Step It Up 2007

Diary international
April 14 2007 - Saturday
 * National Day of Climate Action (USA)

Step it Up is a nationwide campaign comprised of over 1000 events in 50 states rallying around the need for substantial and rapid action on the issue of global warming. The campign is urging Congress to cut carbon dioxide emissions 80% by 2050. Events are being held in every corner of the country, from Maine to Hawaii, and Seattle to Key West. The events are being held in major cities, iconic locations and small towns across America. Rallies have been organized by groups and individuals from all walks of life who agree on one thing: the time has come for our elected officials to take bold and immediate steps to combat global warming.

Quote
"'The groundswell of support for this effort is incredible. This is truly a viral grassroots movement, organized mainly through word of mouth, email outreach among friends, and the online community. The enormous participation in today’s movement is a wake-up call to legislators from across the country. Their constituents are urgently demanding that America get on the path towards reducing carbon emissions before it is too late.'"

"'If we don’t act now, scientists tell us we’ll face an entirely different planet. From melting glaciers to unseasonable and erratic weather patterns, we are already feeling the impact of global warming. This is a global crisis that will affect all of us and requires immediate and bold action.   But while global warming presents us with our most pressing challenge, it also presents our most inspiring opportunity, As Step It Up has shown, it is only by uniting across the lines that too often divide us - geography, partisanship, economic and racial boundaries - that we will be able to address this crisis.'"

"'Global warming’s impact will be felt greatest among the most vulnerable of the world’s population. The droughts and stronger and more frequent storms combined with rising sea levels caused by global warming will dramatically affect the already scarce resources relied upon by hundreds of millions for the basics of life. The organizers of today’s events see an opportunity and a responsibility to ensure that solutions to this crisis take vulnerable populations - developing nations, people of color and low income communities - into account.'"

"'Stopping global warming will catalyze a new clean energy revolution which will benefit workers across the globe. We must - and we can - protect both their ability to provide for their families and also the long-term health of the environment,' Step it Up Organizer, Bill McKibben."

Related topics

 * Climate change