December 3, 2009

Students set candlelight vigil for climate action

Racine students are organizing another rally, this one a candlelight vigil in support of action -- and not just hot air -- on climate change.

The rally will be held on Saturday, Dec. 12, at 5 p.m., at Monument Square. It's a bring-your-own-candle vigil, and open to the public. Not coincidentally, it will take place while some 16,000 delegates and activists are attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference. Among those attending the Copenhagen meeting will be President Obama, Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle and Racine resident Jamie Racine, one of two Wisconsin student representatives.

This latest rally, organized by Joseph McNutt, a student at Walden III High, and other students, is in response to President Obama's statement that he would not sign anything at Copenhagen, despite the years of preparation for the event. "We want to show Obama and the leaders of other nations that we don't want talk, we want action." The rally is an follow-up to the one held in Monument Square on Oct. 24, in conjunction with more than 5,200 similar events around the world, under the auspices of 350.org.

"We will gather at Monument Square and promote action at Copenhagen instead of just speeches," McNutt said. "President Obama will go there and deliver a rousing speech and then go on to Norway to collect his Nobel Prize. We just want to show we want action."

Racine's rally on the 12th is one of many again organized by 350.org. Their collective messsage, contained in a letter McNutt received, is this: The World Wants a Real Deal -- people all over the planet are demanding a binding global climate agreement guided by the latest science and built upon principles of justice and equity.

The Saturday rallies in many cities will be followed by the ringing of church bells, the beating of drums and the blowing of horns -- all for 350 times -- on Sunday, Dec. 13.

Here's more from 350.org:
As Maldives President Mohammed Nasheed said last week at a summit of the most vulnerable nations: "We will not sign a global suicide pact, in Copenhagen or anywhere."

Instead, he and the other nations called for a "survival pact," for commitments by the developed world to cut emissions enough to get the atmospheric concentration of CO2 back to 350.

Some of the planned candlelight vigils will take place at iconic places in communities all over the world. Others will be outside American consulates and embassies, and at senators' offices throughout the United States. Partly this is because the U.S. is, historically, the country most responsible for the carbon in the world's atmosphere. But it's also because America, if it chose, could lead the way to a sane global climate policy.

...We need to send a signal to say that speeches and prizes are good, but action is what's really required -- enough action to head us back towards 350 parts per million.

Obama will bring an emissions target to the table in Copenhagen, a bittersweet development in this political drama. Sweet because having any sort of commitment from the U.S. increases the chances of global collaboration on a climate deal, bitter because U.S. emissions target represents a paltry 3% reductions below 1990 levels -- far from the ambitious cuts scientists say are necessary to get back to 350.

The United States now holds a big key to unlock this process, and we need Obama and the U.S. Congress to turn that key -- which is why many of the candlelight vigils will take place at U.S. senate offices, and at U.S. embassies and consulates around the world.

...Here's the deal: the huge day of action on Oct. 24 was a tremendous start, and it's hard to believe that it was only a month ago that you created what's being called "the most widespread day of political action in history." It took the most important number on earth and made it one of the most well-known.

Copenhagen continues that process--with the whole world paying attention, we need to remind our leaders that we don't need rhetoric, we need change. Fast.

54 comments:

  1. A rally opposing climate science fraud would be a better idea.

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  2. True Denis.

    Pete, heard of Climate Gate?

    They falsified data, and lied.

    This whole thing is debunked.

    Go ahead keep lying to the kids.

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  3. Really, are the people who run this blog complete idiots? Hello?!?!?!?! CLIMATEGATE. Just because Katie Couric hasn't covered it yet doesn't mean it hasn't happened. It's ALL OVER the internet, blogs, and European newspapers. An inquiry has been opened in Congress. It's over, people. WHY would you give this "story" coverage? Are you asking to be mocked?

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  4. I'm so sorry to have offended you. Please send a list of the subjects we may write about.

    As for climate change: Yeah, we don't really wait for Katie, but neither do we depend upon Fox news.

    Those leaked or stolen emails show only that data from the Climate Research Unit at East Anglia may have been compromised. There's still lots of evidence from NASA, NOAA and the Japanese Meteorological Agency showing that temperatures are rising.

    Or, as the perfessor taught us years ago, Half of everything you've learned is wrong; the problem is we don't know which half.

