350.org Environment Rally Comes Off "Perfectly"

Hundreds Attend Sydney Climate Change Rally

Oct 28, 2009 Rachel Williamson

A human '350' was spelled out on Sydney's Opera House steps on Saturday in support of 350.org's global climate change rally to influence the Copenhagen climate talks.

World Leaders, pay attention.

On October 24, 2009, thousands of people gathered at 5,242 events in 181 countries to show their support for action on Climate Change.

In Australia, 229 events were planned with the keynote rally being held at the Opera House from 2pm to 3.30pm, where hundreds of people formed a human ‘350’ and a giant ‘3’ on the steps.

About 350.org

350.org is the organisation behind the rolling climate change rallies. It is an international campaign to foster agreement around the world that something needs to be done about climate change, and the target it is aiming at is 350 parts per million (ppm) of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, down from the current 380-390 ppm.

It claims it doesn’t want to argue about solutions or play politics.

350.org Australia CEO Blair Palese said the real aim was to raise awareness within a broad spectrum of society, so the politicians would understand, while they were creating policy positions to take to the Copenhagen talks, that there was “real momentum” to ask for strategies that would reduce the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Sydney Opera House Ralliers Not Your Usual Suspects

Mrs. Palese was excited and highly relieved that everything had come together “perfectly” for the Opera House event.

“So amazing to see so many people come out - not your usual suspects – it’s not just green groups it’s mums and dads and people…just concerned about the issue,” she said.

The Sydney crowd was definitely not the “usual suspects”. Hacky sacks and dread locks were nowhere to seen and the age range veered towards those in their 40s and 50s, and families with young children.

‘Environmental protestor’ was not a description that sat easily on the 1200-strong crowd on Saturday; the atmosphere was more of fun in the sun, with ice cream vendors and face painting keeping kids occupied, and music from The Beautiful Girls, Felix Riebl from Cat Empire and the choir Café of the Gates of Salvation entertaining the adults.

ABC radio host Robyn Williams MC’d and talks from people such as International Panel on Climate Change climate expert Professor Ann Henderson Sellers and Sydney Mayor Clover Moore provided the motivation for any fence sitters.

Mrs. Moore gave a rousing speech and said real change was needed to achieve the 350 goal. “We have the knowledge, we have the tools, we have the technology. We can build a sustainable world.”

A Man-Of-War with banners on its three sails urging “350.org for a safe climate” in blue block letters hovered in the harbour near the Opera House, while blue umbrellas and t-shirts continued the theme.

350.org Becomes A Global Movement

350.org was founded by American environmentalist Bill McKibben as way to bring together all the disparate climate movements as one internet-based group that by-passed the celebrities and went straight for the jugular of the ordinary man-in-the-street.

Mr McKibben said in a press release that in one sense the movement finally "went global" on Saturday.

"There wasn't a rock star or movie actor in sight - it was ordinary people rallying around a scientific data point to send the message that our leaders actually need to lead."

Mrs. Palese said the reason for choosing a number rather than a word name was because it was visual and transcended language, people around the world could understand it.

And the idea worked.

In Africa diverse groups hiked to the top of Table Mountain.

On an oil-stained beach in Chile over 250 people spelled a giant 350 against the black backdrop near Concepcion.

Berliners had a silent dance party with the music pumped directly into their headphones

Three hundred and fifty riders in Beijing rode through the streets and held an eco hip-hop dance.

Maldivians performed a 24 hour underwater 350 formation relay

And Palestinians, Israelis and Jordanians formed a ‘3’, a ‘5’ and a ‘0’, respectively, on their countries' respective shores of the Dead Sea.

It all culminated in New York’s Times Square where videos of the events were shown on giant video screens.

The copyright of the article 350.org Environment Rally Comes Off "Perfectly" in Environmentalism is owned by Rachel Williamson. Permission to republish 350.org Environment Rally Comes Off "Perfectly" in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Australians Form '350' On Sydney Opera House Steps	Man-O-War Sydney Harbour	U.S. Soldiers In Korengal Valley, Afghanistan
Israeli, Palestinian, Jordanians On The Dead Sea	Filipino Students In Cebu Call For Climate Action