LEWISTON — As climate activists worldwide take part in an International Day of Climate Action on Saturday, Kennedy Park will be the focus of local efforts supporting the cause.

Organized by the 350.org campaign, young people, environmentalists, faith groups and others around the globe plan activities to enlist public support for effective measures against climate change caused by human activity. So far, more than 1,400 actions in more than 100 countries have been planned.

The day of action is designed to influence the outcome of United Nations climate talks in Copenhagen that culminate in December.

Bates College’s Harward Center for Community Partnerships and office of sustainability are coordinating local efforts, ranging from a parade of 350 bicyclists to musical performances and art displays.

The first event of the day, organized by Bates Energy Action Movement, will be a bicycle parade from Bates College to Kennedy Park. BEAM invites cyclists of all ages and skill levels to participate. Riders are asked to gather at the football field at the Bates campus at 11 a.m.

According to student organizer Tara Prasad, BEAM will have a limited number of bikes for people who don’t have their own, but people are asked to bring their own bikes. Water, juice and fruit will be available for riders once they arrive at Kennedy Park.

The arrival of the bike parade will kick off the proceedings at the
park. Cyclists wishing to take part can register at
[email protected], including name, address, age and telephone number.

Riders are encouraged to decorate
their bikes. As an added incentive,
the Bates bookstore has donated door draft-stoppers for the first 50
registrants.

The grassroots organization 350.org was founded by a group including author Bill McKibben, who wrote one of the first books on global warming for the general public. The “350” name comes from a 2008 report in which scientists, including noted climate researcher James Hansen, suggested that 350 parts per million is the safe upper limit of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. (According to the 350.org Web site, the atmospheric concentration of CO2 hit 390 ppm in 2007.)

In Lewiston, participants in the day of action will gather in Kennedy Park between 1 and 4 p.m. More than a dozen organizations are involved, including Bates College, the Downtown Education Collaborative, Stanton Bird Club, Lewiston Public Library, students from Central Maine Community College and parishioners from Trinity Episcopal Church.

Attractions will include performances by local musicians, artwork by Bates and local elementary school students, speakers and presenters offering information on issues such as home winterization and wildlife protection. The event is described by organizers as very kid-friendly.

Event coordinator Ryan Dean, a member of the Bates class of 2009, has developed a 350.org project called “Bird’s Eye View.” From Oct. 24 until December, people around the globe will create huge rooftop installations of recycled or reused materials that, seen from overhead, will form the number 350. These installations will be photographed and disseminated all over the world.

Such installations will be created at Bates and in Providence, R.I.; Brooklyn, N.Y.; Berlin, Germany; Istanbul, Turkey; Osaka, Japan; Copenhagen, Denmark; and Vicenza, Italy.

After Oct. 24, student organizers will continue to propagate the day’s mission with events both on and off campus, including lectures and public awareness campaigns designed around the 350 theme.

Much more information on 350.org appears at the Web site www.350.org.
For more information on Lewiston events, please contact Dean at [email protected].