350.org - Movement Dispatches and Climate News

Beautiful Trujillo, Peru

Bill McKibben — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:06:25 +0000

sits on thePacific near the mouth of th Moche River. It was the scene of a great 350 carnival and parade:

Cupertino California USA

Bill McKibben — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:57:18 +0000

350 Flash Mob at De Anza College:

And these are:

Bill McKibben — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:51:58 +0000

Electric golf carts in Laguna Woods, California, USA!

A few more comments from Barcelona

May — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:44:49 +0000

Before taking off from Barcelona, I wanted to share another photo from yesterday, with representatives from the Alliance of Small Island States holding up photos from Canada, Copenhagen, and the Netherlands.

In South Portland Maine USA

Bill McKibben — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:52:40 +0000

they're worried about the Atlantic rising--and in fact scientists have said in recent months that the east coast of North America may see some of the fastest rise in sea levels anywhere on the planet.

We've all been thinking about our friends in the Philippines

Bill McKibben — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:36:21 +0000

Because they've been hit by one huge typhoon after another these last few months, with record rainfalls across many urban areas that have killed hundreds. And yet pictures keep rolling in from across the islands, like this one from Leyte City

Moscow, Russia

Bill McKibben — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:33:26 +0000

But that's not it's final destination. This is a reef sculpture, that will be deployed underwater as part of an artificial reef. Thanks to Sergey Fedotov, president of the Artificial Reefs Foundation

The Kalash Valleys, Northwest Frontier Province, Pakistan

Bill McKibben — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:57:33 +0000

At the moment, much of the world is thinking about the mountains of Pakistan for other reasons. But for those who live in them, the threat of climate change is incredibly real. Here's a report from a farflung spot!CAMAT [Chitral Association for Mountain Area Tourism] celebrated International Climatic Day of Action, Oct 24, 2009 in the Kalash valley of Rumbor, district Chitral with a philosophy of ‘think globally, act locally’ in mind. The theme of the day was “The Impacts of Global Warming on the Kalash Communities”. Kalash ECOCLUB, school students, local leadership and woman representatives participated.

The participants felt proud in being part of the noble cause being celebrated around the world on Oct 24, 2009.

In the meantime, they recorded their apprehension that the natural environment of the Kalash valleys—Rumbor, Burmborate and Birir—is certainly threatened due to climatic changes leading to longer summers, short autumns and short winters characterized by comparatively less snowfall and its early melting.

Mr Saifullah, the Kalash community leader and social activist, discussed the significance of natural environment, forest belt and alpine meadow for the traditional culture of the communities in the valleys. It was pointed out that the population of goat—the religious animal of Kalash—is declining over the years, largely because of the declining forest belts, degrading alpine meadows and disappearance of vegetative covers resultant of climatic changes stemming from what we know ‘global warming’. In part, the session raised concerns that the illegal trade by the timber mafia has done great damages to the environment of the valley. It is worth noting that during festival and funeral feast, as part of religious obligation, the Kalash people kill goats ranging from 30 to 100 according the strength of goat raised within the family concerned. Thus one of the core values of the Kalash culture that largely depends on healthy biodiversity and intact ecology has been potentially threatened because of global warming.

The frequency with which floods destroy cultivable lands, orchards, irrigational channels and the Kalash cemeteries have never been experienced in the past, which means ‘global warming’ has had started tightening its relentless grip on the otherwise pristine natural environment in the Kalash valleys as well as the entire Hindukush region as well.

To ensure the reduction of the negative impacts of global warming on the Kalash valleys, the session passed the environmental-friendly agenda as follows:
1. That government and NGOs in Chitral mandated with the protection of environment and natural forest belt must focus on the degrading environment conditions in the Kalash valleys. Afforestation need to be redoubled this end.
2. Tourists visiting the Kalash have to be sensitized towards the fragility of the valleys, the spring, streams and nullahs there. Pollution of non-biodegradable plastic bags have already had reduced the productivity of cultivable lands. Here the responsibilities lie with tour companies and guides, who have to make arrangement for this.
3. The mafia involved in illegal smuggling of timbers from three Kalash valleys, have to be strictly monitored by the law enforcement agencies and forest department in particular at different exit points.
4. Check dams need to be constructed in steep places where flooding is likely to erode the landscape. Plantation in such places has to be carried out on war footing.
5. Local communities have to be the real owners and guardian of their resources. They should not look for the support of the so-called departments. Rather their life is inalienably linked to the valleys to where they are primary stakeholders and thus have major responsibility to look after forests, pastures and alpine meadows.
6. Last, but not least, the less developed regions e.g. Kalash valleys, are quite neutral so far as carbon emission matters but they still bear the brunt of pollution caused by the leading industrial cities at national and international level. Thus, big industries should have it as their moral responsibility to initiate green projects in places such as the Kalash valleys so that environmental damages they cause would be compensated.

At the end of the session, waste disposal campaign was undertaken where all the participants put their share.

What Would a War on Carbon Look Like?

Bill McKibben — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:52:15 +0000

Paul Gilding and Jorgen Randers (part of the original 'Limits to Growth' team) have just published what they call a One Degree or 350 War Plan, showing the steps they think necessary to return us to 350 ppm in relatively short order, and limit temperature increases to not much more than their current one degree.The bottom line: we can do it, though it will take a disruptive effort like the one the U.S. mounted at the start of World War II. It's well worth taking a look--and thanks to the authors for their hard work.

United World Colleges join the 350 campaign around the world!

kelly — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:06:55 +0000

On October 24th, high school students from the United World Colleges all around the world joined in the 350 day of action, hosting bike rides, tree plantings, and educational events from Croatia to Vancouver. Here's a bit more info and some photos from the UWC website:

UWC students Sophie Hawley-Weld (Adriatic College) and Juan Pablo Hernandez (UWC Costa Rica) found out about the 350 Initiative when attending the Pearson Seminar on Youth Leadership in Canada in July 2009. “We wanted to start a UWC-wide action on October 24 to follow our UWC common mission closely and delve into issues of sustainability”, Sophie explains.

Sophie and Juan Pablo set up a Facebook group for the event which attracted almost 800 members and promoted the initiative to all the UWCs. Six UWC Colleges took part in the initiative and the photos they took are displayed in the gallery below. Students are also working together to produce a video they will enter in a climate change competition.