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10-10-10: Regrowing The Climate Movement

350.org 10-10-10 Bowling GreenAcross the nation and around the world, hundreds of thousands of activists are mobilizing today in the 10/10/10 Global Work Party to fight global warming and build a sustainable future. In contrast to the surge of pro-pollution, anti-science ideology that is overtaking the Republican Party, most Americans are committed to building a clean energy economy that will preserve our way of live and defend our freedoms. Here are just a few of the thousands of events, in Congressional districts identified by the Wonk Room as key to the climate fight:

VA-5 (Rep. Tom Perriello): Come Help Unearth A Charlottesville Green Dream

The Coalition to Preserve McIntire Park, horticulturists, nature lovers and many other passionate, committed folks are trying to shine some light on the Rock Hill Gardens and restore it to its original splendor.

MD-1 (Rep. Frank Kratovil): Bike Cavalcade Around Salisbury

Concerned citizens around “Delmarva” (Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay) will support the global initiative to reverse Global Warming on 10/10/2010 with a bike cavalcade between the Library downtown and the University — several trips. The cavalcade will begin at the Main Library parking lot downtown (122 S. Division St.) starting at 12:00 Noon, and will be repeated using alternating routes. The action will end at 4:00 pm.

NM-2 (Rep. Harry Teague): Green Las Cruces

On 10/10/10 we are going to begin installation of solar panels on our Mesilla Valley Community of Hope (homeless shelter).

NY-19 (Rep. John Hall): Bluestone Farm Work Party and Beacon – Superfood Citizen Cafe Open House & Local Food Demonstration

Come volunteer with us as we get to work on the Bluestone Farm and participate in the Global Work Party sponsored by 350.org. Open house at Superfood Citizen Café of Beacon with demonstrations of organic, local & raw food preparation and personal experiences of discovering and utilizing the local agricultural resources of the Hudson Valley, and what it’s been like starting a green low-carbon footprint business. Plus, some pretty delicious food in a fun and welcoming atmosphere.

IN-9 (Rep. Baron Hill): 350.org and the City of Bloomington Parks and Rec Party

In conjunction with Bloomington Parks & Recreation, this 350.org 10/10/10 work party will focus on invasive species identification and removal.

NH-1 (Rep. Carol Shea-Porter): 10/10/10 Carrotmob

The 10/10/10 Carrotmob will mob the Hillsborough Market, an East Side bodega. Hillsborough Market owner Betty Delisle has pledged 100 percent of the Carrotmob profits she makes between 1-3 p.m. that Sunday to greening her store via energy efficiency improvements and other measures. Delisle said that while her store’s bread and butter is currently beer, soda, packaged food and tobacco sales, she is very interested in offering more healthful options to her customers and neighbors. To that end, she recently began selling fresh produce from several area farm stands.

IA-3 (Rep. Leonard Boswell): DSM 350

We will gather at the new Center Street Bridge in downtown Des Moines and kick off the morning with a breakfast potluck and a photo shoot spanning the river. From there, we will embark on a bike ride together and wind up at the Downtown Community Garden (at SE 6th St and Scott Ave) to build compost bins on site.

CA-11 (Rep. Jerry McNerney): Terra Bella Family Farm Local Foodshed Project

Terra Bella Family Farm is an organic farm in Pleasanton and Sunol. A local organic foodshed is a vital part of CO2 reduction via reducing food miles and fossil fuel inputs. We’ll be helping our local farmers in their summer-to-fall transition, harvesting, preparing beds, transplanting new seedlings. Please join us – as of October 5th the only event in the tri-valley area! Please bring gloves and gardening tools if you have them. We’ll have plenty of water for our workers, and local organic apples to snack on.

IL-14 (Rep. Bill Foster): Polar Bear International, Winterizing the Community Garden

Come to a quiet town to do some good for the polar bears up north! The event includes winterizing the Batavia community garden, meeting new people, and learning about polar bears from an Arctic Ambassador. Green Thumbs up to this really cool event.

