From Green Right Now Reports
Thousands of climate activists and concerned citizens rallied all over the world on Saturday for Climate Impacts Day (May 5) to show that climate change is already degrading their communities and to call for solutions.
Ithaca, N.Y., group warns that more CO2 in the atmosphere means more flooding.
Groups around the world, in Canada, Israel, Germany, Australia, South Africa, Thailand, India and dozens more locales, protested rising oceans, desertification and loss of glaciers and temperate weather. They held up circular posters to show that they “connect the dots” between carbon pollution from fossil fuel emissions and deforestation and the changing climate these activities are causing.
In the United States, people from Lincolnville Beach, Maine to Bend, Ore.; Lancaster, Pa., to Lancaster Texas, , hoisted dots big and small to show how they have been, and anticipate being, affected by climate change-related storms, drought and heatwaves that have ruined buildings and bridges and farmland.
The groups made points about rising asthma, pine beetle infestation, soil erosion, loss of natural preserves to oil drilling and mountaintop removal as they held up info posters near power lines, buildings ravaged by tornadoes and sites damaged by hurricanes and floods.
Tallahassee, Fla., activists warn that warmer weather means worsening asthma and insects.
Folks in Cape Elizabeth, Maine pointed out that “It’s 350″ — considered a safe level of carbon in the atmosphere — or people can say goodbye to Maine lobster, blueberries and maple syrup.
In Davis, California, a “flash flood mob” made a point about how climate change contributes to flooding, as storms grow more erratic and drop more rain because of higher moisture in the air causing by melting ice and warmer oceans.
Davis, Calif., flash flood mob notes that higher CO2 in the air means heavier downpours.
Many demonstrations also promoted the solutions to climate change. People posed near solar panels, a non-polluting source of energy, and near coal plants; both groups making the point that moving away from fossil fuels will slow the carbon buildup in the atmosphere. Their signs urged the preservation of forests and local food. Farmers gathered in Madison, Wisc., to show their concern about the loss of farmland. Citizens in Mawta, N.J., expressed worries about the pollution from natural gas fracking.
Connect the Dots group in Lancaster, Texas, where a tornado damaged buildings.
The event was the brainchild of the grassroots climate action group 350.org and founder and environmentalist, Bill McKibben, who tweeted yesterday:
“Headed to bed tired, happy. If you ever doubt whether the climate’s worth fighting for, leaf thru the weekend’s pix at http://350.org.
Here are a few more pictures from around the US, all of which come from the 350.org Flickr feed (where you can see international photos as well):
Massachussetts group points out how freak weather fells trees.
Montana kids lament how the pine beetle, which thrives in warmer weather, is killing forests.
New York City group's message: Manahattan is threatened by rising oceans.
Madison farmers worried about climate impacts.
Three generations of fishermen on Leech Lake, Minn.
Quakers in Lancaster, Pa., protest mountaintop removal.
San Francisco is threatened by sea level rise. (artist: Daniel Dancer)
Food not floods is the message from Berlin, Vermont.
Harlem school kids made the signs for these NYC bicyclists.