Alabama Boys State – June, 2009 Joyce Lanning

Actions to address global warming and climate change

1. Plan your global day of action, Oct. 24, 2009 - http://www.350.org/about
350.org is an international campaign with a mission to inspire the world to rise to the challenge of the climate crisis--to create a new sense of urgency and of possibility for our planet. The focus is on the number 350--as in parts per million, the level scientists have identified as the safe upper limit for CO2 in our atmosphere. This December, world leaders will meet in Copenhagen, Denmark to craft a new global treaty on cutting emissions, but the treaty currently on the table doesn't meet the severity of the climate crisis--it doesn't pass the 350 test. They are working to unite the public, media, and our political leaders behind the 350 goal, and are harnessing the power of the internet to coordinate a planetary day of action on October 24, 2009, including one in your community. They want to send a clear message to world leaders: the solutions to climate change must be equitable, they must be grounded in science, and they must meet the scale of the crisis. You can join this effort at http://www.350.org/invitation and see what other youth groups all over the world have done at http://www.350.org/people/youth.

2. Create an education/action event for your school – National Wildlife Federation is a good resource – explore http://www.nwf.org/climateclassroom/teens/takeaction.cfm. Several options can be found at
http://www.nwf.org/climateclassroom/files/Action_projects-AITInTheClassroom.pdf or http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/sgw_classroom.asp

3. Expand your environment club to include climate change – or start a new one: See ‘Start a Group’ at the Earth Team Environmental Network, and explore their site for the many ideas and resources - http://www.earthteam.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=26&Itemid=64. Check out Kids vs. Global Warming - http://www.kids-vs-global-warming.com/Home.html or An Inconvenient Youth - http://www.inconvenientyouth.org/about/. Check out the helpful Cool School Challenge web site and take the challenge with the help of their 48-page booklet - http://coolschoolchallenge.org/take-the-challenge.aspx

4. Plan now for Earth Day 2010 – with a climate change focus. For 2009 activities see http://www.earthday.net/node/78, join the Green Generation at http://www.earthday.net/node/13475 and explore the other programs on the Earth Day Network web site.

5. Visit or contact your members of Congress: Get political - help convince our leaders to adopt climate change solutions by 2010 by sharing 1SKY’s agenda: CREATE 5 MILLION GREEN JOBS and pathways out of poverty by rebuilding and refueling America with a comprehensive energy efficiency mobilization including immediate investments in a clean-energy infrastructure. Reduce global Warming pollution at least 35% below current levels by 2020, and at least 80% by 2040, in line with the best science available. RE-POWER AMERICA by imposing a moratorium on new coal plants that emit global warming pollution and replacing dirty fuels with 100% renewable energy. http://action.1sky.org/t/4153/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=1529

6. Link up with others for ideas and support at the new Alabama Climate Action Network and Sierra Club’s Climate Crossroads – join the new Alabama Climate Action Network by emailing alabama-climate-action-network@googlegroups.com or visiting http://groups.google.com/group/alabama-climate-action-network and join Climate Crossroads at http://climatecrossroads.sierraclub.org/index.html. Share your activities, ideas, questions and information you’ve discovered about getting involved at http://www.joyce4earthcare.blogspot.com/.

7. Have an assembly program at your school on climate change – you can contact Joyce Lanning (email address above) for possible speakers. Check out http://www.wecansolveit.org/ and click on ‘why join we’ to see her tell you why – then join that nonpartisan effort to build a movement that creates the political will to solve the climate crisis.

8. For responses to those who question the science of climate change, see http://www.skepticalscience.com/, and for a list of other reliable references, see http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2007/05/start-here/