Dear Friends,

     350.org is an international campaign that’s building a movement to unite the world around solutions to the climate crisis. It was founded by Bill McKibben, who wrote one of the first books on global warming for the general public.

     In 2007, Bill and a team of university friends ran a campaign called Step It Up that organized over 2,000 rallies calling for greater climate change awareness and action at sites in all 50 of the United States. The Hitchcock Center was proud to be one of those sites. The creative actions that took place that day -- from skiers descending a melting glacier to divers hosting an underwater action -- helped convince many political leaders, including then-Senator Barack Obama, to adopt action to cut carbon 80% by 2050.

     Last year, 350.org built off of this model of creative activism to help mobilize over 5200 actions in 181 countries. CNN called it “the most widespread day of political action in the planet’s history.” Once again, the Hitchcock Center was proud to participate in this grassroots movement through its Enchanted Forest, a non-scary Halloween event. Actions taken that day sent a unified message to the UN climate conference in Copenhagen in December of 2009 -- a conference that fell apart because some nations weren’t yet ready to start making serious cuts in their emissions.

     Now 350.org is asking that we build an even bigger and stronger movement. On October 10, 2010, Global Work Parties are being organized in thousands of communities to send a sharp message to our political leaders: We’re getting to work, what about you?

     I’m writing to ask that you take action on this day by organizing or participating in a Global Work Party. To register an event or find out what’s happening in your community, visit the www.350.org website. This year, the Hitchcock Center will be working with Amherst’s Energy Task Force and Amherst350.org to establish our own Global Work Party, details to come out in the next few weeks. And throughout the month of October, it’s Amherst’s Energy Awareness Month.

     Staying informed, educated, and engaged is central to the Hitchcock Center’s mission. In this fall season, I hope you find programs to support your own quest for greater ecological literacy and action.

Julie Johnson
Executive Director

Scientists say that 350 parts per million CO2 in the atmosphere is the safe limit for humanity. Learn more about 350, what it means, where it came from, and how to get there at www.350.org.

Questions or comments?  E-mail us at info@hitchcockcenter.org.