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Taking action for the Earth

ENVIRONMENT: Supporters gather in Lacey as part of national effort to reverse climate change

MATT BATCHELDOR; The Olympian | • Published October 25, 2009

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LACEY – More than 50 people gathered Saturday at William A. Bush Park to take a local stand against global climate change, many of them arriving by bicycle on the nearby Chehalis Western Trail.

They came for the first Bike and Walk for Climate Change Action, organized by several local faith-based organizations. It’s part of an International Day of Climate Action, organized by 350.org, an international environmental organization fronted by author and environmentalist Bill McKibben.

The message: Focus on bringing down the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to 350 parts per million, the level some scientists say is the safe upper limit. The level is now 387 parts per million, according to 350.org.

More than 5,200 similar events are taking place in 181 countries, according to the Web site. The group wants to send a message in advance of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, set for Dec. 7-18. It says reaching the lower carbon threshold will require international cooperation.

The Rev. Carol McKinley of the Olympia Unitarian Universalist Congregation, the lead organizer of Saturday’s event, had hoped to have 350 people participate to symbolize the carbon threshold. She described it as an “awareness-raising event.”

“Life on this planet, whether it’s human or other life, we are all part of an interconnected web,” she said.

For Sister Mimi Maloney of St. Michael’s Catholic Church, climate change also has religious significance.

“For us, we believe we’re destroying the means to come and love God,” she said. “It’s so important for people of faith to take a stand.”

Organizers say the poor will be disproportionately affected by global warming – by floods and droughts, for example.

“We are calling upon our leaders to consider the plight of the poor, the oppressed,” McKinley said.

Thurston County Commissioner Sandra Romero gave a short speech, saying she was optimistic about addressing the issue.

“We know there’s hope now,” she said.

The event was sponsored by Washington State Unitarian Universalist Voices for Justice, Earth Care Catholics, Call to Action, the Interfaith Works Earth Stewardship Committee and the Olympia Unitarian Universalist Congregation’s Green Sanctuary Committee.

McKinley said two other local events were planned Saturday – a walk in Olympia marking where the water level is expected to rise if the climate changes, and a service in the evening at the United Methodist Church.

Olympia resident Rick Kunkle was one of the people who biked to Bush Park to be part of the event. He said he normally bikes to work, a 31/2-mile ride. He agreed that addressing climate change also addresses poverty.

“I think it actually helps us solve multiple problems,” he said.

Matt Batcheldor: 360-704-6869

mbatcheldor@theolympian.com