Actually, "not to do" isn't really an option.

We should all do something to contribute to the Step It Up 2007 effort on April 14th. The beauty of the concept is that Bill McKibben and the Step It Up team are leaving the choice of actions up to the people who are really going to make a difference–you and me!

Here's what my friend Malinda had to say in her email to Patagoniacs about doing something on April 14th (she's an owner, so she can challenge and expect them all to do something):

Inspire. Capture hearts and minds. Reducing carbon emissions is hard, but not impossible.

Be creative, thoughtful, courteous; follow the "Golden Rule." In a sound bite, be funny and/or poignant, in order to make good press. What makes good press? A sound bite with a good printable photo.

A carefully thought out idea can move people to join you. You are not selling Patagonia on April 14th, you are trying to build consensus so we all might live.

Our normal habits need to change. With the help of new laws we all can change together.

What kind of change? What do you want to make people think about? Auto emissions, fuel types, electricity use or generation, public transportation, methane from factory farms, dying oceans, melting ice caps, hurricanes, tornadoes, drought, starvation …

Do what you know how to do!

Have kids? Do a kid thing. Know how to kayak? Do a river thing. Know how to cook, write or paint? Get some of your friends together to cook, write or paint with a theme, hang a banner and take a digital photo for the Step It Up website.

The folks at UCSB are going to be throwing ice cubes into the ocean to symbolize the melting ice caps.

Are you good at talking? What law or treaty do you want to see changed? Talk to your elected representatives. Is it easier for you to be funny? Are you a writer? Write an Op-Ed piece that suggests a fun event for April 14.

What is your special talent? What can you use to rally a group to Step It Up? Biking to a solar social? Powering a concert with solar panels? Fund raising for personal marine wind generators. Digging and building a community tornado shelter. Organizing a cell phone movie contest about your school's carbon load …

You get the idea, and the challenge. The goal: getting Congress to cut carbon 80% by 2050.

Do your thing. And, thanks Malinda for the inspiration!

Carbon Neutral Journal's choices are brought to you by Jorgensen Associates.

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