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Environmental sustainability is important for every organization, but not everyone knows where to start or how to make it happen. For non-profits focusing on a specific social mission with limited time and funds, it can be a challenge. Connect the Dots, a Bay Area nonprofit exclusively serving the nonprofit community, disseminates environmental sustainability practices to nonprofit organizations to help them meet their social missions in an environmentally responsible manner.

They have a 3-part goal:

• Action - make immediate, measurable environmental impacts for organizations
• Autonomy - provide the proper framework, planning, tools, and support structure for organizations to adopt self-sustaining, action-based approaches towards environmental sustainability
• Diversity – empower people of diverse backgrounds take part in environmental sustainability

Artfulchange and the Jay Trainer Band will be part of the 2^nd Annual Connect the Dots Benefit Concert on March 5 at San Francisco’s Root Division. We invite you to come celebrate with a magical night of music, visual art, and all things about “greening nonprofits” while learning more about their work to diminish the ecological footprint of the nonprofit community.

I had the chance to interview Maikhanh Nguyen, Founding Director of Connect the Dots, about the philosophy, goals and accomplishments of Connect the Dots.

Me: Why should non-profits think about their environmental impact when there are so many issues to think about?

Maikhanh: There are many issues, aren’t there?  All these issues are interrelated.  In a recent article with SF Chronicle, Ian Kim at the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights in Oakland said, “there are at least three ways poor people are disproportionately affected by climate change: environmental health, job opportunities and cost of living.”  If a nonprofit motivated for social change don’t consider the environmental impact of its operations, they are contributing to the conditions that aversely affect the very same community they serve.  

Where does environmental responsibility fit into the big picture for non-profits that are focused on a non-environmentally related issue?

We see environmental responsibility as integrated in the make-up of nonprofits operations as fiscal responsibility, equal employment opportunities, fair wages, etc.  It’s a necessary part existence and definitely not “nice to have” activities.

Does an organization need to know a lot about “green” issues to start working with you?

They only need to recognize it as an issue and have the desire to do something about it.  Even then, the financial savings generated from our work can convince even those most skeptical of environmental efforts. 

What are the biggest challenges non-profits face in trying to “green” their operations?

The same challenges nonprofits always face:  lack of funding and staff time.  Staff time is needed to research the topic and implement changes as an organization-wide.  For example, it takes time to keep up with various energy-efficiency programs to leverage the full set of incentives to help subsidize the cost for retrofit projects.  Then time needs to be set aside to get bids from contracts, asking the right questions.  It’s difficult to find the free time outside of their regular job responsibilities to truly make this be systemic.  Even when all hurdles are cleared, they need that financial capital to invest in the upgrade. 

What were you able to accomplish in 2009?

In 2009, we helped 15 nonprofit organizations across 31 facilities that provide community services and supportive housing to vulnerable populations to annually:

• conserve 2.9 million gallons of water
• divert 356,000 pounds of waste from the landfill
• reduce 94,035 kWh

They expect to save $187,540 within the first year with projected accrued savings of $788,141 in five years.

What’s difficult to communicate is the energy from the community meetings with residents and staff about a specific environmental issue, for example, why recycle and compost.  People get it, and they care.  They want to engage. 

What are some other actionable examples of ways you help non-profits green what they do?

In analyzing utility bills to track the effectiveness of our work, we have discovered numerous opportunities for financial savings from activities not traditionally related to “greening” efforts. We see significant value in pursuing them as they preserve the much needed funding for other activities. For example, we have found overlooked discount programs, alternate energy rate schedule, billing oversight, and unused services. A story to exemplify such savings:  one client is able to save about $375 each month by rolling their waste bins to the curb themselves rather than incur the “distance service” from the waste company. Another example is that we enrolled a nonprofit facility on the PG&E CARE program to cut their energy bill by 20% discount. We helped another remove a $178 per month “key charge” from their waste bill after seeing that the locks were not used.

We recognize that we enjoy the luxury to not be overwhelmed with other operational responsibilities and emergencies to concentrate efforts in energy efficiency, water conservation, waste diversion, and responsible purchasing.  Also, we have access to utility bills across multiple facilities which enable us to identify these savings opportunities to spread from one organization to another.

How important are planning and tracking in the process of turning passion into practice?

