eco-omer and 2people

Today there were more than 1400 actions large and small all over the nation, for Step It Up 2007, National Day of Climate Action. Here, there was sun and rain and sun and then lots of rain (of course there was, it's Seattle) but there were still lots and lots of people (the news said "hundreds" but our conservative count from the sidelines before joining the parade/march was more like a couple of thousand) calling on Congress to enact legislation to reduce US carbon emissions 80% by the year 2050. There were marching salmon, trees and unindentifiable forest denizens (sorry we didn't get any good photos of them), as well as a graphic and crunchy line of sunflower seeds along Second Avenue in the downtown gallery district, showing where the waterline would be if predictions of a 20-foot high increase in the ocean's reach should come true with the melting of the polar ice caps.

One of the ways to continue to be involved is to join 2People.org, the brainchild of local organizer Phil Mitchell. 2People is a combination of social networking site and climate change solutions think tank, extending this invitation: "If you're looking for ways to get involved, and people to connect with, you can find them here. We're a community of concerned citizens, helping each other find ideas and form teams, whether it's for taking political action, greening your lifestyle, or letting others know about what you're doing."

There were a lot of faith groups in the march, too, since the reverent stewardship of this world which sustains us turns out to be an inherent teaching of many religions. And here's the connection to the counting of the Omer (because yes, it is still Omer time! Now, having said the blessing, it is the 12th day, of the 49): there is a lovely "eco-omer to honor the earth, omer lich'vod haaretz" at Bet Haverim in Atlanta, "to draw attention to the actions and attitudes that can bring an ecologically sustainable world...subtitled Project New Leaves, the experiment will attempt to engage congregants in outings and simple personal actions. The goal is to transform habits and mobilize hope. The ecological theme of each successive week is based on a successive day of creation from the Genesis story." Thanks to the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation Omer count, which is also emphasizing religious environmentalism, for the link.

And here is just another little photo of downtown Seattle from today.