Yeah, yeah, we all know that climate change is a big problem and walking and biking is a great solution.  Right?

Since today is Blog Action Day 2009, with a focus on Global Climate Change, I wanted to add the WOBO blog to the chorus of online voices calling for action, as a reminder that our work to improve Oakland’s neighborhood quality of life through walking and biking has impacts not only our community but also our global community, from New Orleans to Nigeria.

Transportation accounts for 28% of greenhouse gas emissions nationally, and 38% in California.  Every trip you take that is accomplished by bicycle or foot helps keep carbon out of the atmosphere and make our future that much cooler.

It’s estimated that, thanks to our inaction over the past 30 years, sea level WILL rise (not maybe) 1-2 meters as a best-case scenario.  Every bike lane and crosswalk we stripe in Oakland means that coastal communities – in California, Louisiana, Bangladesh, everywhere – will face fewer relocations, fewer deaths from flooding and extreme weather events, and fewer social injustices from the unequal way that these problems are falling on the shoulders of poor and minority communities.

Oil drilling and refining causes health and environmental damage on the ground as well as the ultimate problem of climate change.  Every tank of gas you DON’T buy saves rainforests in the Amazon, preserves clean drinking water in Africa, and keeps smog out of the lungs of communities near refineries.  As the planet heats up, the pollution impacts on people and the environment we be even more devastating as the balance of ecology is made less resilient due to rising temperatures.

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING WALK OAKLAND BIKE OAKLAND and helping make our community part of the solution.  This month, you can get involved – on the ground and in person – to further local efforts to fight climate change:

Saturday, October 24: Global Day of Climate Action in San Francisco

Tuesday, October 27: Oakland Climate Action Plan update at the WOBO Volunteers Meeting

Please join us in making sure that our leaders take the steps we need to address climate change – and know that every day, your time in the saddle or on the sidewalk contributes to the global effort on this issue.

For more information about Blog Action Day 2009 and links to other blogs on climate change, click here.

(Submitted by Shannon T.)

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 15th, 2009 at 1:04 pm and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.