Remember that sustainability is a journey, not a destination.  So planning is crucial to keep everyone coordinated.  And if passion were limitless and ubiquitous, then we would have less need for tracking.  We would take action from the pure joy it brings us.  Since not everyone shares the same passion nor can most of us sustain the same level of intensity over time, the discipline to monitor helps keep everyone motivated and engaged as well as informed about the effectiveness of their actions.    

Do you work with many organizations where there is one or maybe two people in an organization of many who are passionate about environmental responsibility to help build awareness internally?

We are a small organization launched in an extremely difficult economy.  The best impact of our time is to work with those who understand, but aren’t necessarily passionate, about the pressing issue facing our generation and generations after. We enable these individuals to let their facilities and operations be examples for their peers and the communities they serve.

What is your background and how did you get started working with Connect the Dots?

I was trained in management information technology, matching information technologies to mission statements. I oversaw the development of technology programs for large enterprises in the financial, service, and manufacturing sectors. In 2004 I established my own consultancy to offer technology implementation to those organizations whose mission statements are aligned with social progress.

In 2008, I founded Connect the Dots after seeing wasteful practices at the soup kitchen where I volunteered. I believed that organizations could be much defter and spare about their resource consumption, so I launched Connect the Dots to help nonprofit organizations successfully use practices in environmental sustainability to make do with even less.  

I draw on my upbringing as a refugee immigrant from Vietnam, having experienced the severe shortages of basics (water, sanitation, etc.).  Like most immigrants, I learned from my parents’ unconscious teaching to make do with less as they rebuilt their lives in a new country. I also rely on my career in the technology field to help me understand the critical factors for success in implementing organization-wide change.   In my experience, the best programs incite subtle and daily action from all levels of organization.

What is the most rewarding thing for you working with non-profits toward environmental responsibility?

When they adopt sustainability as part of the organization culture and keep going after we’re finished.  Like a personal trainer who gets excited when their clients get motivated and continue to make health an integral, permanent part of their lifestyles, I get infused with energy when I see nonprofits adopting their own policies and actions to be green. Think about it, they’re delivering their missions -- poverty eradication, human services, arts, education and so on – in an environmentally responsible manner.  Getting goosebumps?  I am!  It’s not easy and KUDOS to the nonprofit staff who continually works to achieve a little at a time.  Anyone who thinks it’s easy, please volunteer with us.  We need your skills.

How should organizations get in contact with you?

Our contact information for the SF, East Bay and Silicon Valley offices is on our website (www.connectthedotsnetwork.org), but a simple email to maikhanh@connectthedotsnetwork.org or call to 415.830.5858 will do the trick.

 

Join Artfulchange, the Jay Trainer Band and The San Francisco Review for a night of fun and support for greening Non-Profits! The concert benefits Connect the Dots, a nonprofit effort dedicated to lowering the environmental impact of nonprofit organizations as they deliver their social missions.

Entertainment Schedule:
5:30 - Visual arts gallery reception & HAPPY HOUR
7:00 - Jay Trainer Band  | Jay Trainer YouTube Channel
8:30 - The San Fran Review featuring *bernadette* & Pamela Parker!  |

Location:
Root Division (Map)
3175 17th Street (at South Van Ness)
San Francisco, CA 94110

RSVP on Facebook!


Do good without doing harm.

Featured will be their 3-month Green Start program concentrating on easy conservation practices yielding deep impact to "jump start" organizations towards sustainability. Their comprehensive service connects nonprofits to single-issue incentive programs (water conservation, energy efficiency, waste management, etc.) to diminish their ecological footprint as well as generate near-term financial savings.

They aim to serve more under-resourced and critical Bay Area communities, recognizing that their constituents are typically most vulnerable to environmental degradation and catastrophes. Visit their site to check out the savings they brought to Hamilton Family Center, a San Francisco-based organization providing food, shelter, and a comprehensive array of support services to promote self-sufficiency to low-income families as they find and maintain housing.

The residents of Coal River Valley in Pettus, West Virginia are in danger of losing their homes, schools and jobs. Last week, Massey Energy started blasting Coal River Mountain in preparation for a mountain-top removal coal mining operation. This is an example of just how dirty energy is not only endangering our future but the health and well-being of our lives now. The thousands of people of Coal River Valley will have a mere five minutes to save their lives if dynamiting Coal River Mountain destabilizes the nearby 8 billion gallons of nearby coal slurry. This toxic sludge will destroy the lives of the people of Coal River Valley.

