Thinking globally, acting locally Scout organized Global Warming Awareness Fair BY CHRISTINE VARNO Staff Writer Girl Scout Sierra Knotts is congratulated by USGBC-NJ chairman Andrew Topinka. WEST LONG BRANCH - - A local Girl Scout's efforts to heighten awareness of global warming in her West Long Branch community have been recognized with a statewide environmental award. Sierra Knotts, a 16-year-old junior at Shore Regional High School in West Long Branch, was among those honored last month with a "Green" award. On March 29, the state chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC-NJ) awarded Knotts the Sustainable Community Awareness Award for her work on the creation and hosting of a community event to bring attention to the issue of global warming. "I was very honored to be sitting up there," Knotts said in an interview last week. "I was with a senator and a mayor. "It was all for working to change the community for the better." As a senior Girl Scout member of Troop 672 and a member of the Scouts for over 10 years, Knotts said she wanted to achieve the highest award issued in girl scouting, the Girl Scout Gold Award. "It is the highest award a Girl Scout can get, similar to the Eagle Scout," she said. "And to get it, you have to do a project that benefits the community." Almost four months ago, Knotts put a plan into action to host a Global Warning Awareness Fair April 15 at the West Long Branch Community Center on Locust Avenue. The topic of global warming was an easy decision for Knotts, who credits her parents, who are both park rangers, for opening her eyes to environmental issues. While she said her parents may have opened her eyes, after seeing Al Gore's documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" almost two years ago, she instantly became interested in global warming. "Global warming is here and we have to do something about it," Knotts said last week, adding that she was hoping that the fair would raise that awareness to the community. "People can help, whether it is in their homes or cars," she said, "And they can learn what they can do at the fair." Through research and with the help of the Sierra Club, Knotts said she learned about several organizations that are helping communities to be more "green" in order to prevent the negative effects of global warming. The fair had several tables for organizations to display presentations and information on global warming and how to become involved in creating a cleaner environment. Organizations included Cool Cities, Advanced Solar Products, The Green Building Council, The Department of Environmental Protection and Toyota (hybrid car). The event included speakers, a raffle and a 25-minute film on global warming, said Knotts, who is looking into studying environmental science at college. "I hope that people realize what is going on and how they can help," she added. Knotts said she is honored to be recognized for something she truly cares about. The award ceremony was held at the USGBC-NJ First Annual "Building a Greener New Jersey" gala at the PNC Bank Arts Center. The mission of the USGBC-NJ is to promote sustainable building planning, design and construction through the use of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), which is a voluntary green building rating system establishing national criteria for sustainable buildings. Other honorees at the gala included New Jersey State Sen. Bob Smith, Belmar Mayor Kenneth Pringle, BASF Corporation's Jack Armstrong and PNC Bank Director of Corporate Real Estate Gary Saulson.