First off the bit is a photo of the "350" made in Centennial Park, Victoria BC on October 24 (International Day of Action for Climate). I do not know who took the photo. I'd happily give credit if I could. I copped it from the 350.org flickr feed. Great photo - though the "350" is upside down. I can see myself in the photo too.


Incidentally, if you want to see a few thousand photos from around the planet, check out the 350.org flickr feed. Run a slide show or two. If you get a bit teary, it's okay. Even if you're a big man. Here's a sample:

As well as writing the billblog, I've been sending out emails (billspam) asking people to phone (or email) the Prime Minister to ask him to take this planetary emergency seriously and commit, at Copenhagen, to radical, progressive CO2 reduction goals. I get the feeling I may have pissed off more than a few people. A few people have written back to tell me they've phoned, emailed or that they plan to do so. I hang onto to those comments. I am grateful. It's my fuel in black moments.

My friend Michael, a retired scientist, reports that a friend of his says "According to [snip], one of the striking differences between Europe and North America is the virtual absence of a widespread vocal public concern about the issue on THIS continent.  The debate has been largely between the scientists and the denial lobby with the public only marginally involved.  Hopefully that will change - but not if the Harper government had their way.  They really are the pits!"

A few people have courteously told me they won't do any phoning or emailing, or anything else for that matter. Some just do not do that kind of thing. Some don't do that kind of thing because no one else is, so what is the point? That is the most common argument. I will act only when "they" act. Uh-huh.

Some believe the world is unfolding as it should. Mind you, the world as it is unfolding contains a shitload of CO2-spewing devices and thousands upon thousands of people like me who rally for CO2 reduction. We are fully a part of the unfolding. So I say, your point is what exactly?

One person said it is time to stop fighting climate change and to start adapting. Huh? Adapting to increasingly ridiculously high levels of CO2 means what? I cannot guess. Well, I can guess that the people of the Maldives can adapt by growing gills. That would be a start, until the ocean acidification killed them along with future generations of my merry critics. Oy vey.

It is one thing to fail to act when the information is not available and in the public domain. Almost all adult humans alive at this moment have heard that CO2 levels are high and that almost all scientists think this is dangerous. As the next couple or three generations come of age realizing that their immediate ancestors failed to act even when the facts were available, I would not blame them for cursing the memory of us. I would understand it if they spit on our graves.

I therefore cannot stop asking for collective action, until I am dead, locked up or too psychotic to function.

Damn the torpitudes!