Coal River Mountain is also the site of a proposed 328 megawatt wind farm that will create 700 long-term green jobs and provide 85,000 households with clean electricity. It could be a model of a clean energy future or a toxic wasteland that continues to fuel dirty energy.

We can continue to threaten the communities with pollution, pipelines and toxic sludge or we can use this opportunity to create hope by investing in a clean energy future. We are at a crossroads.

Take Action Now. Ask the Obama Administration to save Coal River Mountain and our clean energy future.

Although sending this message to the administration may be a small action, we need to show decision-makers that we ALL know what is happening in the Appalachia and this destructive move by Massey Energy is not only felt by the people of West Virginia but all over the country.

This Saturday, October 24 is 350.org’s International Day of Climate Action. Artfulchange will be hosting a carbon neutral online concert fundraiser all day on our website and an after-party that night at the Box! We hope you can all come. Many other Bay Area organizations are doing great events that day as well and we are doing a series this week to highlight those projects.


1. What is the mission of your organization?

This Saturday, October 24 is 350.org’s International Day of Climate Action. Artfulchange will be hosting a carbon neutral online concert fundraiser all day on our website and an after-party that night at the Box! We hope you can all come. Many other Bay Area organizations are doing great events that day as well and we are doing a series this week to highlight those projects.

I had the chance to interview Phyllis Meshulam, who is organizing “Poems for the Planet,” a group meeting at the Golden Gate Bridge on Saturday to hand out poetry in support of the 350.org Day of Climate Action.


    1. What is the mission of your organization?
Well, this is not really an organization's activity. I am part of the Network of Spiritual Progressives which seeks to find a new bottom line in our culture, a way of evaluating our actions based on love, caring for each other and the planet, rather than just individual material success. But I generated the idea for this action out of my love for poetry and its ability to take us right to the heart of the matter in a handful of words.

    2. How did you get involved in the 350.org International Day of Climate Action?
It was the Sonoma County Network of Spiritual Progressives that alerted me to Bill McKibben and his acrivities.

    3. Tell us about your Climate Action Project.
I have obtained permission from several stellar poets: a former US poet laureate, the current US poet laureate and several other northern California poets to use their poems on a leaflet that also includes information about the significance of the number 350 and the day of action. I and a core group of people will meet at the Golden Gate Bridge on 10/24 and hand out leaflets to people walking over the bridge.

    4. What do you need people to do to help make a difference?
I hope more people show up for the event and will pose for a big picture. I hope people who receive our leaflets will write postcard poems to the president and request that he use all the power of his office and personality to make strong, meaningful policy in Copenhagen.

    5. Where can people learn more about your organization and project?
350.org is the best place. Look for the orange dot at the north end of the golden gate bridge, or for "Poems for the Planet." Also, www.spiritualprogressives.org is a great place to learn more about the Network of Spiritual Progressives.

This Saturday, October 24 is 350.org’s International Day of Climate Action. Artfulchange will be hosting a carbon neutral online concert fundraiser all day on our website and an after-party that night at the Box! We hope you can all come. Many other Bay Area organizations are doing great events that day as well and we are doing a series this week to highlight those projects.
I had the chance to speak with Deborah Phelan from Transition Mill Valley about their 350.org Day of Climate Action Project.
   
1. What is the mission of your organization?
Transition Mill Valley engages the creativity, expertise, and skill-sets of our friends and neighbors in the design of a sustainable, resilient, and mutually-supportive community. We collaborate with other groups to bring about an inspired awakening to the challenges of peak oil and climate change. We recognize the need to build a sustainable, local economy, and to restore the living systems that insure our future.

    2. How did you get involved in the 350.org International Day of Climate Action?
Everyone in our organization is '350 literate' .... One of our members came up with the information on where the water level would be in our community and we decided to co-sponsor an event with other local environment organizations

    3. Tell us about your Climate Action Project.
We are having a 1 hour rally with assorted beach gear on a small street beside a creek which will be underwater. Along with calling community attention to how raising water levels will impact our community, we are using this opportunity to forge bonds of connectivity among the various groups who will speak. Transition Mill Valley will be handing out 5-foot pieces of blue yarn to every two people to engage them in cat's cradle, a game you cannot play yourself but which necessitates a certain degree of fluency in string games and, I believe, in many cases the recall of a forgotten skill to participate.

