Thanks to Meryn Stol for pointing me to Grist and 350. Building upon his earlier Step it Up initiative, Bill McKibben is asking us all to participate in his new 350 international grassroots climate campaign. For those of you wondering, 350 is the absolute limit we should not go past, in terms of CO2 parts per million. We are already at 385 parts per million . . .
Seems like fun and easy. I urge you to bring the 350 initiative into your community. You can make it as big, or as small, as you want.
[...] 2, 2008 by lamarguerite In the process of doing research for the 350 campaign, I came across an AFP press release from a few weeks ago, that is too important to be [...]
During my recent wandering through the “green web”, I also stumbled upon http://everythingscool.org/ . What I saw about McKibben in this outtake – http://everythingscool.org/article.php?id=55 – made me think back about different leadership styles/approaches as we discussed in your post on Robert Redford: http://lamarguerite.wordpress.com/2008/04/23/robert-redford-made-my-earth-day/ .
The contrast couldn’t be higher.
“We may well lose this fight, and since 1988 we’ve lost large parts of it.” “I’m not trying to depress you, even though I know I am.” (don’t know if I got the quote exactly right, I’ve transcripted this myself)
I do think 350.org is a laudable initiative, and that it’s very important that people have a clear sense of the limits of our world’s ecosystem, but I’m somehow afraid that McKibben is himself not really hopeful (why that language otherwise?), and that this somehow will shine through in initiatives around his persona.
I’d rather see the 350 number embedded in a story by Van Jones, Robert Redford, Obama or Nordaus and Shellenberger. They are – off the top of my head – the most prominent people I know that are trying to frame the issues we face in a positive message – a message of hope.
I’m not part of a “we may very well lose, but we’re still gonna fight” crowd.
Agree with you, Meryn. People do not respond well to doom messages. That’s why Obama’s hope message is so energizing. I don’t mind fear, as long as it is coupled with hope, and empowerment.
The thing about this is that it’s just an information campaign.
“Here’s our goal: We want to take this number, 350, and spread it all over the world. We want every human, if they know nothing else about global warming, to know that 350 represents safety. We want to use protest and music and art and video and the net to make that number inescapable, ubiquitous. Everywhere.”
Okay, so let’s say the world wakes up tomorrow knowing this.
Now what?
We’re at 385. And should be at 350.
What are we going to do, McKibben? And why not focus on that as well as the magic number, 350?
I mean, if I’m on a boat and it springs a leak, do I try to fix the leak, or find someone who knows how to fix the leak, or get everyone to lifeboats, or what? McKibben just wants us to run around making sure everyone knows there’s a leak.
Okay, we’re sinking. But what do we do? He says it’ll help the follow-up negotiations to Kyoto. Maybe. But that treaty’s not due for writing until 2012. And probably won’t be ratified or put into place by most countries until 2013-2014, and the first actions towards it not until 2015. So we’re talking seven years away. Hell, World War Two was begun and finished in less time than that.
350? That’s too abstract. People need more down-to-earth stuff.
I see your point Kyle. It is always tempting to want to reduce such a big problem into one magic number. However as you justly point out, most people do not think abstractly. Rather they react to images, and they respond to solutions.
350 is important.
When scientists started taking measurements in 1958 at Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, the concentration of carbon dioxide was about 315 or 316 ppm.
That was about a year before I was born.
So, it was during my (and perhaps our) lifetime that we humans have pushed the concentration from below 350 ppm to, today, well above 350 ppm.
That doesn’t make me feel so good, and it energizes me to help correct the situation.
It was in the late 80s when the concentration went past 350 ppm. I was in my late 20s then. I didn’t even know about it (although some people did, including in the government and in industry, apparently).
I hate to sound like a grouch sometimes, but I do get grouchy about that.
As for actions that help lead to solutions: Most of the organizations that seem to be “standing in the way” of necessary progress are many of those in the coal, oil, and utility industries. And (in some cases) in government, of course. So, one of the first things you can do is make your feelings known about that, to them. Don’t put up with the “BS” that they often include or imply in their ads (some of them anyhow). INSIST on change. Don’t buy their products if they don’t show responsible change. And so forth.
What companies in those industries do will have MUCH more of an impact on the problem than most other actions individuals could possibly take.
Sorry for the grouchiness.
Jeff
Grouchy is good in this case. If you are so inspired, Jeff, how about you use 350 as a platform for one of your ideas? If you do, please let us know and enrich the thread here with your reports . . . No pressure
Thanks Marguerite. As one thought: I currently wear an “Obama 2008″ hat when I wander about, some of the time. At some point, perhaps I’ll also get a hat that simply says “350″ on the front. (Have you seen such a hat?) Ideally, the hat would be very simple, as the idea is that (hopefully) some people will be curious and ask about it.
If you know of anyone who makes hats, or someone in the “350″ campaign, feel free to suggest this.
Cheers.
Also, along the lines mentioned above, it might be interesting to have t-shirts that say:
350 for our children
Or,
350 for the children
Or,
350 for your children
Whatever seems to be more catchy and relevant to people.
Cheers.
Go for it, Jeff!
Another great idea Jeff !
Thanks for the article Marguerite. I am too preparing an article on 350 for the 350th article on my blog.
(wow, 350 in less than two years, I can’t even believe it myself)
Yes!!!! Fight Global Warming! http://350now.wordpress.com/2009/10/28/350now/