In fact the heading was taken from an email that came in from Bill McKibben’s 350.org yesterday. But before reproducing that email in full, let me take you back to the 6th January this year when I published a piece simply called Keystone XL pipeline. This is how that Post opened up,
Yesterday, I had published a lecture given in Melbourne by Britain’s eminent Astronomer Royal, Lord Martin Rees. Lord Rees concluded his lecture with the call for us to take better care of our own planet. He, like many others, recognises the unique place in history that we occupy. For the first time a single species is capable of exerting profound changes on the Earth’s natural and physical environments.
Over and over again, scientists are reporting the rise in climate temperature of Planet Earth and the implications thereof if we do not wakeup soon to changing our ways. The Keystone pipeline is a huge potential mistake!
Bill McKibben of 350.org
Not easy to focus on a single sentence from Lord Rees but this one’s pretty direct, “For the first time a single species is capable of exerting profound changes on the Earth’s natural and physical environments.”
Thailand has the worst flooding in its history, only a month after Central America has the worst flood in its history, a month after Vermont has the worst flooding in its history in the same year that the Mississippi river has the worst flooding in its history. And Queensland in Australia has its worst floods only a few months after Pakistan floods so badly that 20 million people are forced from their homes – it’s connected, folks.
Across the planet now we see ever more flood, ever more drought, ever more storms. People are dying, communities are being wrecked — the impacts we’re already witnessing from climate change are unlike anything we have seen before.
But because the globe is so big, it’s hard for most people to see that it’s all connected. That’s why, on May 5, we will Connect the Dots.
In places from drought-stricken Mongolia to flood-stricken Thailand, from fire-ravaged Australia to Himalayan communities threatened by glacial melt, we will hold rallies reminding everyone what has happened in our neighborhoods. And at each of those rallies, from Kenya to Canada, from Vietnam to Vermont, someone will be holding a…dot. A huge black dot on a white banner, a “dot” of people holding hands, encircling a field where crops have dried up, a dot made of fabric and the picture taken from above — you get the idea. We’ll share those images the world around, to put a human face on climate change–we’ll hold up a mirror to the planet and force people to come face to face with the ravages of climate change.
Anyone and everyone can participate in this day. Many of us do not live in Texas, the Philippines, or Ethiopia — places deeply affected by climate impacts. For those communities, there are countless ways to stand in solidarity with those on the front-lines of the climate crisis: some people will giving presentations in their communities about how to connect the dots. Others will do projects to demonstrate what sorts of climate impacts we can expect if the crisis is left unchecked. And still others of us will express our indignation to local media and politicians for failing to connect the dots in their coverage of “natural disasters.”
However you choose to participate, your voice is needed in this fight — and you can sign up here: www.climatedots.org
These will be beautiful events, we’re sure. But they will also have an edge. It’s important for all of us whose lives are being damaged to know that it’s right that we get a little angry at those forces causing this problem. The fossil fuel industry is at fault, and we have to make that clear. Our crew at 350.org will work hard to connect all these dots — literally — and weave them together to create a potent call to action, and we will channel that call directly to the people who need to hear it most.
May 5 is coming soon; we need to work rapidly. Because climate change is bearing down on us, and we simply can’t wait. The world needs to understand what’s happening, and you’re the people who can tell them.
Please join us–we need you to send the most important alarm humanity has ever heard:www.climatedots.org
Onwards,
Bill McKibben for the whole team at ClimateDots.org
I am really disappointed by the selective blindness of my fellow hydrogeologist, oakwood. His recent response to Lionel – citing all the reasons why there is no better time for a human to be alive today – is very revealing of his prejudiced anthropocentric view of the world. He is very clearly failing to connect the dots…
You must see this: http://climatecrocks.com/2012/04/18/public-linking-severe-weather-to-climate-change/
In which Peter Sinclair reports the words of one of the researchers as follows:
‘“Most people in the country are looking at everything that’s happened; it just seems to be one disaster after another after another,” said Anthony A. Leiserowitz of Yale University, one of the researchers who commissioned the new poll. “People are starting to connect the dots.”‘ (my emphasis).
Martin, thanks for both your comments and apologies for the delay in replying. Jean and I have more or less been away from the house for the last 2 days. Paul
Hi Paul –
Thanks for the link, and the repost. Just to clarify,though – my blog is 350orbust.com. Bill McKibben and 350.org were definitely part of my inspiration, but I’m not part of their organization. I’ve clarified this post on my blog, as I did repost Bill McKibbon’s letter in full from 350.org 🙂
Christine, thank you for pointing out my mistake. I have now amended the text to show the correct URL for http://350orbust.com/ And congratulations on a great blogsite! Hope we can stay in touch, best wishes, Paul
I think we are connecting the Dots more and more..Paul~ Good Post!~ And we also see as we lobby our governments that they seem to be on their own Hidden agendas as they do nothing to stop the constant pollution and raping of Mother Earth… Instead opting to promote Nuclear power generators when again they also are seeing the huge implications as seen at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station disaster, and what happens when things go wrong. Which is still a very major concern one yr on, which the rest of world seems to have forgotten about.. Or they seemingly back BIG Boys with their Huge profits..
And lets not forget the Weather Modification http://www.weathermodification.com/program-services.php
Which is meddling also with our weather in Cloud Seeding… I see the Chemtrails most days in my own skies.. ALL of this is having its adverse effects upon Climate Change.. not to mention other inventions which we know are out there which are Meddling in Nature..
Oh yes I think more than a few of us now are jointing the Dots and crossing the T’s..
