World enviro-day draws scant Boulder crowd

Boulder adults thinly represented at 10-10-10 event

| Oct 11, 2010

PITCHING IN: Major participants on Boulder’s 10-10-10 day were (from left) Micah Parkin, Sarah Larabee, Alison Burchell, Rep. Jared Polis and (in front) Audrey James.

What must be deemed a small but resolute crowd gathered Sunday, Oct. 10, for Boulder’s part of a worldwide environmental-action day convened by the group 350.org headed by environmental author and activist Bill McKibben.

<cutline><strong>BIG NAMES:</strong> <em>Leslie Glustrom of Clean Energy Action and Hunter Lovins of Natural Capitalism Solutions, two Boulder enviro-luminaries, spoke briefly at noon kickoff.</em></cutline>

BIG NAMES: Leslie Glustrom of Clean Energy Action and Hunter Lovins of Natural Capitalism Solutions, two Boulder enviro-luminaries, spoke briefly at noon kickoff.

Despite fairly massive pre-publicity, the crowd that gathered shortly noon at the University Memorial Center on the CU campus numbered perhaps 120, equally divided between the 20-something-and-younger (many of whom had marched from a morning workshop at Naropa University) and some resolute older activists, who included Rep. Jared Polis, City of Boulder environmental pointperson Jonathan Koehn and key organizers of the event Micah Parkin and Chelsea Hodge. 
 

What was lacking was widespread citizen participation. The event drew a smaller crowd than 350.org’s “Day of Climate Action” gathering last Oct. 24 at the Municipal Building and perhaps fewer people than Bill McKibben’s fiery speech in a downtown Boulder church this past April 27.

<cutline><strong>ENVIRO-HUNK:</strong> <em>Boulder's Regional Sustainability Coordinator Jonathan Koehn was among kickoff speakers.</em></cutline>

ENVIRO-HUNK: Boulder's Regional Sustainability Coordinator Jonathan Koehn was among kickoff speakers.

Where was the adult population of Boulder? Major organizational work had gone into preparing for Boulder’s part of what was billed as the “10-10-10 Global Work Party” comprising 7,300 events in 188 countries including China, Russia, Iraq and Bangladesh.  
 

About 15 local activist groups staffed tables, the Supermassive dance troupe performed, Elephant Journal publisher Waylon Lewis emceed and 40 different presentations and small panel discussions ensued all afternoon, followed by a dance party at the St. Julien that evening.

Our own path through the day featured attendance at a very serious exploration of “Know Your Enemy: The Tools of Disconnection and How to Reconnect with the Natural Community,” conducted by Jason Coughlin, followed by an even grimmer assessment of earth’s environmental future and humans’ denial thereof, titled “Forsaking the Destruction of Earth, Embracing a New Human Species,” led by now-Boulderite psychotherapist Carolyn Baker. Both presenters had formulas for waking up the populace and swinging into big-time remedial action, both of which left me unconvinced and uncheered.

<cutline>Kelly Simmons, program manager at the CU Environmental Center's Sustainable Practices Program, was festooned for the event.</cutline>

FESTIVE: Kelly Simmons, program manager at the CU Environmental Center's Sustainable Practices Program, was festooned for the event.

A talk that evening, loosely associated with the event and held at the Unitarian Universalist Church in South Boulder, featured noted author David Wann, co-author of the best-selling book, “Affluenza.” His was an only slightly more hopeful assessment of where we stand and what to do about it. (Wann’s latest book, “The New Normal,” due out in December, proposes ways society can get more sustainable.) 
 

For our part, though, we felt sobered by the scant attention given the day’s event by Boulder’s allegedly environmentally concerned citizenry. It was even a rainy day!

But perhaps that’s where we’re at just now: busy on a Sunday afternoon, too busy to devote the day to learning more about what we might do about the emerging climate-change disaster.

Perhaps others have some ideas about why more people didn’t come. I could use some cheering up on that front — if cheer there be.

More event pictures

<cutline>Waylon Lewis, Elephant Journal publisher, was intently organizing speakers but paused for a thumbs-up.</cutline>

Waylon Lewis, Elephant Journal publisher, was intently organizing speakers but paused for a thumbs-up.

<cutline>CU grad student Leila Amerman was among greeters helping people plan their day.</cutline>

CU grad student Leila Amerman was among greeters helping people plan their day.

All photos: Boulder Reporter

 
 


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4 Comments »

  • Laila Amerman said:

    Usually, it’s the adults you hear from on days like 350. So, I was thrilled to see active youth bringing parents to an event (the iMatter March) that stands up for their future, rather than the other way around. On a rainy day, our future was outside, telling the world, “Adults, this is my future that you’re messing up. I care. It matters to me. Please, don’t continue on the current path we’re on”. Boulder’s 350 day of workshops is more for the future generations and future of our planet than for us right now. Considering the glum weather and the numbers that Micah talked about, the Boulder 350 had a great turnout. And it was a day of work, not workshops. So, the fact that Denver did not have a blatant day of workshops doesn’t mean nothing happened. There was a 350 presence, especially before the AASHE conference.