FL-22 (Rep. Ron Klein): Native Tree Planting Action and inspirational Sunday morning service addressing Global Warming

Join the families of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Boca Raton for an inspirational and informational Sunday morning service addressing Global Warming/Climate Change and highlighting the ceremonial planting of native trees.

IL-17 (Rep. Phil Hare): Illinois Governor’s Mansion Goes Solar

“I am pleased to announce plans to bring the Illinois Governor’s Mansion into the 21st century with a new set of solar panels”, said Governor Pat Quinn. “We must do everything we can to increase our use of solar energy, which will help us protect natural resources and reduce our reliance on traditional energy sources.”

NM-1 (Rep. Martin Heinrich): Cut Carbon Rally

Get the latest facts from 350.org founder and our country’s leading environmentalist Bill McKibben. New Mexico’s leading expert Dr. John Fogerty will tell how climate change is affecting New Mexico and how we have the opportunity in our state to lead a charge for change. Learn from Senator Jeff Bingaman about the new energy bill before the Senate to mandate renewables at 15%. Keynote speaker Senator Tom Udall.

Many of the events reflect the growth of food communities, explored this week in the New York Times Magazine. There’s still time to join the party and call your leaders to get back to work on climate pollution.

National Journal: “The GOP is stampeding toward an absolutist rejection of climate science that appears unmatched among major political parties around the globe, even conservative ones.”

Indeed, it is difficult to identify another major political party in any democracy as thoroughly dismissive of climate science as is the GOP here. Eileen Claussen, president of the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, says that although other parties may contain pockets of climate skepticism, there is “no party-wide view like this anywhere in the world that I am aware of.”

It will be difficult for the world to move meaningfully against climate disruption if the United States does not. And it will be almost impossible for the U.S. to act if one party not only rejects the most common solution proposed for the problem (cap-and-trade) but repudiates even the idea that there is a problem to be solved. The GOP’s stiffening rejection of climate science sets the stage for much heated argument but little action as the world inexorably warms — and the dangers that Hague identified creep closer.

That’s from an excellent National Journal piece, “GOP Gives Climate Science A Cold Shoulder.”  It’s rare for a straight political commentator like Ron Brownstein to write a piece that isn’t just political theater but actually gets the importance of being wrong on this most important of issues.

Hague is the UK’s conservative Foreign Secretary William Hague, who said in a must-read speech last week, “You cannot have food, water, or energy security without climate security.” The point is, only U.S. conservatives are this uniquely self-destructive, embracing a position that will destroy food security, water security, and energy security for the nation and the world.

Think Progress has a couple of recent instances of this, with videos, starting with the most famous one-time witchcraft dabbler on the planet:

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To combat BP oil disaster, youth rock band ˜One Eyed Rhyno Tours with hit charitable single

Proceeds go to cleaning up the Gulf, raising awareness

Our guest blogger is CAP’s Ben Kaldunski.

In the wake of the BP oil disaster in the Gulf, the most severe environmental catastrophe in American history to date, the teenage rock and blues band One Eyed Rhyno is continuing the American tradition of music as activism. Touring charitable events and fundraisers across Northern California, One Eyed Rhyno (OER) is raising funds and awareness to help clean up the Gulf and support wildlife conservation in the area.

OER’s recent single “The Bird” was inspired by the BP oil spill and written by James Hunter in order to raise awareness of wildlife conservation in the Gulf of Mexico following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.  All proceeds from sales of this charitable single go to the Student Conservation Association, America’s premier environmental leadership organization for young people.  The song is available for purchase through iTunes, Amazon, and other online retailers.

Here’s the video:
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The America’s Great Outdoors Initiative

Lower Falls Grand Canyon2

The Grand Canyon is a popular tourist stop at Yellowstone National Park, which offers stunning views of the 20-mile-long chasm. The America’s Great Outdoors Initiative aims to help Americans reconnect with and protect our natural resources.

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