And These are the times of Change.. we feel it, KNOW it, so WHY are not our Governments Responding? Good Question! One I think many of us know the answers to, but the answers seem too incredible to contemplate..
Thanks Sue. I think I’ve used it before on Learning from Dogs but when one takes a look at the ‘goings on’ on this fragile and beautiful planet – well fragile for such advanced species as man – one is reminded of that silly joke as to why we haven’t been visited by species from another part of the universe? Answer: Because while other species have come across Planet Earth, they haven’t stopped because there was no sign of intelligent life! 😉 Paul
🙂 Oh I think they stopped Paul… that I do.. and went after the experiement went a bit wrong.. now maybe they just waiting for us to destroy ourselves ! 😉 no need to interfere in the Universal Laws of Free Will when we are Freely Killing each other off.. :-).:-)
There was a recent programme on BBC TV 4 under the series title of Beautiful Minds, the first about Prof. Jenny Clack. She was talking about the migration of fish on to the land and it reminded me that we have an ammonite fossil here in the house, one that I found on Dartmoor many years ago. I looked up the age of this fossil – ammonites ranged from 245 million to 65 million years ago.
That seemed to me to put mankind’s existence on this planet into some form of proper comparison. A quick search showed that the very earliest humanoid footprints were dated less than 4m years ago. Neanderthal Man goes back just back 150,000 years, give or take. Neolithic man just 10,000 years ago.
Thus revealing how recent, and possibly temporary, is modern man.
Hey Paul. Would you like to write my blog for me? I have just spent 3500 words spread across 3 posts telling people what you managed to squeeze into about 3 paragraphs! It’s the work of a genius (or else a much more experienced communicator). 🙂
Learning from Dogs 
I am really disappointed by the selective blindness of my fellow hydrogeologist, oakwood. His recent response to Lionel – citing all the reasons why there is no better time for a human to be alive today – is very revealing of his prejudiced anthropocentric view of the world. He is very clearly failing to connect the dots…
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You must see this:
http://climatecrocks.com/2012/04/18/public-linking-severe-weather-to-climate-change/
In which Peter Sinclair reports the words of one of the researchers as follows:
‘“Most people in the country are looking at everything that’s happened; it just seems to be one disaster after another after another,” said Anthony A. Leiserowitz of Yale University, one of the researchers who commissioned the new poll. “People are starting to connect the dots.”‘ (my emphasis).
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Martin, thanks for both your comments and apologies for the delay in replying. Jean and I have more or less been away from the house for the last 2 days. Paul
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Hi Paul –
Thanks for the link, and the repost. Just to clarify,though – my blog is 350orbust.com. Bill McKibben and 350.org were definitely part of my inspiration, but I’m not part of their organization. I’ve clarified this post on my blog, as I did repost Bill McKibbon’s letter in full from 350.org 🙂
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Christine, thank you for pointing out my mistake. I have now amended the text to show the correct URL for http://350orbust.com/ And congratulations on a great blogsite! Hope we can stay in touch, best wishes, Paul
LikeLike
I think we are connecting the Dots more and more..Paul~ Good Post!~ And we also see as we lobby our governments that they seem to be on their own Hidden agendas as they do nothing to stop the constant pollution and raping of Mother Earth… Instead opting to promote Nuclear power generators when again they also are seeing the huge implications as seen at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station disaster, and what happens when things go wrong. Which is still a very major concern one yr on, which the rest of world seems to have forgotten about.. Or they seemingly back BIG Boys with their Huge profits..
And lets not forget the Weather Modification http://www.weathermodification.com/program-services.php
Which is meddling also with our weather in Cloud Seeding… I see the Chemtrails most days in my own skies.. ALL of this is having its adverse effects upon Climate Change.. not to mention other inventions which we know are out there which are Meddling in Nature..
Oh yes I think more than a few of us now are jointing the Dots and crossing the T’s..
And These are the times of Change.. we feel it, KNOW it, so WHY are not our Governments Responding? Good Question! One I think many of us know the answers to, but the answers seem too incredible to contemplate..
LikeLike
Thanks Sue. I think I’ve used it before on Learning from Dogs but when one takes a look at the ‘goings on’ on this fragile and beautiful planet – well fragile for such advanced species as man – one is reminded of that silly joke as to why we haven’t been visited by species from another part of the universe? Answer: Because while other species have come across Planet Earth, they haven’t stopped because there was no sign of intelligent life! 😉 Paul
LikeLike
🙂 Oh I think they stopped Paul… that I do.. and went after the experiement went a bit wrong.. now maybe they just waiting for us to destroy ourselves ! 😉 no need to interfere in the Universal Laws of Free Will when we are Freely Killing each other off.. :-).:-)
LikeLike
There was a recent programme on BBC TV 4 under the series title of Beautiful Minds, the first about Prof. Jenny Clack. She was talking about the migration of fish on to the land and it reminded me that we have an ammonite fossil here in the house, one that I found on Dartmoor many years ago. I looked up the age of this fossil – ammonites ranged from 245 million to 65 million years ago.
That seemed to me to put mankind’s existence on this planet into some form of proper comparison. A quick search showed that the very earliest humanoid footprints were dated less than 4m years ago. Neanderthal Man goes back just back 150,000 years, give or take. Neolithic man just 10,000 years ago.
Thus revealing how recent, and possibly temporary, is modern man.
LikeLike
Hey Paul. Would you like to write my blog for me? I have just spent 3500 words spread across 3 posts telling people what you managed to squeeze into about 3 paragraphs! It’s the work of a genius (or else a much more experienced communicator). 🙂
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You flatter me, dear friend! 😉
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If so, that makes two of us. You certainly have a knack for what Lord Monckton calls concision.
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