbon footprint; how it impacts climate change and steps we can take to mitigate global warming. Panelists are;

A Senate committee in Washington is investigating the suppression of information by the Administration on global warming, particularly the report of scientists at NJ's Princeton University's Forrestal campus. At the same time, NASA's satellite real-time data confirm that the vital base of the ocean food web shrinks when the world's seas heat up. This discovery leads to the question about how much food marine life will have as global warming progresses. Loss at the bottom of the food chain eventually causes loss to the top of the food chain. Because of the new scientific studies on global warming and the question of suppression of this information, Barnegat High School and the Barnegat Democratic Club believe that it is more and more important to inform, educate and involve the public by providing a dialogue on climate change.

Thank you to the Barnegat School District and the Barnegat Democratic Club for offering this important event that can have a positive impact on our town and beyond.

Who knows? Knowledge can be non-biased, and lead to the truth. You just might be able to make a difference for our most precious resource -- our children.

Dr. Michael J. Kennish. Dr. Kennish is a research professor in the Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences at Rutgers Universety, New Brunswick, NJ He holds AB, MS and PhD degrees in geology from Rutgers with a specialization in Marine studies. Dr. Kennish is nationally know for his work on human impacts on estuarine and marine environments an he currently serves on national panels and workgroups assessing these problems nationwide. He has conducted biological and geological research on coastal and deep=see environments for more than 25 years. While maintaining a wide ranged of research interests in marine ecology and marine geology, Dr. Kennish has been most actively involved in estuarine and costal marine problems in NJ, particularly in Ocean, Atlantic and Monmouth counties. He has published 11 books on estuarine and marine science. ÔAdditionally, he has published more than 150 research articles in scientific journals and books. He has also presented research results at numerous scientific conferences.

Stefano Crema. Ms. Crema is a Global Warming expert for the NJ Sierra Club.

A. Greg Auriemma. Mr. Auriemma is Chair of the Sierra Club of Ocean, and a local attorney in Brick Township. Mr. Auriemma is New Jersey Sierra Club's Delegate to Sierra's national Atlantic Coast Eco-region (ACE) task force, which works on marine issues. He is a former adjunct professor at Brookdale Community College as well as a former political organizer for the AFL-CIO.

Jeffrey Brown. Mr. Brown is founder and Executive Director of Global Learning, Inc. and currently directing the New Jersey Green Schools Program. This energy education and conservation program has established two district-wide pilots in Brick Township Schools and in Toms River Regional Schools with grants from the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.

Mr. Brown has previously directed two national partnerships with the American Library Association, Libraries Build Sustainable Communities and Local Libraries: Global Awareness.

Among other publications, he has co-authored two high school teacher resource books -- Sustaining the Future: Activities for Environmental Education in US History and A Sustainable Development Curriculum Framework for World History & Cultures.

Further, he has been working since 1974 to promote a global perspective in education. Although his work has centered mostly on New Jersey, he has taught graduate courses, conducted workshops and made presentations at conferences and seminars across the United States and in Canada. Mr. Brown holds a BA from Ohio Wesleyan University and a Masters in Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in New York City.

Richard S. Dovey. Mr. Dovey is President of the Atlantic County Utilities Authority (ACUA), a position he has held since 1990. Mr. Dovey oversees a staff of 250, an annual operating budget of $60 million, and a capital budget averaging $6 million yearly.

While Mr. Dovey has served as president, ACUA wastewater and solid waste operations have been nationally recognized for excellence in innovation, efficiency, and environmental stewardship.

Mr. Dovey has been a strong proponent of alternative energy and has initiated many green projects for the ACUA, most notably the construction of New Jersey's first windfarm in Atlantic City.

Prior to joining ACUA, he was head of Regional Planning and Development for Atlantic Count Government for eight years, and manager of Rutland County, Vermont, Solid Waste District.

A leader in the New Jersey environmental infrastructure and utility community, Mr. Dovey has served as the chairman of NJ Solid Waste Advisor Council and on the Board of Trustees of the New Jersey Association of Environmental Authorities. He is also a member of numerous community organizations.

Sheila McVeigh. Ms. McVeigh is a member of the League of Women Voters of Ocean County, is a retired teacher of gifted and talented in the Toms River schools; is an Executive board member of Ocean County Citizen's for Clean Water since the mid 80"s; was a EPA technical assistance grant manager for CIBA Geigy super fund site. Ms. McVeigh was also a presenter at the American Museum of Natural History for the Classroom Connects quest program.