On Saturday, Oct. 24 an international day of climate action will witness thousands of events around the world dramatizing the number 350.

Why 350? This is the number of parts per million of carbon dioxide (co2) that leading climate scientists believe is the safe upward limit in our atmosphere for the continued existence of human life.

Unfortunately, current concentrations of greenhouse gases have pushed this number to near 387 parts per million. So, is the situation hopeless? Only if we fail to act. Hence this wake up call on Oct. 24.

The goal is to alert folks to the problem, and convince them to pressure our elected leaders to pass a meaningful climate bill, something that President Obama can take to Copenhagen in December, where the 10th anniversary and redrafting of the Kyoto Protocol will take place.

Sustainable Ballard will host our own event, “Squash Global Warming” in
Bergen Square at 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 24. We will assemble 350 various
pumpkins, acorn, hubbard and winter squash to form the numbers 350.

There will be ceremonial “squashing” for those above 350 into buckets labeled “cap and trade” or “carbon tax” or “compost,” which are all suggested solutions to bring greenhouse emissions under control.

People are encouraged to bring their own squash, and take them home again.

The local event will be filmed and footage fed into the international record for the day. In the afternoon, there will be a follow-up event at the Seattle Center Alki Room from 2 to 5 p.m. showing the live feed from www.350.org.

At 3:50 p.m. folks will form a human picture of the number 350 to be photographed from the Space Needle looking down on the International Fountain.

Andrea Faste is a member of Sustainable Ballard.