Sedona AZ (May 12, 2016) – On Saturday, May 21st, at 7 PM, Verde Valley School will show Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret, followed by a presentation and Q&A with co-executive producer, Dr. Sailesh Rao, founder and Executive Director of Climate Healers, (www.climatehealers.org). A complimentary dessert and coffee/tea reception will follow.
Cowspiracy is a groundbreaking feature-length environmental documentary following an intrepid filmmaker as he uncovers the most destructive industry facing the planet today – and investigates why the world’s leading environmental organizations are too afraid to talk about it. As eye-opening as Blackfish and as inspiring as An Inconvenient Truth, this shocking yet humorous documentary reveals the devastating environmental impact large-scale factory farming has on our planet, and offers a path to global sustainability for a growing population. See trailer at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nV04zyfLyN4.
As practicing stewards of our earth, Verde Valley School is proud to host a screening of this film, and honored to have Dr. Sailesh Rao join them for a presentation and Q&A after. As part of the school’s ongoing commitment to sustainability, their garden is organic and ethically farmed, using compost harvested by students and incorporating 100% of their kitchen waste. An approved food source for their school dining hall, their garden program helps students understand the cycle of food waste, composting, growing and harvesting. Their bountiful garden provides a significant portion of the school’s produce.
Dr. Sailesh Krishna Rao is an Electrical Engineer with a Ph.D. from Stanford University, who was moved to switch careers and work exclusively on climate related issues ten years ago. He is a systems expert who developed the Gigabit Ethernet on Copper standard in 1999 that remains ubiquitous in the internet infrastructure. He and his wife, Jaishri Rao, co-produced two critically acclaimed documentaries, “Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret,” and “The Human Experiment,” both of which highlighted the pressing need for our global transition to a compassionate lifestyle.
The core guiding principle of the Climate Healers NGO, is that “compassion for all creation is infinitely sustainable.” Through this organization, Dr. Rao proposes a simple, Gandhi-like social movement, in which our food choices can provide a direct solution to climate change, the greatest issue and challenge of our time.
In all of his work, Dr. Rao draws from the ancient Hindu concept of Dharma or “right action.” In December 2015, he gave a presentation to the EU Parliament, in conjunction with the UN Conference on Climate Change held in Paris, charting a moral course for climate recovery, before Cowspiracy was shown.
Dr. Rao took with him to Europe, a letter of support from the City of Sedona, as far as its potential interest in becoming a pilgrimage site as part of the Sacred Lifeline Project. The Lifeline project envisions a network of radically inclusive, sustainable, off- grid, zero-waste local communities modeling and promoting a compassionate lifestyle. See his presentation to the Sedona City Council here: http://sedonaaz.swagit.com/play/10272015-1231
In connection with the Sacred Lifeline Project, Dr. Rao has been extensively involved in community outreach to connect with a number of Sedona community groups, and share the vision for creating a local, sustainable community. As a result, the Inspiration of Sedona community sustainability group, has become intimately involved in promoting this vision, by organizing and participating in numerous events to highlight both sustainability, and the importance and significance of the project. The Inspiration of Sedona’s is an open meeting group that strives to work together collectively for the betterment of ourselves, our communities, and the world. One of the co-organizers and conveners of the Inspiration of Sedona group, (www.inspirationofsedona.org), Pash Galbavy, is an alumni of VVS, and has been passionate about helping promote the school and their vision through some of the group’s events that have taken place. Dr. Rao was introduced to VVS this way, and the group is very excited to participate in helping promote this Cowspiracy event.
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