350 is the red line for human beings, the most important number on the planet. The most recent science tells us that unless we can reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to 350 parts per million, we will cause huge and irreversible damage to the earth.
But solutions exist. All around the world, a movement is building to take on the climate crisis, to get humanity out of the danger zone and below 350. This movement is massive, it is diverse, and it is visionary. We are activists, scholars, and scientists. We are leaders in our businesses, our churches, our governments, and our schools. We are clean energy advocates, forward-thinking politicians, and fearless revolutionaries. And we are united around the world, driven to make our planet livable for all who come after us.
This grassroots group is spreading. If you write for the Internet, if you have a mailing list, if you have a way to help spread the word I hope you will take a few minutes today and do so. And then in the coming weeks I hope you will join the site and plan a 350 action of your own.
Civilization is what grows up in the margins of leisure and security provided by a workable relationship with the natural world. That margin won't exist, at least not for long, as long as we remain on the wrong side of 350. That's the limit we face.—Bill McKibben, Writer and Environmentalist
Today, one action you can take is turn off (all the way off) any electrical item in your home that you are not using. The little red lights on your tv, vcr, dvd player, stereo, coffee machine... etc. show that they are still drawing power. Unplug what you are not using, easy-peasy. Make that today's action-- along with spreading the word about 350. And if 350 didn't get you fired up today, how about this 13 year old? She and her friends raised the money to go speak to the UN Environmental conference in 1992 about their future. She completely shames all adults who are still not doing enough (more than 10 yrs later) to make things better-- and she certainly calls our world leaders to task.
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