    4. What do you need people to do to help make a difference?
Show up! Make a decision that you are going to have to reprioritize your time to become actively engaged in local, regional, national and the global effort to own your responsibility for the future of all life on our planet. Hopefully, this event will play a huge role in waking up our community to a reality which is hard to envision but is inevitable without a major commitment.

    5. Where can people learn more about your organization and project?
We have just created a web page http://www.transitionmv.wordpress.com. Transtion Initiatives  are also widely represented on WiserEarth http://www.wiserearth.org. (just search under transition)  and Transition US http://www.transitionus.org

I had the chance to interview Timonie Hood, owner of the 350.org car. It's an amazing project that shows how much of an impact one person can have:

What is your mission with the 350.org Car?

My mission was take individual action to spread the climate action message.  I recently purchased a new Prius and part of my plan to maximize the impact of the fuel efficient car (51 MPG) was to wrap it to promote 350.org.  350.org is organizing the International Day of Climate Action on October 24th to send the message to United Nations delegates that we must bring CO2 levels below 350 parts per million in the atmosphere to avoid climatic disaster.  

I think of my car as a full-body bumper sticker for the cause.  It is definitely, in it’s own right, a piece of art.  By wrapping my car, I have been able to reach out and talk about the importance of getting below 350 parts per million of CO2 in the atmosphere and about getting involved in the October 24th actions.  In fact, people seek me out to ask about the car.  I’ve had fabulous notes left under my windshield, and even people at gas stations and drive thrus have been eager to find out what 350 is about.

By taking the message to the streets, the 350.org car is using car art to do something that many climate activists are not able to do – take the message to the general public where they are.  It’s a lot of fun to strategically park the car to expose new people and to listen to their comments as they walk by.   

What will the 350.org Car be doing on the International Day of Climate Action?

The 350.org Car will be all over the Bay Area on the weekend of the International Day of Climate Action.

October 24th

9:00 – 10:00 – Ravenswood Pond Restoration, Menlo Park, CA http://www.350.org/node/9184
10:30 1:00 – Shaffer School, Hayward, CA  http://www.350.org/node/7233
3:00 – 5:00 Artsboretum Thrill the World Dance , Gabrielson Park, Sausalito, CA http://www.350.org/node/7647

October 25th

12:00 – 3:00  San Mateo Green Job Corps – Coyote Point Museum, San Mateo, CA http://www.350.org/node/8350

We hope to lift and carry the car for true carbon free transportation at the Green Jobs event on the 25th.

Hope you can join us!  To find 350.org actions around the world, visit http://www.350.org and click the orange button.


Why did you decide to merge art on a car and change?

I was looking for a creative action I could take that would involve the design community.  Based on some successful crowdsourcing competitions I’ve worked on, I had a feeling a 350 car wrap design completion would be a hit – and I was right.  I was fortunate to find an existing International Car Wrap Design Competition online http://bit.ly/350wrap that allowed organizations to upload direction and graphics to guide car wrap graphic designers.  Because 350.org already had an extensive image and logo information on the site, it was easy to upload the 350.org brief.  To date. four outstanding designs have been entered and the 350.org car wrap became a monthly contest winner.  Others can enter car wrap designs or competition briefs as the competition runs through May of 2010.

How did wrapping your car for 350.org help people change the world?

While this is just one small action, I know it’s helping people change the world by raising awareness of 350.org and climate change within the design community and with the general public.  The car wrap competition is based in South Africa and the wrap designer, Darren Duffield, and other competition designers have definitely learned about the 350.org message and have shared their artistic vision to “drive home” the importance of climate action.  The 350 Car was featured in the South African business press and we expect more press to come on October 24th.  The wrap designer is even planning an event for 350 Day in South Africa.  I also think it’s changing the world by bringing the issue to the attention of people who don’t usually work on climate change.  The 350 Car is creating a lot of buzz and buzzing changes the world!

What have been your biggest challenges and rewards with the 350.org Car?

I really struggled with the sustainability of car wrapping because car wraps are made of long lasting vinyl that can have environmental and health impacts, but I decided that sharing the climate message in this way was important to me.  I also felt that I could use my inability to find a green car wrap made of biobased (non-petrochemical) plastic as a way to raise awareness or the need for green car wrap development.  As a first time car wrapper, it was also challenging to find a great local wrap installation company willing to produce one wrap with a designer in South Africa.  Coordinating the artwork and file sharing with Factory Wraps in Antioch and the designer in South Africa took some extra time, but it was well worth the wait!  