    In any case, don't mistake the message for the messenger.

    If you want an apology, go to Tiger Woods..

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  5. Pete your a dumb ass

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  6. CLIMATEGATE!

    As for "Those leaked or stolen emails" if I recall the Pentagon Papers were stolen too that act did not make them any less true.
    Of course we see little about NASA being sued to force the resale of information that they have about Global Warming under the Freedom Of Information Act.

    Pete feel free to cut down on your carbon emissions all you want I look forward to your taking the bus or biking everywhere you go.
    Will you be doing Meatless Monday? Of course your home temp is set at 65 right?

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  7. http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9CBVM701&show_article=1

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  8. So they are going to rally against global warming by carrying open flame, carbon producing fire sticks?
    Will there be chanting? Because every time we speak, we emit CO2. That's bad for the planet. They didn't think this through very well.

    Who's the leader of this cootie platoon?

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  9. http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,665182,00.html

    The real reason most of the UN will be there!

    Party on!

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  10. There's still lots of evidence from NASA, NOAA and the Japanese Meteorological Agency showing that temperatures are rising.

    Pete, global temps have been down each of the last ten years.

    Global temps are down .74 degrees since Al Gore releases An Inconvenient Truth.

    That's just fact Pete and your ridiculous Fox News point just proves your ridiculous liberal bias.

    Over 30,000 scientists are on board saying that global warming is bunk.

    CO2 is not a pollutant, it is a natural biproduct of breathing. Our planets temperature has everything to do with the sun not CO2.

    That you would go along with the propaganda they are force feeding our children is ridiculous.

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  11. Coffee Please12/04/2009 9:04 AM

    I congratulate these kids on bringing attention to an important issue. It's great to see them being active and responsible.

    Because a few researchers wrote some stupid emails that were were hacked and then published doesn't mean we aren't overly polluting our planet. It doesn't mean we don't need a global plan and limits on pollution.

    Leaders from all over the world are going to meet to discuss this, in what parallel teabag universe is this NOT a story worth writing about?

    For those of us who aren't waiting to be raptured up any day now, we'll focus on less pollution so we can all live here for a few more generations.

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  12. Heather in Caledonia12/04/2009 9:22 AM

    I am pleased to hear that our president will not be signing anything at this conference. I believe climate change is ocurring, as it has for millions of years. Until it can be proven scientifically (that means that all data should be looked at and dissenters allowed their say), we should not frantically make drastic changes that will cause serious problems in our already weakened economic systems. I'm all for using renewables, recycling and not polluting - let's do this in an economically sound and efficient way. Will they all walk or bike to this event? Shouldn't all of the candles be make locally of organic products? If they're serious about this, they should look at all of these things. However, if they're mainly students, it's probably just because this is the latest fad.

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  13. Someonehould tell these students that open buring is a major casue of pollution. Their leighting of candles only increases the amount of particulates and they therefore are contributing to the problem. maybe we should go down and protest the pollution that they are causing with their candles.

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  14. Yes Global Warming is bunkum that Al Gore and others have used to enrich themselves. Gore went from being worth 2 million to 100 million not bad work.
    At the United Nations Climate Change Conference there will be an effort to get the USA to pay Billions for reparations on damage to the environment and more Billions to the third world so they avoid use coal or oil. (and for $1200 you can share Gore's hand)
    India all ready said they will do nothing to destroy there economy as have The PRC.
    As we genuflect to the UN someone should ask the UN when if ever do they plan to stop the PRC from killing women and kids in the Sudan as they look for oil? Will they ask Hugo to quit raping the water around Cuba as he looks for more oil?

    Maybe next Spring we will see Ms. Racine working in perhaps the Buy Local Food movement, help the poor in the food dessert called the inner city of Racine,until then let the cry be "where's the media?"

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  15. Coffee Please... CO2 is not a pollutant.

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  16. Coffee Please12/04/2009 10:08 AM

    Really? The EPA and every other industrialized nation disagree with you.

    But I'm sure you know better.

    Kids organizing to bring attention to better and responsible enviromental care for our planet is a great thing. Once again I congratulated them.

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  17. CO2 is plant food Coffee...

    But you can keep on with your view.

    By the way, no one has issue with being environmentally friendly.

    The issue is with people using Chicken Little tactics to scare people based on faulty science.

