Tuesday, October 20, 2009

October 24th - International Day of Climate Action

350 - The Most Important Number on the Planet?

"Scientists say that 350 parts per million CO2 in the atmosphere is the safe limit for humanity. To Learn more about 350, visit www.350.org."
















From the 350.org website: "On October 24th, (the International Day of Climate Change) we need you to organize an action in the place where you live, something that will make that most important number visible to everyone. People in more than 1000 communities and 100 nations around the globe have already announced plans— school children planting 350 trees in Bangledesh, scientists hanging banners saying 350 on the statues on Easter Island, 350 scuba divers diving underwater at the Great Barrier Reef...  At each event, people will gather for a big group photo that somehow depicts 350--and upload that photo to the web 350.org.  As thousands of simultaneous actions take place around the world, we'll link all the pictures together electronically via the web--by the end of the day, we'll have a powerful visual petition linking together the entire planet that we can deliver to the media and world leaders."


Students at Kawainui Marsh in 2008.


Click here to see a map of "350" Actions in Hawaii. Currently there are TWENTY-THREE actions planned in the Hawaiian Islands. Find one near you!


The Kailua 350 event will be one of over 2,000 simultaneous events across the globe - Students are encouraged to meet at Kawainui Marsh on Saturday, where they will form the numbers 350 by standing together in the marsh (knee deep in water) wearing red or pink T-shirts for a photo opportunity. Organizers are looking for as many participants as possible: the more people that stand together, the greater the impact! Wouldn't it be great to have three hundred and fifty people making the numbers 350??

          The site within Kawainui marsh is called Na Pohaku o Hauwahine, and is about a mile in from the Pali/Kapa'a Road intersection. Students are asked to meet there at 9:00am to assemble for the photo shoot at 10:00am. For more about what to wear and what to bring, contact: Contact Chuck "Doc" Burrows (chuckb@hawaii.rr.com) to register for this important event. Read the press release here.




From the 350.org website: "Involve groups that you’re in—everything from your church, mosque or synagogue to your local bicycle group. People want to help, especially if they see the chance for something that might actually matter. This is even more important than changing your lightbulb—this is your chance to help change the way the whole world operates. October 24 comes six weeks before those crucial UN meetings in Copenhagen. It’s a great chance to take a stand—maybe the last great chance, given what the scientists tell us about the momentum of global warming.


Another 350 photo idea.

But it can only happen with the help of a global movement—and it's starting to bubble up everywhere. Farmers in Cameroon, students in China, even World Cup skiers have already helped spread the word about 350. Churches have rung their bells 350 times; Buddhist monks have formed a huge 350 with their bodies against the backdrop of Himalayas. 350 translates across every boundary of language and culture. It's clear and direct, cutting through the static and laying down a firm scientific line.


Kayakers in Portland Oregon.

This is like a final exam for human beings. Can we muster the courage, the commitment, and the creativity to set this earth on a steady course before it's too late? October 24 will be the joyful, powerful day when we prove it's possible." - www.350.org

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