350 Updates

"Crisis and Opportunity"

It has never been the grassroots pushing for bold action on climate change alone. The movement to fight climate change spans all sorts of people and positions of power. Just a few days ago, on November 9, there were some fine words published in the International Herald Tribune by Ban Ki Moon, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Donald Tusk and Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

Here's the introduction...

"As world leaders gather in Washington this weekend, they would do well to remember that we face two crises. The global financial crisis is most immediate; the more existential is climate change. The urgency of the first is no excuse for neglecting the second. On the contrary, it is an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone." Click here to continue reading the OpEd.

These renowned figures are right to draw the connections between our struggling economies and the need to address climate change. We have much to gain by promoting clean, sustainable economies -- not just fighting climate change, but also creating new economic opportunities, combating poverty, promoting peace, restoring healthy environments, and furthering the pursuit of justice. The authors of this piece are helping immensely to build and strengthen that vision.

The one piece missing? 350. In order to ensure that the aspirations of these world leaders to solve the climate crisis and also promote economic renewal is sufficient, it's our job to make sure 350 is a central goal within the negotiating process. 350 means many things: in scientific terms it is the safe level of co2 in the atmosphere in parts per million -- more broadly it means safety, hope, unity, sustainability, community, renewal, justice, and peace. Let's carry those many meanings together and not let our world leaders ignore the latest science on this issue. Let's spread 350 and make it known the world over, and in doing so create a movement that can heal the planet and ourselves.

 

Quilt for Climate

This is a guest post from quilter extrodinaire Ulla:

Quilt invites President to wrap himself in a commitment to climate change

The Solutions to Climate Change Quilt measures 8 x 14 ft and has 350 pieces, to represent the 350 parts per million of carbon dioxide (CO2) that NASA climatologist James Hansen has said is the maximum safe level of CO2 in our atmosphere.

The quilt will be taken to Washington DC on November 18th, as part of 350.org's national day of action, and a framed photograph of the quilt will be presented to President Obama to urge him to make climate change a priority in the first 100 days. You can sign the back of the quilt and add your voice to the call to protect our planet's future.

 

Maldives look to buy new homeland

It is strange and frightening, as a young person engaged in the fight against climate change for only a few short years, to have dramatic events that were previously discussed only in the future tense move into the present. “Entire populations inhabiting low-lying islands will become refugees as sea levels rise,” a talking point for climate advocates for many years, is rapidly becoming, “Entire populations inhabiting low-lying islands are becoming refugees as sea levels rise.” As the stakes grow higher, it's more important than ever to build the foundations of worldwide support and peaceful advocacy to stem this tide.

This article was reported in the Guardian:

The Maldives will begin to divert a portion of the country's billion-dollar annual tourist revenue into buying a new homeland - as an insurance policy against climate change that threatens to turn the 300,000 islanders into environmental refugees, the country's first democratically elected president has told the Guardian...

Read the rest of the article.