As for the rewards – they are generated each day with this is an amazing art car – I have new opportunities to educate people and support the actions of climate leaders.  I really feel like I’m supporting “Non-Climate Change Change Agents” with the car and the discussions that follow.  A few unanticipated benefits are that other drivers are eager to help me merge, and kids love to learn about the “cool race car.”

What will you do with the car after the October event?

I’ll continue to use the car to educate people and join events to raise awareness of climate change.  At some point I’ll cover or update the date on the wrap with a patch.  Another upside of car wrapping is that it protects the paint and I don’t need  to wash or wax it – it’s very low maintenance.

If others are interested in wrapping their cars for good, what should they do?

The 350.org design is available for others to use.  Of course, you would have to pay for the artist’s time to adapt the design if you have a different type of car (no SUVs please), and for the installation.  If you’re interested in developing a different wrap, you can contact car wrap companies directly or you may want to enter your idea in a wrap design competition.

How do people find out about the 350.org Car and you online?

Please check out the blog on the 350 car on WiserEarth.org  http://blog.wiserearth.org/taking-your-message-to-the-streets/.  

If you have any questions or would like the car to join an event or parade, please feel free to email me – cheesesticks8@yahoo.com.

This Saturday, October 24 is 350.org’s International Day of Climate Action. Artfulchange will be hosting a carbon neutral online concert fundraiser all day on our website and an after-party that night at the Box! We hope you can all come. Many other Bay Area organizations are doing great events that day as well and we are doing a series this week to highlight those projects.

I had the chance to speak with Paul from Oakland who is gathering artists and writers together at 41st and Piedmont to celebrate the Earth and share hope for its health and survival.

1. What is the mission of your organization?
We want to connect with other East Bay residents who are interested in creative, up-beat  grass roots environmental actions.

2. How did you get involved in the 350.org International Day of Climate Action?
We worked on the Step It UP actions several years ago and recently found out about 350 through the web.

3. Tell us about your Climate Action Project.
We will gather to share thoughts and feelings that celebrate life on earth and warn of climate change's danger. People can talk for a few minutes, share a poem, song or other performance or come to share their presence. This will be a chance for concerned people to talk with each other and hopefully stay in toucb. We'll gather at the small plaza on 41st St. just west of Piedmont Ave. in Oakland at 11 AM.

4. What do you need people to do to help make a difference?
Come and participate! Share your thoughts, a poem or song written by yourself or someone else or another performance piece. Your presence itself is a statement of concern.

5. Where can people learn more about your organization and project?
Email me pgb@igc.org

Guest post by Scott James

Artful Change creates art & music events to raise funds for other environmental and social nonprofits. Our mission is to provide opportunities to raise awareness & make an impact. This interview is part of a series of interviews with bands who live out their commitment to the environment through music.

Planetwize is a music and media company with a mission. They host Actiontrax, a music download service that helps music lovers be activists by donating part of their profits from music downloads, books, cases and gadgets to good causes.

Last week I had the chance to talk with Dan Porras, founder and Editor-In-Chief of Planetwize. I asked him about what Planetwize does, why and how they do it, and his thoughts on the online music industry. I'll let him tell the story of Planetwize- a great company with a great website!


What is your mission with Planetwize?

Our mission at Planetwize is to turn music lovers into activists. We want to make it easy for both bands and fans to leverage music to create positive change. To buy an album on Planetwize.com, you have to learn about the cause which that particular album supports. Education is also a big part of our mission: we want to spread awareness of the people and organizations that are working to bring about sustainable development.

Why did you decide to merge music and change?

Everyone loves music. As a musician, I have always looked for ways to use my own music to give back. Aside from producing a benefit concert or CD, there was no simple, turn-key way for musicians to use their music to support good causes. That's why we created the Actiontrax platform on Planetwize, to offer an intuitive interface to combine music with social and environmental projects from around the world.

How does downloading music from Planetwize help people change the world?

Every album on Planetwize.com/music supports a social or environmental organization working for change. We are simply empowering consumers to support a cause by doing something that they would do anyway: buying music. We realize that people have limited time and funds these days, and we hope that by combining music and charity, we can help people to support causes that they otherwise might not be exposed to, while getting some good, new music. We also hope that, through the articles we publish, people can learn about issues of sustainability and global culture and be inspired to make a difference.

