Climate Action in the desert
Yes, there are climate activists in Phoenix, Arizona, as the picture on the right proves. The picture is from last year’s 350.org International Day of Climate Action and shows a local bicycle club from…Cairo? Oh. Wrong desert.
Moving on…forget about last year. This year, Phoenix — and several other Arizona cities and towns — will, indeed, be enlisting desert dwellers in the fight against climate change. And, boy, do we need it. Studies suggest that the record heat and drought we’ve been experiencing throughout the Southwest may be the “new normal” — especially if we don’t take action to reduce our CO2 output.
The Sonora desert is actually one of the most biologically diverse deserts in the world — largely because we used to receive quite a bit of rain in an average year. But the diversity of life we love here is threatened by a lack of moisture and an average temperature increase.
This Sunday — 10-10-10 — is a chance to learn about what can be done to reduce global warming. And an opportunity to show that we’re serious about taking these steps, now!
If you live in Arizona, check out the maps below to see what’s going on in your area. If you live outside of the state, you can get to the original international map, here.
