Step It Up Asheville!
The End of Nature, a book by Bill McKibben published in 1989, changed my life. This was the first popular press, widely read book on climate change and other ecological catastrophes written for the American public, and it really altered my world view. Since then McKibben has continued writing on the same themes, which I’ll call a spiritually based critique of human culture that encompasses both traditional ecological concerns and social ecology. The Age of Missing Information, Enough, Hope - Human and Wild, The Comforting Whirlwind - God, Job, and the Scale of Creation, and his latest Deep Economy - The Wealth of Communities and The Durable Future grace my bookshelf. Hope I can find the time to write a review of this book for you, or maybe you want to go to your favorite local bookseller, read it, and write a review. Let me know, and I’ll publish on this website.
Last fall in Vermont McKibben led 1000 people, at the time the largest public demonstration in the USA, to demand action from the Vt. legislature for a sane policy in regards to the climate crisis.
A few months ago he began organizing STEP IT UP 2007! (http://stepitup2007.org/), a nation wide public demonstration to ask the US Congress to Step it Up and cut carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. There are over 1300 demonstrations organized in all 50 states where tens of thousands of Americans will gather all across the country at meaningful, iconic places to call for action on climate change. They will hike, bike, climb, walk, swim, kayak, canoe, or simply sit or stand with banners, sing and shout for our call to action.
In Asheville, we will meet at City-County Plaza this coming Saturday at 1 p.m. Mayor Bellamy and Sandy Pfeiffer, the President of Warren Wilson College (a world leader in sustainability education), plus others will speak. Check out our local event at http://events.stepitup2007.org/events/show/920
Better yet, check out Phillip Gibson’s (our regional organizer) blog, at www.phillipraygibson.blogspot.com
More importanyly please show up and become part of the dynamic Western North Carolina Community that is taking democracy back and helping to create a sustainable bio-region.
for Earth Peace, Richard