As I take a brief moment to write this post, my grandparents, parents, aunt and uncle, cousins, and brother are all in the next room -- gathered together all at once for the first time in many months.  We're sharing this day together for Thanksgiving, my favorite of US holidays.  It's the day for us to "give thanks" and celebrate all that we love -- our families, our friends, our communities, the food we enjoy, and whatever else we are thankful for.

I am going to keep this short so I can get back to this joyous family gathering, but I thought it important to also share a bit of Thanksgiving here on the 350.org blog.  Today I am also giving thanks for our movement -- the movement of people all around the planet working for a safe and just climate.  It's truly astonishing to think through all the people and organizations and communities working to protect and improve our planet.  We certainly have daunting challenges ahead of us, but it's hard not to feel grateful for the creative, innovative, and exciting work that so many are pouring into ensuring greater hope for our collective future.

Many, many thanks to all of you.  After a celebration meal tonight, it's back to work tomorrow.

Sometimes there are moments where things just come into focus.  It's during these times when I realize that there's logical progression at work--not just of human history, but of my own life within it. 

One of these moments occurred last week.  I was scanning through the daily briefing from the bots at Google, an incredibly useful service that alerts me to any mention of 350.org in the media.  And one story caught my eye--it was from my hometown newspaper, and it was all about my mother.  The article described how she spearheaded one of the 1400 USA-based Step It Up events last year, bringing together hundreds of people for climate action in the town that raised me.  It went on to explain my mother's next stage of activism: a sustained campaign to sharply reduce the carbon footprint of our village.  This is no easy task--my mother and her local group  are launching a herculaen effort involving the slog of carbon auditing, the constant lobbying of elected officials, and managing the delicate dynamics of local political battles. 

And the article went on, delving into my family's history of activism accross generations--how my Grandfather had stood up for progressive policies as our nation carreened sharply to the right, how my mother convinced our Congresswoman to attend a climate rally, and how I myself have transitioned from campus organizations to international mobilizations.

Today we're excited to announce that a new band from the Arctic Circle in Norway, Arctic Queen, launches their 350 cd - read musician John John's words below about the project, and visit to download a free copy, and pass along the word to friends.

The Arctic Queen is as much a brand as a band - means that we want to use the brand Arctic Queen to better the world, and do something about climate change - we want to use the AQ brand to save the ice in the Arctic, through music, films, and books.

We are going to fight to save the arctic ice - the thermometer for all the climate in the world. 350 is our number - the only one who is going to get us there! Help us please. Please go to www.arcticqueen.no and download your free copy of the San Francisco 350 album.

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