This Sunday, on the 10th of October 2010, let us make the unbelievable happen.
Let’s show the world leaders that we, the people of this planet, are taking action and bringing about a change in our communities. We will have children, household communities, schools, and universities, and climate action groups from across the world joining us for this mega-event and offering solutions to climate change.
Indeed, it is time for us now to make our voices heard – by our leaders, politicians, businessmen, corporate houses, banks supporting mining houses and the Tar Sands. It is time for us to take action which calls for change and pressurizes world leaders to act urgently. Hence, we urge you to take action in your communities and continue with your local struggles in your respective communities. Clearly, there can be no agreement for us, without us.
At present, we are just a few days away from 10/10/10, the single largest carbon cutting day in world history. World over, we are teaming with 350.org to ensure that 10/10/10 is the single largest event to showcase climate solutions on a local level the world has ever seen.
We have over 4000 work parties already registered in over 170 countries. We already have some brilliant 10/10/10 events registered- in Maldives; they are putting up solar panels at the President’s house. 2000 people walking together for a better planet in Vietnam. Bike repairs carried out in San Francisco. Clean up drives in Tonga.
Why should you be far behind? Here are a few action ideas for 10/10/10:
(i) Organize an eco-fest in your college/school/ community- it’s a brilliant way to get more people on board and a fun way to depict climate solutions. You could organize awareness stalls, have fun games (for example, arrest of climate criminals through games), have organic food stalls etc.
(ii) Organize a green rock band event – music is a great way to capture people’s attention and get them involved and thinking about the issue at the same time.
(iii) Organize a bike rally with 350 cyclists.
(iv) Take a pledge that you along with some more people would reduce your emissions by 10%, reduce your water, electricity consumption by 10%
(v) Hold a photography contest which would depict shades of your city in context of environment and development- for example, photographers could take pictures of different aspects of the city ranging from the bad – Tar Sands, beaches with litter to organic farming being practiced in households
(vi) Organize a plastic free day/ no straw day/no tissue paper day- nothing better than reducing our consumption
(vii) Meat free day – nothing like going vegan. It brings down our carbon emissions to a large extent. Or maybe, even organize a picnic with your friends where you go vegan for the day.
(viii) Awareness based campaigns – Organize a teach-in where you could educate people on the issue of 350 ppm, the urgency of climate action and the need to get actively involved
(ix) Plant 350 trees-
(x) Street Theatre – it is an excellent way of reaching out to people and get them thinking about the issue at the same time
(xi) Get some experts on climate change issues, sustainable development issues to speak and discuss the issues of 350 and 10/10/10
(xii) Get the authorities in your school/college and your neighbor hoods to install solar panels, rainwater recycling structures etc
(xiii) Go on a 24 hour climate fast
(xiv) Write to the daily newspaper, blog etc about the issue to sensitive more people to this issue
Well, the sky is the limit for ideas and you could get a lot more creative with ideas.
But let’s show to the world leaders that we are getting to work. And if we can do it, so can they.
Let us create history this 10th October 2010.
Written by former CYCC intern Lavanya Julaniya
