Greetings!
Mark Twain famously said “Everyone talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.” So, this month I wanted to talk about the weather, and more importantly, maybe even DO SOMETHING about it!
Despite what you hear from the corporate propaganda pump, GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE IS REAL. The best science available tells us tells us that atmospheric carbon is the leading contributor to the increase of the greenhouse effect, and that 350 parts per million (ppm) is the maximum safe level. As we increase beyond that, the risk of irreversible climatic change increases as well. We are currently at 392ppm. The International Panel on Climate Change is an international group of scientists gathered to review and assess the available data on climate change. By 2001, they had come to the conclusion that climate change is really happening, and is “likely” caused by human action. By 2001, “these conclusions had been reviewed and endorsed by the national science academies of every major nation from the United States to China, along with leading scientific societies and virtually every organization that could speak for a scientific consensus.”
But the pump keeps pumping, and the same “doubt” that swirls around evolution now also swirls around climate change. Our representatives can’t make the hard decisions or basic societal changes needed to fix climate change without the permission of their corporate masters unless there is a LOUD, UNEQUIVOCAL, DEMAND for change. That’s where we all can make a difference.
350.org is the international grassroots organization that has been working on the issues of atmospheric carbon and climate change. Each year, they have a global day of action to draw attention to the importance of 350. People in cities around the world take part to spread awareness of climate issues. This year’s event, Moving Planet, will take place on September 24 and Portland’s contribution, “Moving Planet- Portland: A Climate Action Fest” will happen outside at the Memorial Coliseum Commons. This year’s event is designed to do more than just make people aware of the problem, it will also be a forum to DEMAND THE ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE that is so critical and so long overdue.
In support of the Moving Planet event, we’re making this month’s newsletter all about climate change and what YOU can do to help prevent it. From all the details on Portland’s Climate Action Fest, to changes to the electric car industry, to how to reduce the carbon footprint of your food, this month we’re all about the weather. I hope you’ll think about the role of this important issue in your life and the lives of your children, and I hope I see YOU helping to make a difference on September 24.
Make a great day,
