ecoyear

It's here - what will be the largest ever coordinated worldwide demonstration of caring - for our planet and perhaps even our species - Saturday October 24th, the International Day of Climate Action. You can find several actions in Boulder here, or look up your zip code at 350.org for your own local events.

The rallying point in Boulder is the noon-3pm demonstration at City Hall. Be there! We have our very own mercury spewing, carbon monster coal plant to close down - and this will take our commitment to cut back on our electricity use so we can live safer and cleaner and be serious about doing our part - while waiting for renewables to catch up.

Another action that caught my eye is the "item pass-along" - simply gather 350 objects you no longer use, photograph or list them, and sell or donate them. What better impetus to a fall cleanup!

The latest news (audio link) on climate change, as you may have noticed, is dire. One of the most discouraging collection of reports came out with the recent gathering at the University of Oxford (International Climate Science Conference). They say we are presently committed to warming the planet 2 degrees. A serious worry now is that we may warm by 4 degrees by 2060, something that has not occurred on Earth in the last 30 million years.

This is what we need to know: that when scientists with impeccable credibility brief our government with these concerns, and propose a course of action that is grounded in science, the response is that "the Senate will never agree to this".

But who votes in the congresscritters?

As my neighbor Doug says, "It is amazing that people will stand in a burning barn, and not run out the door for fear of what may be outside."

This is what is outside the barn: a chance to save our species.

And this is what needs to happen in order to step outside: an end to carbon emissions. This is because the cumulative amount of CO2 is the problem. In that sense, 350ppm is not the goal. It still adds up to warming. The goal is zero emissions. According to scientist John Schellnhuber, this needs to happen by 2035, but the way things are going, personally, I would aim for 2020.

Here's my favorite ever vision of what could lie ahead. Sharon Astyk modified the story of Noah's Ark in such a loving, generous way, I was filled with yearning and excitement. Yes, it is idealistic - but something has to draw people out of the fire in the barn. We fear losing our televison and automobiles, running water and homes at 70 degrees year round. Many fear economic collapse, unemployment, famine, hordes of armed thugs roaming the countryside...

But Transition makes this clear: when the "trappings" of our modern civilization fall away, what can remain is the best of what humans can be: cooperative, loving, caring, resourceful and fearless.