    Don't believe me?

    Look up Dr. Christopher Landsea and check him out.

    One of the smartest climatologists on the planet.

    He was hired to do a study, post Katrina, to do a study and see if there was a link between global warming and hurricane activity.

    Know what happened?

    The people that hired him announced that there indeed was a link before any actual scientific research had been done.

    Landea resigned from the project on moral grounds.

    You see Coffee Please, they are pushing an environmental agenda based on bad data.

    The models that are always being hyped, they have been around long enough now that we can compare what they have predicted to actual weather data. Guess what? Every one of them predicts high.

    Now we know why, they were programmed to do exactly that in order to push an agenda.

    http://wattsupwiththat.com/2009/12/04/climategate-the-smoking-code/

    Be an environmentalist, fine. But to use the bad "science" being pushed by the Al Gore crowd to justify that stance is ridiculous.

    Pete, it wouldn't hurt you to look into this too.

    I have Dr. Landsea's email if you would like to communicate directly with him.

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  18. A modern candle typically burns at a rate of about 0.105 g/min, releasing heat of about 77 W, plus or minus about 9 W [2]. The light produced is about 13 lumens. The luminous efficacy is about 0.17 lumens per watt (luminous efficacy of a source), a hundred times lower than an incandescent light bulb. The color temperature is approximately 1,000K.

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  19. Coffee Please12/04/2009 11:48 AM

    A television meteorologist? Seriously?!

    CO2 also comes from burning fuel like oil and coal and generally not considered "plant food". Spend some time in Mexico City or Shanghai and tell me they're just breathing hard and feeding the trees.

    There have been some hacked emails, taken out of context and used by people with real financial interest in not seeing limits on their ability to pollute.

    They tell guys like you that the EPA is going to dictate what lightbulbs you can use and infringe on your liberty! You fall for it everytime.

    We need to become better stewards of our planet and there is no debate on that, even if big polluting corporations don't want the frat party to end.

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  20. I'm waiting for conservatives to say smoking has nothing to do with lung cancer.

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  21. urban Pioneer12/04/2009 11:52 AM

    I would like to host a "Climate Change is BS" event at the same time. I am inviting everyone to attend the same event with a SUV (Idling of course) and we'll put the brights on high during our Candlepower Vigil. If anyone can bring a few generators I'd like to set set up coffee stand and we can barbeque some Hot dogs. (or perhaps Brats?), We the "Anti-Climate suckers" should prepare to clean up the event afterwards. C'mon If Walden III is an actual institute of learning it's imperative that we start teach some reality.
    And Coffee Please? OMG remember 2nd grade and learning about photo-synthesis? Yes it's CO2 (carbon Dioxide) that plants "breathe" it's not a pollutant! If you or anyone can tell me the "correct temperature for the planet I'd love to hear it..Maybe 1998 was the IDEAL temp? And now the world is cooling Arrrggghhh head for the hills...The Glaciers are coming back!! Or maybe we can develop a way to control the Earth's orbital relationship to the Sun.

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  22. "Really? The EPA and every other industrialized nation disagree with you."

    You want as list of nations that do not believe in the Global Warming BS?
    How about Heads of State who say that Global Warming is nothing more then Fascism?

    That's right you're the guys that think it should be a crime to debate Global Warming!
    Its your side that tells others to lie about the data and to resist the release of records.

    At lease hookers will be free for the meeting.

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  23. If plants eat CO2, but we destroy tons of plants (reducing the CO2 consumers)and at the same time increase the supply of CO2 by pumping into the atmosphere, it would seems we would have an oversupply of CO2 or some really huge, fat plants.

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  24. 11:57

    Been to City Hall?

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  25. Please..Coffee Please...I am neither a scientist, climatologist nor do I play one on TV. But even I can figure this out, and most of America, Australia, and even the Euro's are realizing this is all BS. The "Hacked" e-mails? If these were Hacked E-mails from Enron you or Exxon, Ford or Shell you wouldn't be dismissing them.

    AlGore and his band of merry "climatologist's" and manipulators of data are no different than Bernie Maddoff, Ken Lay, the US Social Security system or Mr. Ponzi.
    No one is intending to deliberately "destroy" the planet, we all are stewards of our planet. But because we don't want to destroy our economy to satisfy your "One world causes", doesn't make us evil monsters. PS if you want to really cut your Carbon footprint stop drinking Coffee. Drink Apple and Cranberry juice. They don't have to flown half way around the world to satisfy your taste buds. On that note..I'm gonna finish my coffee.....

