10/10/10 = NUC Wheels of Change

350.org has done it again!

"Dear friends,

It's happening--and it’s even bigger than we thought it would be.

From what we can tell from reports streaming in from East Asia and Australia and New Zealand, 10/10/10 is going to be the biggest day of climate action ever--from one end of the planet to the other, people are already hard at work."
(Bill McKibben 350.org)

10/10/10 marked another 350 day of Climate Action! Yesterday in Darwin there were 3 events planned.




NUC Wheels of Change - A bunch from Nightcliff Uniting Church decided it would be a great idea to ride to Church

Lakeside Drive Community Garden 10/10/10 Working Bee - The Lakeside Drive Community Gardeners chose this date as the time to turn the first sod of soil in the creation of their ambitious new community garden on a spit of land between the road and the Rapid Creek.

Peddalling for the Planet - A bunch of cyclists planned to get together dress their bikes up and ride a 3.5 km circuit to promote climate action.


I was fortunate enough to attend two of these events and the atmosphere was great.

A pretty large bunch of people turned up at Nightcliff Uniting Church on their bikes... I shouldn't have been surprised really! There's a lot of active enthusiastic participants in life who attend that Church. I should have known they wouldn't need much prompting to jump on their bikes and have some fun riding to Church! Unfortunately my family weren't feeling too good on Sunday morning (it seems they'd finally caught the cold I brought home from work a week ago!) so it was a party of one who left our house at 8:30 am. I didn't have to ride far before I met with Penny, then Lucy and her two boys. The 5 of us had quite a pleasant ride along the McMillans Rd cycle path and then past the farm on Rapid Creek. By 9:15 we'd arrived at the Church early enough to watch all the others come peddling in! It was so cool to see everyone rolling up. There were about 5 families who rode together and a bunch of others who peddled solo from various locations around Darwin. I'm pretty sure now the youngest riders were a pair of 3 year olds while the oldest would have been somewhere over 60 years old... The atmosphere was so great that Jana (the Minister and worship leader of the day) had to come out and ring a bicycle bell to get the crowd to come in and join the service!
This spontaneous effort spurred people to think about future rides we might like to do together as a group.

Later in the day at about 4:00pm when my girl was feeling more like riding we hopped on our bikes and rode down to Lakeside Drive where we met with a bunch of others who had peddled down there to start work on the new Community Garden! Once again the atmosphere was buzzing with enthusiasm and a sense of fun! Once again there were a great mix of children and adults all participating in an activity of affirmative action toward a carbon neutral future!



It was great to take part in these events! Being part of a community of people from all age groups working together for a sustainable future is a great buzz. We don't know exactly what the future will bring. Maybe we will never achieve the goal of 350 parts per million of Carbon in the atmosphere but working together as we have may help us to build the skills necessary to participate in a rapidly changing and increasingly hostile environment.

What Impact?

Climate meetings in Barcelona will be wrapping up tomorrow and in just one month World Leaders will be gathering in Copenhagen. The meetings in Copenhagen are supposed to be the place where the Governments of the World unite to answer the challenge laid out to them two years ago at talks in Bali where the "Bali Road Map" was created. As I recall that was when they stalled proceedings and claiming two years to consider their options. Now our time is up and our leaders must take real action to reduce worldwide CO2 emissions or we will face Runaway Global Warming.

Well the 350.org events held in 181 countries throughout the world have set a very determined and clear expectation for what many of us are aware is the necessary target for action. However it is highly unlikely that international targets will come anywhere near the commitment necessary for abating Global Warming or runaway Climate Change.

I have heard so many times, from too many people, that we are powerless to do anything about Global Warming, "There's nothing we can do that will make any difference..." there's nothing the average person can do to change the state of the world.
More commonly than not when the subject of climate change comes up I am bewildered by the indignant protagonists from the 'head in the sand' school of thought. "Oh the scientists will come up with something", "It's a lot of crap anyway the greenies just want to stop us driving our cars!"
I think these two remarks are saying is: 'How dare you challenge my illusion! I am happy in my beliefs and I will not have them questioned or challenged by party poopers or rational argument!

Anyway if you're interested in what we can do to make an Impact, assuming that by changing the individual we are changing a part of the world. Affecting those around us, sending revolutionary ripples across the surface of the lake of indifference and turning the tide on the seven seas of apathy!
There are heaps of books, videos and stories offering alternatives to the way we are currently living that would do a lot to help the human race reduce it's carbon emissions help the planet regenerate into the life giving organism we need it to be.

You might like to check out the book No Impact Man. The author Colin Beavan is no enlightened Eco Guru, he's not a scientist or a politician, he's not a spiritual leader and he doesn't hold any mystical secrets! He doesn't always get it right, he is not perfect. He's just an ordinary guy who decided he'd have a go at reducing his impact on the planet and proved that it not only can be done but it can make life even more enjoyable... Believe it. Or not.

I take from this book I resolved after having read the book rule No.1. Don't let the bastards convince you that you've no right to try just because you're human and may not always reflect every ideal you strive for! Basically Rule one says. "So you're gonna screw up... You'll make mistakes, you might even get some things wrong! You might chose the loosing team! So F--king What! Do it anyway!

After reading the No Impact Man Blog for about 2 years I was very keen to read the book when it was published. It has been and I ordered 2 coppies which arrived in the post about 2 months ago. They are now in circulation among my friends and are destined for a couple of local libraries. There is plenty we can do.

(2 copies of No Impact Man - currently being re-used)

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure..." (Marrianne Williamson A Return to Love)

Rising tide 350 action

(Informing the crowd)

There has been a rising tide of discontent throughout the world! Citizens of nearly every country on the planet have declared their wish to see commitment from the Governments of the world to take real steps towards reversing climate change and reducing CO2 emissions in the atmosphere to 350 parts per million. People are tired of Government Greenwashing and large numbers are asking "What will it take to get our government to do what it takes to reduce emissions?"


(Radical Activists from a local Church stand on a footbridge)

Here in Darwin we formed a human Tide Line to show where the sea level will be if our government refuses to commit to real reductions.



(Business man... Possibly real estate agent)

Apparently today has been (Continues to be) the largest international day of action ever! But the battle has not yet been fought. This is only the call to awaken us all. There will be more action and many more opportunities to demand that our governments commit to reducing CO2 emissions. It is also a call for us all to take the matter of climate change seriously and personally, although it nothing is likely to change without the support of government policy and systemic changes in the infrastructure of the country there is also a place for individuals to prepare for a post fossil fuel future! Sacrifices will need to be made, however this doesn't need to mean lives that are impoverished. It may actually help us improve our lives. Just as Colin Beavan discovered during his year of the No Impact Project, you can read about it in his book No Impact Man.