Dar Es Salaam 350 Action on October 24, 2009

Organizers with 350.org and TckTckTck take action in Dar Es Salaam on October 24. Many thanks to Marc Wegerif for this film! Read on for Marc's description of the day:

"After recovering from the cycle ride it was time to head to Coco Beach. It was still intermittently pouring, which along with the dark clouds made it one of the worst beach days of the year for Dar es Salaam. Despite this activists arrived to make a giant 350 in the sand. A group of children came with messages they had written on sheets of card and shared these with us and others on the beach.

A few days ago when we checked the site we had found a clean beach of golden sand, but today it was covered in seaweed and litter. Clearly the currents had changed and brought the rubbish onto the beach. The rain had also washed the rubbish in the drains and river beds of the city into the sea. The local environment issues brought home to us by the lines of plastic bags, empty bottles and other litter.

We started marking out the 350 in the sand, picking up the litter and then building the numbers mostly with our bare hands, many hands making it easy work. The seaweed came in handy for the finishing touches. It was decided to build a graph of the carbon levels from the pre industrial revolution level of 280 up to the current level of 390 with the critical target level of 350 in the middle. We talked people including journalists through this graph explaining the causes of climate change and what now needs to be done. As Latif Amars one of the organizers explained we just cant survive at the current level, our leaders need to act now to get carbon levels back to 350.

Throughout the afternoon people joined in and the interest it generated in other beach users was an opportunity to tell them about climate change and the need for a fair and safe deal in Copenhagen. We were all rewarded for our work with improving weather and by the time we finished the 350 the sun was out.

Many of us stayed on the beach to relax and watch as the tide came in and started to wash away the unsustainable 390 in the sand. The 350 was still in place when I left just before sunset."

350 = survival. Join the movement at http://350.org

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• 350ppm
• 350.org
• tcktcktck
• dar es salaam
• tanzania
• climate change
• global warming
• 350
• africa

[clevername333]

watch?v=qnAr7fpV2q8&feature=su­b

[LameClock]

Sure, why not :) The deadline is 12 December, so I'll finish really soon. Cheers!

[clevername333]

I drive my rip-snorting loud KTM 640 supermoto every chance I can get. I figure, if they do start taxing carbon, I better enjoy my dinosaur fuel as long as it is still available and relatively cheap. Electric motorcycles are just not cutting it just yet. Although a friend of mine here is the distributor for segway, and he has started importing electric motorbikes. I will give you a full report when we go for a ride next.

In my view, I believe pollution is a dramatic problem, not mmgw.

[clevername333]

Hey LameClock,

I would really like to read your paper when you are done with it. Would you be open to sharing that with me? Feel free to send me an private message on YT, and I will pass along my email. I am curious to see what you discover. I have been talking a lot with a friend who worked in climate science. Good discussions. Keep up the lively debate.

[clevername333]

watch?v=hFt07eAAQ94&feature=Se­riesPlayList&p=93188243F6D0495­F

[LameClock]

Thank you for the link. Very interesting indeed. That's true we use 'greenwash' now. We same thing happened with hippies - the system started to sell jeans, colourful sweaters and produce/promote initially rebellious bands. Still, my thoughts are the the same...E-mails from East Anglia uni? Not really convinsing :)

[LameClock]

OK, I've read the article you're quoting. It doesn't seem very scientific for me, to tell the truth. But it is quite interesting and I have actually chosen to write an essay(I'm a student) about this - whether CO2 threat is a threat after all. Anyway, I belive we shouldn't believe everything we are told, the sensible criticism is essential - that related to my point of view as well.

[LameClock]

Well, exactly Acta Non Verba - Act, don't talk. You say we need to debate, but I'm sick of meaningless talking. Politicians are debating since Kyoto, and what are the effects? CO2 concentration is keeping to increase. What's why I eat local vegan food, recycle, do not use cars etc. But the most important thing is Direct Action. I;ve been on the Ratcliffe-on-Soar and I must say that was fantastic experience. In the unlikely event(IMHO) that the CO2 hysteria is fake, these actions will unite us!

[clevername333]

about the environmental movement.  Very interesting.

watch?v=uEggt0ldQUI&feature=su­b

[clevername333]

LameClock......... what action would you encourage others to take? Hope and Act are both meaningless words.

Acta Non Verba.