We’re at the climate precipice folks, no doubt about it. The view from here makes one thing abundantly clear: to make our political leaders take action on what has been called “the greatest threat civilization now faces,” the climate movement must come together in a way that is more united, synchronized, and widely distributed than ever before. In other words, the time has come to Step It Up.
To that end, environmental journalist and all-around climate badass Bill McKibben is working with a crew of youth climate activists to create a new kind of political advocacy. We’re inviting communities across America to take part in Step It Up 2007: a single day of coordinated grassroots action pushing for bold national climate legislation. On April 14th, there will be hundreds of actions—there will be people rallying on mountaintops, at churches, in city parks, and on Campus Climate Challenge campuses nation-wide. We’ll all be demanding the same thing: that Congress pass laws to cut carbon 80% by 2050. With the latest technowizardry on our side, we’ll be using the internet to funnel our photos, audio, video, and text messages into one strong message to jumpstart Congress to pass climate legislation that is actually informed by the latest climate science.
This is a homegrown, do-it-yourself action, and we need everyone on board—from veteran climate organizers to small-town ministers, from EJ activists to green-tech entrepreneurs. But maybe more than anything, the youth voice must come through as loud, clear, and uncompromising. So check out our website, get your community on board, and then spread the word far and wide. Tell your Mom. Tell your professors. Tell your entire list of e-mail contacts. Together, we’ll all tell congress. Then in 50 years, you can tell your grandkids: I stepped it up and helped turn the tide on climate change, rallying with my community and my country on a sunny spring day way back in 2007.
To read a piece about Step It Up 2007 by Bill McKibben, click here to be taken to the Grist.
To sign up to organize an action, click here to get started.
