Climate conscious students plan to harness wind energy for fun on Thursday, October 22nd, flying kites on the Campus Center lawn. They hope to raise awareness and show their support for conscious solutions to the world’s energy needs.
The Kite Rally, organized by Members of the Asian Student Alliance and MassPIRG, starts on the campus center lawn at 2pm. Jerry Xu, the Coordinator of the Asian Student Center, plans on attending the event.
“I remember when I was very young and used to fly kites. Flying kites was a lot of fun. I think, as we get older, we forget how to have fun. That was one reason that I thought this rally was a good idea. Now I will be able to fly kites with my friends for a good cause,” said Xu.
“We college students can convince people to talk with their local and state-wide government workers,” said Xu “I believe that these government men could convince world leaders to make carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere lower.”
International leaders will meet in December to discuss the possibility of lowering the carbon dioxide levels to 350 parts per million from its current 385.92 ppm. There is more information about this meeting along with scientific facts about global warming on 350.org.
The website advertises events similar to the Kite Rally, but most of those will be held on Saturday, October 24th, also known as the International Climate Change Day. Students in Beijing will bike around the ancient landmarks in the city. People in Ghana will plant trees in Accra. Colombians will host an all day conference in Barranquilla in order to discuss global warming solutions. Marcie Keith is excited to be a part of this larger effort.
“We are doing the Kite Rally in tribute to the international day of action,” she said.
This is Keith’s first year coordinating MassPIRG’s Global Warming Solutions Project. This effort is only one piece of a more expansive campaign.
MassPIRG has been working for years to raise eco-consciousness among young people in Massachusetts for years. Most recently, in 2008, members gathered signatures supporting The Global Warming Solutions Act for Massachusetts House Representative, Steven Lynch. They succeeded in their goal, and Massachusetts now plans to reduce carbon emissions by 80% before 2050.
Keith hopes to continue building support for this year’s global Warming solutions project in 2009, so that more people will be involved in pressuring political leaders to effectively do their jobs.
Anybody can join in, even if they don’t have their own kite. Contact Xu ([email protected]) or Marcie Keith ([email protected]), the Student Campaign Coordinator for Mass PIRG, to get involved.