    The biggest problem we face today is messaging. How do we reach out to the general community to say that as Americans, a piddly 5% of the global population, must realize that our way of life is so wasteful and grandiose that the planet’s population of 6.8 billion people could not share our standard of living without ravaging the planet even if they had the financial means. We need to outreach without alienating. We need to bring attention to what is wrong without making people tighten their grasp on their current life style.

    Finally, I must say, with all due respect, John Nicoll, Boulder as a city is doing a lot. It is the educated, caring, and committed community members who are contributing the most towards Boulder’s change. This is a smaller group of people, yet they are effective. There are people doing something, and it’s unfair to judge the city’s progress because of one day of events.

    # 19 October 2010 at 10:24 pm
  • Waylon said:

    Thanks for this great write-up. Here’s our write-up, which prominently links to your great photos and all, above: http://www.elephantjournal.com/2010/10/350-climate-action-movement-a-reflection-on-this-years-global-work-party–sarah-orleans-reed/

    Your fan,

    Waylon

    # 15 October 2010 at 4:14 pm
  • Micah Parkin said:

    As one of the organizers of the Boulder 350 Global Work Party, I feel I must set the record straight regarding attendance at the 350 events in Boulder and Denver on 10/10/10.
    Boulder – Although greater participation at the rally would have been wonderful, we had a fantastic turnout overall – approximately 500 people participated with one or more of the events in Boulder. The youth iMatter March had 135 participants, which joined others at the rally, which brought the total close to 200 people. After the rally, people came in shifts throughout the day attending various workshops, so if someone wasn’t there all day going to all of the workshops, total participation would not have been obvious. For example, the tree planting had 53 participants, the energy efficiency sweep had about 35-40 volunteers, etc. With 42 workshops, each having about 10-50 participants, the numbers added up. Approximately 200 people attended the Carrotmob Party at the St Julien, some who had attended workshops and many who had not. It was a rainy day, and since we don’t have many of those, people tend to want to stay home. Nevertheless, I encourage even more folks to come out and show their support in the future. To see some of the photos of the day, visit:
    http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Boulder-350/93883058302 and to read more about the day’s events visit http://boulder350.org/.
    Also, regarding Denver – there were at least 12 events that took place and estimates of total participation are also around 500. A “Get to Work Party” on the Capital Steps, which gave 4 work event options had approximately 200 people, an interfaith Peace Forest tree planting had approximately 100 people, a Transition Denver/Go Local “Awakening the Dreamer” symposium had about 35 people, and there were a number of other events for which I don’t have the numbers. To see photos and information of other events, visit http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/350-Denver/90571899054.
    To put all of this into perspective, the 350 event in Washington, D.C. had about 200 people participate. So, while I would love to see everyone who cares about having a safe climate and a clean energy future involved in the future, I don’t want folks to feel down about Colorado’s participation. There were over 55 events in Colorado and all of these efforts add up, make a difference, and help to grow this important movement.
    Thanks to everyone and all of the groups and businesses (over 50!) who helped make the events an overall success!

    # 13 October 2010 at 10:56 am
  • John Nicoll said:

    Is Boulder Really on the Cutting Edge of Sustainable Living?

    Interestingly, those who attended 350.org’s 10/10/10 Global work party, know that the turnout at Naropa University was nill, the turnout at CU’s CMU building was limited to a few hundred people and Denver had no Global Work Party events at all.

    As humanity faces its most significant challenges to date, how is it that one of the most “progressively oriented” cities in the U.S. seems to care so very little?

    The answer lies in consumer identity. Americans have grown up in the consumer culture; so much so that their very identities are built on consuming. In order to change to meet the growing global energy, environmental and economic crisis, individuals in today’s culture are faced with the unenviable task of reorganizing their identities.

    What are needed in times like this are tools of transition that assist people in grasping the new cultural paradigm that is emerging. Tools and concepts that allow individuals to quickly and easily take incremental steps that address the problems we face – before those problems become irresolvable predicaments.

    What is also needed is radical action, like the four students in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina who sat down at a lunch counter on Monday, February 1st, 1960 and forced the people around them to face what wasn’t working anymore. They forced them to examine their own identities. The result was a fight, but eventually it became clear to everyone that they needed to shift their own perspectives in order for the world to move forward.

    If radical action is your bent, then get out there and start doing something radical to help people wake up. For more practically oriented people there are some great solutions like http://driventodriveless.com where you can make an impact by not driving one day a week. There is also http://www.localshare.org, a local business that helps Boulder residents quickly reduce their impact by gifting and sharing unused or underused items and other resources. Through sharing, residents also develop crucial community relationships: one of the major themes that came out the Global Work Party events at CU. The recent Boulder Green Streets event showed us how much fun we can have by recreating public spaces that are designed for fun and play. And CRC’s upcoming tool library (partnering with LocalShare) will help Boulder residents save money and use less.

    # 12 October 2010 at 9:18 pm

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