'350' for global action against climate change

Forget Nepali politics for a while.

This Saturday, you might see 350 on media everywhere. It’s the new mantra to stop the global warming and stop the world from further deteriorating the environment through carbon dioxide emission. At this time of wars, unemployment, global economic crash, believe it or not, the alarming climate change is of paramount importance.

On October 24th, 350.org, an organization led by American environmentalist and author Bill McKibben, is marking the International Day of Climate Action with programs all around the globe for the countries and governments to adopt the atmospheric carbon emission to a safe upper limit of 350 parts-per-million (ppm). This movement, aimed at bringing the world people, media and governments together to stop climate change, is also an outcry for the upcoming international treaty at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP15) in Copenhagen, Denmark where the world delegates are going to meet in December this year.

The 350’s climate-change demonstrations include rallies, walks, bike rallies, sign making, tree plantations and carbon-free dinners, among others. About 3500 demonstrations have been planned for this day in more than 170 countries. So from Kathmandu to Cape Town and from Perth to Paris, the movement is going to be massive. The events also include 350 trees plantation in Bangladesh, 350 scuba divers diving at the Great Barrier Reef and 350 paellas being solar-cooked in a Barcelona square. Thousands of churches are even ringing their bells 350 times during the day. The UN headquarter in New York will have a huge screen to showcase the images uploaded from around the world on the day.

Scientists have become alarmed of the horrifying global warming trend in the last few decades. The earlier assumed earth’s capacity of 450 ppm was dropped to 350 when the situation was closely analyzed in the last few years. James Hansen, the NASA climatologist says we’re already at 380 ppm. The pre-industrial revolution level was 278 ppm.




McKibben has crisscrossed the globe to organize this campaign. He has signed up two Nobel laureates- Al Gore and Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, the 2007 Peace Prize winners for their work on global warming. He's been to Africa, Asia, and the Middle East to make this possible. Young people have been trained and informed to plan events in their countries. Even countries like Turkey and Afghanistan which have had few or no environmental movements are calling for action. Moreover, Friends of Earth, Greenpeace, Oxfam, Christian Aid, the Sierra Club are some of the groups who are making this possible along with 350.org. Last week, Maldives held an underwater cabinet meeting to pass a 350 resolution.

The massive groundswell of citizens of the world demanding solutions on climate change will definitely make the leaders in Denmark to think twice in December about their new treaties in favor of a cleaner environment and a better tomorrow. Moreover, leaders, doers, thinkers, writers, photographers, students are spreading the 350 movement.

So, this Saturday, I’m forgetting my weekend and going to my city hall to hold 350 signs and take part in the global action for climate change. You can be a part too. In order to find an action near you and take part in the climate-change demonstrations, click here.