Demong preps for climate address

Nordic Combined

Fri, Apr  23, 2010 - By US Ski Team

WASHINGTON, DC (April 22) - The fact that, without snow, his sport would be impossible could be a big reason that Olympic gold medalist Billy Demong (Vermontville, NY) was chosen to be a speaker at The Climate Rally, an event in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of Earth Day in Washington, DC.

Demong will speak in front of thousands on Sunday, April 25 at The National Mall as part of an initiative for all involved to call on Congress to take action to address climate change in 2010.

"It's a really cool opportunity to make a broad statement about my beliefs on climate change and our living on this planet and our stewardship of it," Demong said.

During the 2010 Winter Olympics Demong etched his name into the annals of history, winning the first gold medal in the history of U.S. nordic combined skiing. Demong was also a member of the four-man U.S. team, which earned a silver medal in the combined team event.

In the lead up to his public speech, Demong has been inviting friends and fans to sign the Earth Day pledge, which he linked to from his Facebook fan page.

"This year's rally in particular is about climate change. You can see it's catching on much more broadly that whether or not you believe in climate change, there's definitely a noticeable change in the amount of carbon in our atmosphere," Demong said. "Regardless of your beliefs, everyone wants to live on a cleaner planet. The real key now is getting everyone on board to be more efficient and strive to make changes."

Demong will be among a group of celebrities speaking, including NFL player and television personality Dhani Jones, environmental photographer Sebastian Copeland, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, film director James Cameron, producer Trudie Styler, Reverend Jesse Jackson and author Margaret Atwood.

Demong is inspired by the initiative's movement, as well as his chance to participate.

"Even though it's been an initiative for a long time, right now it's coming to a head much faster and many more companies and people are striving to make that change," Demong said. "I'm excited about the opportunity to be a part of this."

Fans can catch Demong's speech when Earth Day Network streams The Climate Rally live on www.earthday.org.