On Saturday, October 24, 2009, thousands of people from across the globe rallied around what scientists are calling ‘the most important number in the world’. From nearly 5,000 coordinated actions by 181 countries, one number has become implanted in the public mind. That number is ‘350’.
In 2008 NASA climatologist, James Hansen, declared ‘350 parts per million (ppm)’ to be the safest upper limit for carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions that the earth’s atmosphere can safely sustain. As CO2 levels rise above 350 ppm, the world risks facing ever more serious climate change effects. Hansen’s original statement has now been supported by numerous other leading climatologists. Rajendra Pachauri, Chairman of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, has recently personally endorsed the 350 ppm target and this call has been echoed in every continent on earth with a historic major widespread ‘World Climate Action Day’.

Via the ‘World Climate Action Day’ online platform, 350.org, thousands have strongly supported the need for urgent political action to address climate changes. From the melting glaciers of Kilimanjaro to the Andes, action was undertaken at sites particularly vulnerable to climate changes, including Mongolia’s glaciers.

Actions throughout Asia have highlighted the risks climate changes could have for the 3 billion people getting their drinking water from the Himalayan glaciers. Continually rising CO2 levels warm the planet, causing glaciers to melt faster and faster and the risks that destabilized traditional water sources hold for India, China and Mongolia increases possibilities for political instability and the potential for millions of ‘climate refugees’.

Throughout Asia, actions have highlighted many regional nations’ strong and urgent appeals for international legislation to limit CO2 emissions into the earth’s atmosphere to 350 ppm. In one particularly momentous action, a climber has ascended Mt. Everest with a ‘350’ banner that he intends to present to US President Obama in November.

Pemba Dorje Sherpa was able to climb this mountain in record time; a feat he claims is only due to receding snow and ice on its rugged surface. Other actions were undertaken at China’s Great Wall, India’s Taj Mahal, Mexico’s Chichen-itza, France’s Eiffel Tower, Australia’s Sydney Opera House, underwater at its Great Barrier Reef, as well as at nearly 5,000 other locations across the globe.
Mongolia has joined in, with action at Sukhbaatar Square where volunteers populated a huge ‘350 picture’ to be displayed this week at the UNFCCC Climate Conference in Barcelona. Mongolia’s leading glaciologists joined in the ‘350 Action’, highlighting what the risks of melting glaciers and diminished water supplies could mean particularly for Mongolia’s nomadic people. In fact, actions to support ‘350’ took place all over Mongolia, with its youth leadership being particularly active, despite the many schools closed due to the recent H1N1 outbreak.

This ‘World Climate Action Day’ comes at a particularly significant time as delegates from all global countries are to meet in Copenhagen this December to determine how the world is to deal with climate changes in the future. The treaty to be adopted in Copenhagen will replace the Kyoto Protocol, and define how the world will handle carbon emissions.

The Maldives Island’s President Mohammed Nasheed–particularly at risk with even a tiny rise in sea levels–has said that the UN Conference in Copenhagen will be either a ‘historic moment of global unity’ or ‘a suicide pact’.

The world’s climate is changing just as fast as the world is changing. This ‘World Climate Action Day’ has been coordinated almost entirely via the internet. Harnessing the convenience, speed and power of social networking tools, such as, Facebook, Twitter and Blogging (350. org rece3ivejaldsj blog action day) this ‘World Climate Action Day’ has traveled more easily spread faster and reached more people further away than any other political action in history.

Mongolia has joined the ‘World Climate Action Day’, taking its place with the rest of the world to demand that world leaders take political action at the UN Copenhagen Conference by adopting ‘international legislation that matches science’. Visit www.350.org for additional information or to view photographs from the 182 countries that participated in the ‘World Climate Action Day’.

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