By Lynne Jackson
Honest Weight Food Co-op will host a local foods picnic, free and open to the public, from 11 am-2 pm in Washington Park at the Lake House in Albany.
Speakers and musical performers include David Yarrow, Hakim Steward, Fred Braglia, Bryan Thomas, and many other local community members who are making a difference towards, and spreading the word about, climate action.
At 2:00 pm we will rally, make music, noise, dance, talk, and make our way to the NYS Capital Steps. Legislators and elected officials have been invited to speak at the Steps about what they can and plan to do to take climate action. Sandy Gordon from Abany County Legislature will join us as a speaker at the Capital Steps.
Directions: Washington Park is btwn Washington Ave (N) & Madison Ave (S) between South Lake Ave (W) & Willet St (E). The Lake House is on the Lake, in the Park, right alongside Madison Ave, closer to South Lake Ave.
Step It Up Capital 2007
Mission Statement
April 14: National Day of Action on Climate Change
Climate change driven by global warming induced by accumulating greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere is the greatest threat facing our civilization today. Increasingly catastrophic weather, shortages of food, fuel and water, rising sea levels, and massive plant, animal and insect species extinctions are only four of a host of consequences of this worldwide calamity. Extreme weather with droughts and stronger, more frequent storms, and rising sea levels will dramatically affect already scarce resources hundreds of millions rely on for the basics of life.
While global warming is a most pressing challenge, it is also our most inspiring opportunity to reinvent our society and redesign our communities with sustainable principles and renewable technologies. The scale of this challenge surpasses World War II, the Cold War and the race to the moon.
As a global crisis, worldwide warming will impact everyone. However, impacts hit hardest on the world’s most vulnerable populations. We have a responsibility to ensure our solutions to this crisis take these populations into account.
Taken together, the nine Northeast states are the world’s seventh largest emitter of greenhouse gases. Thus, we expect New York to lead a Northeast Climate Coalition to cut these emissions, and we expect our elected officials and business leaders to take action toward this urgent goal.
Step it Up is the largest citizen action in American history to focus on global warming. This truly viral grassroots movement is organized by word of mouth, email and the online community. April 14, this nationwide campaign will hold a National Day of Action on Climate Change, with over 1000 local events. Actions range from a rally of thousands in New York City, to a few scuba divers in the Florida Keys, to an Ohio senior citizen community hosting a Global Warming Awareness Day.
Rallies in 50 states by people from all walks of life will demonstrate widespread demand for quick, dramatic change on the issue of global warming. Everyone involved in April 14 actions is hungry to do something big, and we agree on one thing: we need substantial, rapid action. Despite participants’ varied backgrounds, they unite to deliver one critical message:
Congress must put America on a course to cut carbon emissions 80% by 2050.
This is less than a 2% reduction per year.
April 14 is a wake-up call to public officials at every level—federal, state, county, and community—that their constituents expect them to step up and take action. While many Americans are switching to new conservation technologies to cut emissions, only bold Washington leadership can assure large scale changes needed to reduce catastrophic effects of global warming.
To stop and reverse global warming, we must catalyze a new clean energy revolution which will benefit businesses and workers across the globe. We must—and we can—protect both our ability to provide for our families and communities, and the long-term health of our environment.
For more informaiton, contact, Karisa Centanni, coordinator at 518-482-2667 x113, email karisa@hwfc.org