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  26. DB shoots and scores!

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  27. Ken Brown,
    FYI: http://www.usacoffeecompany.com/

    Even Australia and Europe has it's own version of teabag wingnuts.

    Believe what you like, just leave the kids alone.

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  28. Here is something that I consider common sense.

    Actions have consequences, quite simply.

    For example, you can actually die by drinking too much water. Water itself is good for you, but only in certain quantities. It could even be considered "food". Too much of it and we have a problem.

    Same goes for Big Mac's. In an of themselves, nothing wrong. It is food. Too many of them over time can have negative consquences for your health.

    CO2 is plant food. It is not unreasonable to assume that too much of it would have some type of negative consequence for the Earth (actually, more for us the Earth will be fine).

    Humans need oxygen to survive, but what if you put on a mask and started pumping huge amounts of oxygen into your body? Trust me, it doesn't end well!

    Look, you can debate the consequences of our actions, but I don't think a reasonable person would actually argue that there are no consequences. Everything in nature actually points to the opposite result. When things are out of balance, things change. Things like the climate.

    One could correctly argue that the climate would change anyway - because it would! History has proven that. But to deny that things men are doing have 0 consequence for the Earth or atmosphere seems to slap common sense right in the face.

    To say since some e-mails were discovered that common sense should be thrown away with it and pollute away is really short sighted.

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  29. I still think they should use LED lights powered from rechargeable batteries that were charged by the Sun during daylight hours... instead of those evil candles.

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  30. http://politiken.dk/newsinenglish/article851820.ece

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  31. No Coffee, Dr. Christopher Landsea, climatologist.

    One of the world's foremost experts.

    You could learn something from him.

    Christopher Landsea, formerly a research meteorologist with Hurricane Research Division of Atlantic Oceanographic & Meteorological Laboratory at NOAA, is now the Science and Operations Officer at the National Hurricane Center. He is a member of the American Geophysical Union and the American Meteorological Society. He earned his doctoral degree in Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University. Over the years, his work has involved the general hurricane FAQ currently on the National Hurricane Center website and the Atlantic hurricane reanalysis. He has been vocal on the lack of a link between global warming and current hurricane intensity change.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Landsea

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  32. I would suggest everyone read this and learn what the IPCC is really about.

    http://sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/prometheus/archives/science_policy_general/000318chris_landsea_leaves.html

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  33. The president and congress need to stop all the environmental actions they have cooked up based on bad science and coverups until the real facts are known. There is no reason to kill any spark of hope for the economy with cap and trade when the whole bill is based on what is now proven bad science and attempts to cover up the bad science.

    They should take Gore's Nobel prize away if they find he has been in on this growing scandal.

    The scary part about the whole environmental scandal is that the cover ups and known flaws have been going on for years. This wasn't just one bad apple. There are many "professionals" involved in this one.

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  34. Anon 12:22 Thanks for the coffee link. I might try it!! I'm actually not opposed to import Coffee. I was making a point to Coffee Please that if they really want to minimize impact on the carbon footprint. The Coffe doesn't get from Hawaii, Peru or Ethiopa with out a carbon footprint.

    I also think CP is confusing Carbon DIOXIDE with Carbon MONOXIDE. Back away from the exhaust pipe and deepen your research.

    Leaving the kids alone? I thought it too a Village? And since the Walden-ites, and other schools are being fed one side of propaganda, (based on shaky research and data at best) and not the facts which easily disprove the Algore /UN mythology.

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  35. Wow, this sure brought out the right wing wackos.

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  36. 6:58

    Hide the decline!

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  37. The left wing wackos are out too.

    CP:
    Plants convert carbon dioxide to carbohydrates and oxygen, therefore, co2 is plant food. Plants also expel co2 and methane (both are greenhouse gasses). Plants have been destroying the earth for millions of years.
    The reason you can't breathe in Mexico City and Shanghai is due to smog (oxides of nitrogen). NOx is formed, most commonly, when the combustion temperatures in an internal combustion engine exceeds ~2500degF.
    Yes we need to take care of the environment but scaring people and using 'the sky is falling' tactics are harmful. There are so many theories out there and we shouldn't panic just because of a theory.
    By the way, I am a conservative. I am not wacko and I haven't called anybody horrible names here.

