Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Oct 24:International Day of climate action

Saturday, October 24, 11 am - 12 noon

The Cathedral of St. John

the Divine invites the community to take a stand ethically, aesthetically, and spiritually. Come hear, see, and reflect upon the important issue of climate change — in the midst of our daily lives.

350 rings. Between 11 am and 12 noon, the Cathedral’s iconic bells will be rung in a sequence signifying 350. (see below for significance of 350)

Across the world on Saturday, October 24, people will engage in local “climate actions” in a massive coordinated global campaign to draw world leaders’ attention to the gravity of climate change. The burning of fossil fuels—literally, the burning of the earth—is the major cause of this problem.

Information will be available through a booth staffed by the Congregation of St. Savior.

At 11:30 am, as the bells are tolling, those who are gathered on the steps of the Cathedral will be photographed and the photo will be uploaded as one of the international climate actions.

The Cathedral supports the 350 campaign, an international effort led by environmentalist Bill McKibben and a dedicated team of volunteers (www.350.org). On Oct. 24 there will be actions at iconic places around the world—from the Great Barrier Reef to the Rockies to our community—in a united effort to send a clear message to world leaders: the solutions to climate change must be equitable, they must be grounded in science, and they must meet the scale of the crisis.

The number 350 derives from scientific observation that 350 parts per million of atmospheric carbon is the level at which life as we know it on this planet can continue without disastrous effects (including, e.g., flooding and changes in weather patterns, which tend to affect the poor most drastically, and which are increasingly expected right here in New York City).

1 comment:

sanda said...

Oops, remember us, the wheelchair users? I hope we can be included at the base of the steps on Amsterdam Ave.

Reminder: someone please tell the staff to remember to post a sign in front, indicating where the wheelchair entrance to the Cathedral is. Experience taught me that. The entrance ramp is on the side street,
the next one north, and someone has to remember to OPEN THE GATE.
The entry is thru the fence into the parking lot for buses, which is opposite the St. Luke's Hospital Emergency Room - unless it's all been moved. I do know that folks sometimes forget to open the gate and church side/back door. It was suggested to me that reminder be made, way back, by the Episcopal priest who did the wedding for me and spouse at St. Luke's Hospital Chapel, which is opposite the side door of St. John the Divine. I went over to visit the Cathedral.