Climate change: Take a stand

2009-10-23 11:39

Birgit Ottermann

Cape Town - Join people all over the world on Saturday for 350.org's International Day of Climate Action, an international campaign urging people to come out strongly for action on climate change.

Millions of people will be participating in over 4 000 events in 170 countries, including South Africa, in a call on leaders to take global action against the worst crisis humans have ever faced,  by reducing carbon levels in the atmosphere to 350 parts per million.

According to US environmentalist and 350.org founder Bill McKibben, 350 is the most important number in the world:

"A year ago, our greatest climatologist - Nasa's James Hansen - and his team produced a landmark series of studies. They showed that if we let the amount of carbon in the atmosphere go above 350 parts per million, we can’t have a planet similar to the one on which civilisation developed and to which life on earth has adapted," says McKibben.

The bad news is that we're already past that number. "We're at 390 parts per million, which is why the Arctic is melting, why drought is spreading across the planet, why people are already dying from diseases like dengue fever and malaria occurring in places where they’ve never been seen before."

Copenhagen climate treaty

However, the good news is that the number 350 gives us a target to aim for, McKibben says.

"When the world's leaders meet in Copenhagen in December to reach agreement on a new climate treaty, we need them to go farther than they’ve planned to go: we need to make sure they’ll pay attention to the latest science and put forward a plan that gets us back to safety," he explains.

Says Georgina Thomas, Africa's 350 volunteer and spokesperson: "Tomorrow will be the single most widespread day of citizens' action that the earth has ever seen."

"Thousands and thousands of climate change actions are happenings in more than 170 countries in multiple languages, in every time zone and on every continent, in the heat and the cold, under sun and pouring rain and snow.

"Everyone who is getting involved shares at least one thing: the deep conviction that it is up to us, at this exact moment in our history, to come together in defence of this planet and the people on it - and ensure that the world leaders meeting in Copenhagen later this year will create a global climate treaty that is bold, just and based on the latest science," Thomas tells News24.

From Bangladesh to Great Barrier Reef

The International Day of Climate Action will see people participating in various actions in their communities with the aim of making the number 350 the most important visible number to everyone. 

Some of these events include: School children planting 350 trees in Bangladesh, scientists hanging banners saying 350 on the statues on Easter Island and 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 350.org website, McKibben says.

"As actions take place around the world, we'll link all the pictures together electronically via the web, and 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."

Cape Town

According to Thomas, South Africans are responding to the call in wonderfully creative ways. 

In Cape Town a group of hikers will form a human 350 on top of Table Mountain which will be filmed from a helicopter "to send out the powerful message to the world that we need a fair, ambitious and binding agreement at Copenhagen towards promoting the safety of our ecosystems and the communities which depend on them".

Because of environmental and safety requirements, only a limited number of people could be accommodated, a number which unfortunately has already been filled.

However, Cape Town supporters are invited to join a huge parade and multi-faith gathering in the city centre (10:00 to 15:00) to spread the word about climate change, make a big 350 formation for a photo and have a picnic in the Company Gardens afterwards.

Supporters will gather in front of Parliament, to make posters and paint their bodies red (signifying the temperature increase du to climate change).

Writing postcards to Zuma

Other events in South Africa include the Emmarentia Dam march (on Saturday from 10:00 to 16:00) in Johannesburg, where supporters can join a parade, enjoy a picnic afterwards and get the opportunity to write a postcard to President Jacob Zuma urging him to go to Copenhagen.

If you like building sand castles, Durban is the place to be. Between 11:00 to 13:00 Dairy beach will be transformed with sand art, music and inspiration. Build your own climate castle or write a message in the sand and learn what you can do to help save SA from the severe effects of climate change.

"Join one of the many actions in SA," Thomas urges. "Visit www.350.org/sa-list and go to 350.org to find out more about what this day is all about.  Tomorrow, there is nothing more important that you could be doing!"

"As 350-Messenger, Archbishop Tutu says, 'I ask all people to support climate fairness tomorrow by starting or joining an awareness-raising action where you live.  It's a chance for us to act as global citizens, not as isolated individuals and lonely consumers.'"
 

- News24