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  38. Is "real debate" the same guy who posts the real debate website?

    If so, he is truly the most wacko of the local right wingers.

    Anyone who posts nude pictures of male opposing party leaders, immediately has a credibility problem with any claim he makes.

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  39. ...meeting up with a 14 year old...left wing mayor...now that is wacko. BOTH parties have wackos and extremists. It is our jobs not to elect them.
    SDJ

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  40. So let me try to understand......

    Conservatives believe we can continue to pollute the air because there is no evidence it does anything bad. They think man has nothing to do with climate change, so that gives us the green light to do whatever the heck we want to the planet.

    I can believe conservatives are that stupid. Well....nah, I won't say it.

    The sole purpose of this outrage by the right seems to be for the purpose of rejecting Cap and Trade legislation. They actually don't deny the climate is changing, they just deny we have anything to do with it.

    Someone on the radio told them that this policy was bad for jobs and they obeyed. These are the same people that represent a party that feverishly protects large corporate interests.....corporate interests that would be impacted the most.

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  41. Conservatives are also saying that since CO2 is plant food, there is no way artificially high concentrations of it in the atmosphere could ever be bad.

    These idiots won't believe in climate change, but they will believe that.

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  42. 2:52

    FYI

    Those photo posted are the same photos that local leader sent himself

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  43. I do hope the Global Warming do something meaningful:

    1) Quit eating Meat (The energy/water used to rase meat is huge the methane produced is very bad for the air)
    2) Only buy local food grown organically. (Ave food travels over 1000 MI to get to Race)
    3)Only use power made by Wind or Solar
    4) Do not drive
    5) Do not use batteries of any kind The mercury is hell on Earth
    6) Do not buy cloths made overseas Importing them uses fuel and energy
    7) Heat your home to no more then 60
    8) Demand that the population of the Earth is cut from the 6 Billion plus to a few hundred million. Please lead this by example

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  44. Carbon dioxide, historically over millions of years, has gone up and down drastically without the aid of humans. As a conservative I understand the earth's climate is cyclical and only the rate and amplitude can be affected slightly by our activities.
    We are not idiots because we don't have the same opinion you hold.
    The name calling and the hatred is why alot of things don't get done in this country.
    SDJ

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  45. Their is a lack of civility on both sides, but when the right allows the likes of Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity to speak for them on all things right they have lost their credibility.

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  46. Yes we must only hear the words of the inventor of the internet!

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  47. Who bought the carbon credits for the event?
    For that matter who invented the Carbon credit and why does that matter?

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  48. And Limbaugh and Hannity have more credibility? What a joke. They are getting rich of those who believe every word they say. How sad that these are the voices the right beleves in, non educated con men.

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  49. ...and my dad can beat up your dad.

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  50. This subject is something that Al Gore concocted for him to make millions of dollars. Remember when this was called global warming, Well that didn't last so let's change the name to Climate Change. the lowest temperatures on record are ten years ago - what a scam.

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  51. Their is a lack of civility on both sides, but when the right allows the likes of Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity to speak for them on all things right they have lost their credibility.

    My guess is you have not listened to Ed Schultz, Rachel Maddow, Keith Olbermann and chris Matthews, great paragons of objectivity and fairness that they are.

    Grow up.

    There are loud mouths on both sides, you only seem to take offense to those you disagree with though.

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  52. Their is a lack of civility on both sides, but when the right allows the likes of Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity to speak for them on all things right they have lost their credibility.

    My guess is you have not listened to Ed Schultz, Rachel Maddow, Keith Olbermann and chris Matthews, great paragons of objectivity and fairness that they are.

    Grow up.

    There are loud mouths on both sides, you only seem to take offense to those you disagree with though.

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  53. Coffee please:

    Yes, it is hard to breath in Shanghai, Mexico City, Beijing (the worse, IMHO) and many other places - but that is not from CO2, it is from other pollutants, especially particulates, and SOx, and NOx.

    We should focus on those real pollutants - not the unproven myth of global warming.

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  54. http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=20772&Cr=global&Cr1=warming

    Must ban Cows!

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