What have been your biggest challenges and rewards with Planetwize?

As a non-technical person, the biggest challenge with Planetwize has definitely been the development of the website and the music platform. The learning curve was steep - it certainly was not as easy as putting up a website and selling music. The biggest reward is the positive response we are getting from users and bands that are eager to work with us and to help us grow our catalog. I love it when a band contacts us and says, " we love what you are doing and we want to support this cause with our music". It makes it all worth the hard work at the end of the day.

Where do you see growth in the online music industry?

I think that the world of digital music needs new business models. The iTunes 99-cents-per-track model was great for legitimizing digital music downloads, but people are looking for more ways to enjoy and discover music online. One of the cool things we offer users is the ability to sort through our music catalog by 'cause' as well as 'genre'. So if you select 'Unlock Africa', you will see all of the albums that are supporting projects in Africa. It's about giving music lovers new ways of interacting with music.

Being a music person, what are you listening to right now?

I alternate between putting my iTunes music player on shuffle and listening to full albums. Right now, actually, I am listening to 'Redemption' by Johnny Cash.

What are some innovative ways you have seen musicians promote change?

One of my favorite bands, The Duhks, travels around in a bus that runs on veggie fuel. But they go a step further and actually hold seminars and do everything they can on the road to educate their fans on sustainability. They even started their own 'think tank' to promote sustainability. Check it out at - http://www.greenduhks.com/

What kind of projects does Planetwize have coming up?

I am most excited about our upcoming compilation project, Power Up The Planet. We brought together artists like Thievery Corporation, Zap Mama, Ozomatli, Brazilian Girls, and Balkan Beat Box to make a comp. album to bring solar power to impoverished people. The album provides supports our partner, Solar Aid which does awesome work in Africa. That album will drop October 24th, which is the international day of climate action. You can see the 'teaser' vid. Other than that, we are focused on growing our music catalog and will have lots of great albums up there soon.

How do you see Planetwize growing in 2010?

We are starting to put out more original articles in addition to growing our music catalog. We are also establishing more relationships with innovative non-profits, and will be rolling out a series of live events to increase awareness.

How do you find bands on your site? If others are interested, what should they do?

We are always looking for artists that are engaged and serious about making a difference with their music. With our business model, the artist still gets a nice percentage of the royalties, so the artist is not just giving their music away. Sometimes bands come to us, and they are already working with a non-profit group, and we can work with that band to get their music on our platform. Other times we reach out to artists that we like and help them to select a cause to combine with their music. Either way, we would love to hear from bands that are interested to sell their music and to partner with a non-profit group doing good work in the world. Best way to get in touch is to reach out through our website, www.planetwize.com

How do people find Planetwize and you online?

Please check out www.planetwize.com and click around. If you have any feedback or questions, or just want to say hi, please feel free to email me - dan@planetwize.com

As the G20 climate talks get underway, Greenpeace activists intend to send a clear message to world leaders. Three 80 x 30 foot banners hanging off Pittsburgh bridges are urging our leaders to act on behalf of the climate. They read:

• “Warning. G20 Climate Talks Ahead. Danger of Falling Expectations”
• “Caution. Climate Disaster Zone. G20 in Session. Expect Delays.”
• “Danger. Climate Destruction Ahead. Reduce CO2 Emissions Now.”

The activists are asking supporters to sign a petition in support of strong climate action. the petition states:

I'm ready
Dear President Obama
I am ready for our leaders to sign a global climate deal in Copenhagen that is ambitious, fair and binding.

Add your name to the petition here

Like many of us, Greenpeace is calling for the end of inaction and irresponsibility regarding the climate crisis. We cannot afford to wait any longer. The Pittsburgh bridge banner hang is one of thousands of messages being sent to our leaders and representatives that we will no longer be appeased by half-measures.

On September 21st, the TCKTCKTCK campaign mobilized 2632 events in 134 countries. These events produced tens of thousands of phone calls to governments officials from Australia to Europe. These calls crashed government lines and demanded bold climate action from our world leaders.

These actions are just the beginning. As the UN climate talks in Copenhagen near, the actions will become more frequent and diverse. Expect an uprising of citizens on behalf of the climate.

Watch the Pittsburgh action here: