Lion's Head 350.org Connect The Dots Climate Action

Tomorrow, Saturday 5/5/2012, the world is standing up to Connect The Dots between extreme weather and climate change.

If you're in Cape Town, there are three events that you can take part in:

• Lion's Head 350.org climate dot action Saturday, May 5, 8:00 AM On top of Lion's Head
  (meeting at 7 to start walking up - I'm going to be photographing the event on Lion's Head, so come along and join in!
  
  
• One Person One Spekboom Saturday, May 5, 10:00 AM Kommetjie Primary School
  
  and on Sunday:
• Create dots on the beach Sunday, May 6, 10:00 AM Sunset Beach, Milnerton

Don't fret if you're not in the Mother City, there are loads of events happening around the world, so you'll probably find something nearby if you go to seach for an event at www.climatedots.org

 

The Climate Action event in 2009 on Table Mountain - loads of fun!

Here's some more info from Rob:

Are you feeling a bit jaded about the lack of progress on climate change?

Me too! So let's do something about it!

If you’re prepared to stand up for what is right, if you can postpone your weekend sleep-in until Sunday, if you haven't yet written off humanity as a dim-witted species best left to go its way, if your heart hasn't yet hardened to stone, if you can delay your Saturday morning shopping / mountain biking / running / climbing / surfing activities, if you’re still clinging to hope for a better future, then please join us on Saturday morning, 5 May, for a breakfast on top of Lion’s Head and to do our bit in connecting the global climate dots - www.climatedots.org.

We are meeting at 8am for breakfast on top (so that means you probably need to start walking at around 7am) and we will start arranging our Climate Dot from 08:30 onwards, so that we are ready for photos to be taken from 09:00 onwards for an hour (or two). We will probably need to do some slow shifting around of the dot to optimise it for the photographers on Table Mountain and elsewhere. If you oversleep, that is ok, just join us for the Climate Dot part - the more people, the bigger our dot.

Please RSVP, so I have an idea of numbers (and in case we need to change the time or date to Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning if the weather is not participating).

Please also indicate in a 'post' on the facebook event page (or in a direct message to me) whether you would be willing to contribute anywhere from R20 to R50 towards the cost of having someone take pictures from a light aeroplane?

MORE INFO

Why get out of bed or off your couch at all?

Slowly, very slowly, humanity is starting to respond to climate change. A growing number of individuals, quite a few governments and a fast growing number of big corporations are starting to take bold actions. Take a look at the impressive actions of Unilever, Puma, Marks & Spencer, HSBC and others - regretfully SA corporations are mostly still lagging in making really bold commitments. But despite this progress, much more needs to be done and this campaign is a call on government, business (big and small) and of course each one of us to 'connect the dots' to what we are doing to our planet and ourselves, and to ramp up our ambition levels to shift to a cleaner, more prosperous, just, and enduring society. 

The climate change NGO www.350.org is organising this global www.climatedots.org campaign for 5 May to create more awareness and encourage society to take bolder action to reduce carbon dioxide concentrations to a safe level of 350 parts per million. Our Archbishop Tutu is a 350 enthusiast and patron, because he realises that worsening climate change will result in global ‘climate apartheid’ – further widening the chasm between rich and poor. Tutu states that globally we need to become as committed in taking on climate change as many South Africans were in taking on apartheid here.

What is being planned?

The Lion's Head initiative is just one of thousands of initiatives that will take place around the world that day linking man-made climate change with on-the-ground impacts. In this respect, Lion’s Head, as part of the Table Mountain National Park, has special significance, as its slopes are covered by our beautiful, fragile fynbos. It is threatened by rising temperatures and future rainfall uncertainty. The idea is to create a large red dot on the very top of the mountain on the paved area. The colour of the day is RED, to signify the danger and the upward march of the thermometer's mercury, and of course to signal us to stop our irresponsible burning of fossil fuels and accelerate our transition to cleaner fuel sources.

So please bring as many red-coloured towels, kikoys, throws, bed sheets and sheets of plastic as you can carry. We will use these to create our Climate Dot, which will be photographed from Table Mountain and the city, and possibly by plane. We are also trying to organise someone with a light aeroplane to take up a photographer for aerial pictures. These photos are really important to spread the message via the media - both locally and internationally.

For those wanting to buy really cheap end-of-line red fabric, you can visit Kwaai Lappies – isn’t that just a wonderful name – at 2 Victoria Road Woodstock; Tel: 021 801 2483 (they are open from 06:00, yes 6am, until 15:30 during the week). I will be buying a whole bunch there on Friday late morning, and can get you some as well. It sells at about R12 - R15 per metre and you can pay me on the day – just email the number of metres you would like me to get for you. Afterwards, I’ll be donating my material (and yours if you like) to someone needy and who can turn it into something useful.

Who should come along?

Anyone who can safely walk up and down Lion's Head. Climate denialists are also most welcome. We will have available a team of climate scientists and psychologists to council you through your denial and resistance.

Where and when are we uniting?

Saturday, 5 May on top of Lion's Head for breakfast at 08:00. That means you’ll need to start walking at round 7am.

We will start putting together our climate dot from 08:30, so that we are ready for the photos to be taken between 09:00 and about 10:00.

Please RSVP using the link below.

What to bring?

Your awake self and your breakfast.

Warm clothes, good walking shoes and water.

Lots and lots of red coloured materials. We need to cover the entire area around the trig beacon on top.

What about the fynbos?

While we are planning to only cover the cemented area on top of Lion's Head with red materials, please be very careful with the embattled fynbos up there.

Don't step on it, lean on it, kick it, fall on it or pick it.

Lion's Head clean up

For those willing, we are also going to take the opportunity to do a bit of a clean-up afterwards while we are up there. Please pick up any litter that you see along the path. But I predominantly would like to focus on cleaning up the wide ledges below the top, particularly on the Atlantic / Sea Point / Clifton side. I'll bring along some rubbish bags, and would appreciate any help after the dot photo-shoot to collect some of this less accessible rubbish.

Please RSVP, so I have an idea of numbers (and in case we need to change the time or date to Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning if the weather is not participating).

Remember to please also indicate in a 'post' on the event page (or in a direct message to me) whether you would be willing to contribute anywhere from R20 to R50 towards the cost of having someone take pictures from a light aeroplane?

I look forward to seeing you on top.

Rob