10:10:10

In a couple of months, the date will be 10/10/10, and 350.org and a number of partner organisations have picked that date for another co-ordinated day of action. Their last major effort in late 2009 was (probably) the single largest day of political action in history, spanning around five thousand gatherings in hundreds of countries raising awareness of the dangerous levels of carbon dioxide rising with each passing year. This time, the focus is on work parties, small collective actions to improve the situation. There is no illusion that these actions will themselves do much to mitigate the problem (let alone solve it), but they are a demonstration of popular will and a message to governments that millions are ready to act and merely want leadership.

Again, thousands of events are being organised locally all around the globe. You can organise your own or join something already being planned in your area. For instance, two events are currently being organised in Edinburgh. One is tree planting in Fife and the other is a carrotmob to reward socially responsible businesses with custom. Each can be criticised for the level of ecological effectiveness compared to the effort involved, but the point remains primarily political. Individual actions are insufficient. The wind needs to change.