Meetings on climate change

On Sunday, October 10 -- that's 10/10/10, a date to remember -- we will gather in climate "work parties" around the globe to demonstrate our determination and trumpet a call to our governments: "We're getting to work... what about you?"

The more of us take part, the more unmistakable our message of determination to defeat climate change. And these parties won't just be vitally important; they'll be fun, too. Click below to find an event near you and RSVP (or register an event of your own) -- it's time to roll up our sleeves and take action:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/global_work_party/?vl

The timing is critical: in the weeks and months to come, governments will make important decisions about whether to keep striving for a global climate treaty. All year, they've been reeling from last December's Copenhagen summit, where leaders failed to reach a legally binding agreement -- or even commit to developing one. Today, if politicians think that the public outcry for climate action has ended, they will succumb to the whispers of the fossil fuel lobby -- and simply give up on reaching a real deal.

But even as governments dither, the climate crisis itself is accelerating. 2010 is the hottest year on record. Climate-linked natural disasters, like the floods in Pakistan, have claimed thousands of lives. And scientists say the the picture is only getting worse. Our movement must race ahead more quickly than the crisis itself -- and pull the politicians along with us.

By demonstrating our willingness to take action, the Global Work Party issues a challenge to our leaders. Local events include tree plantings in rural Tanzania, solar installation in China, and an international bike-ride from Jordan to Israel -- along with much simpler events organized by small groups of friends. Wherever we are and however we get involved, we're making a point: if we're driving solutions to climate change within our own communities, our political leaders have no excuse not to get to work nationally and globally.

The more of us join, the more powerful our message. 10/10/10 is just days away, and it's easy to get involved -- click to sign up:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/global_work_party/?vl

Although time is short to confront climate change, the climate movement itself -- from the perspective of history -- is young. Abolishing the trans-Atlantic slave trade and ending apartheid took decades. But climate change, because of its unique threat to everyone everywhere, has a special power to unite people across all lines and boundaries -- if we let ourselves believe that progress is possible.

Last year saw an extraordinary wave of activity, with successive global days of action (21 September, 24 October, and 12/12) that drove heads of government from around the world to personally attend the Copenhagen summit. It was breathtaking, but it wasn't enough. This weekend, let's renew our commitment to the fight of six billion lifetimes -- and show that we're not going anywhere as long as we've got a planet to save.

Blog action day: blog about water

Hey Blog Action Day bloggers, Since our announcement last week, more than 1600 bloggers from 100 countries have registered to participate in Blog Action Day 2010, focused on the issue of water. If you haven't signed up yet, you can register here. Many of you have asked us how you can get more involved. Here are three ways you can help make Blog Action Day 2010 a success, and be part of the effort to save the 3800 children who die each day from unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation facilities: Embed an action widget: Together with US Fund for UNICEF, we're helping to build a movement of people across the world calling on UN Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon to accelerate the UN's work to supply clean, safe drinking water to the world's poorest populations. You can help this movement by grabbing our interactive action widget and embedding it on your blog, empowering your readers to join the cause. Raise funds for water: We've partnered with leading organizations to enable you to raise money to provide clean drinking water to those in need. Among these is charity: water, which allows you to create a fundraising page to raise money to build wells in Africa. You can also directly donate through Water.org, an organization co-founded by Matt Damon. Just $25 provides clean water for a lifetime for one person. Spread the Word: We need your help to spread the word about Blog Action Day 2010 across the web. Take a moment to tell your friends to sign up via email, Facebook and Twitter. The more voices we have involved in the conversation, the greater our collective impact. Blog Action Day 2010 is shaping up to be the biggest online day of action around water to date. But we need your help to make it even more successful. By registering your blog, embedding an action widget, fundraising for clean water and spreading the word, you're helping shed light on an often over-looked, yet incredibly important issue. We'll keep you updated with any Blog Action Day developments as we get closer to the 15th, but in the meantime don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.