Taking action for 350

YOUTH from all across South Asia and all around the world are leading the charge in a global day of action on the 24th of October. Through creative actions of all kinds, the day will be a powerful call to all governments to commit to policies and actions that will set the world on course to below 350 ppm CO2, what many scientists now agree is the safe limit of CO2 in the atmosphere (more information available at www.350.org).
From high in the Himalayas to the Sundarbans of India and Bangladesh, from Swayambhunath in Kathmandu to the Taj Mahal in Agra, in big cities and remote villages -- all across South Asia people are uniting in the common call for 350.
Why 350? It was just under two years ago that a scientific report called, “Target Atmospheric CO2: Where Humanity Should Aim” was published by a number of scientists, most notably NASA scientist James Hansen. In that paper, Hansen et al. issued this profound and import statement:
“If humanity wishes to preserve a planet similar to that on which civilization developed and to which life on Earth is adapted, paleoclimate evidence and ongoing climate change suggest that CO2 will need to be reduced from its current 385 ppm to at most 350 ppm."
Since then many other leading scientists, economists, activists, and leaders from many sectors are joining in a growing chorus of voices supporting this 350 target. In late August Indian scientists and IPCC head Dr. Rajendra Pachauri added his personal endorsement, "...as a human being I am fully supportive of that goal. What is happening, and what is likely to happen, convinces me that the world must be really ambitious and very determined at moving toward a 350 target."
Furthermore over 80 countries, including several in South Asia, now argue internationally that 350 represents the bottom line for effective action on climate. At the UN Climate Talks in Bonn last month, the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) joined forces with the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) to make a powerful statement to demand that a climate agreement coming out of Copenhagen must actually be bold enough to fix the problem. For AOSIS and the LDCs that means a peak in global emissions by 2015 and deep short-term reductions. According to a press-release they issued in Bonn, these reductions are necessary to make it possible to "return atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations to 350."
But certainly it's not just the experts or government officials talking about 350. What makes the 350 target particularly unique is the growing grassroots movement of support for strong and effective international cooperation to get CO2 levels back below 350 ppm. Already in 2008 and 2009 young people, religious groups, athletes, and artists have been spreading the number around the globe. And now the 24th of October is gearing up to be one of the most widely distributed coordinated global actions to ever take place--and the www.350.org website documents it all.
Now, following the South Asian Youth Summit on Climate Change, the youth networks across the region are stepping up their own leadership and taking the movement to the streets, mountains, beaches, temples, and everywhere. In every country, youth are organizing and recruiting actions, but the 24th of October day of action is not restricted to youth. People of all ages are invited to join. Wherever you live you can attend an action if one is being planned near you, or you can start your own. To find more information about actions near you or on how to organize one yourself (no previous organizing experience necessary) please visit www.350.org.
Will Bates is the Asia Pacific Campaign Coordinator of 350.org.