10:10 is a global movement of people, businesses, schools and cities cutting their carbon emissions by 10% in a year. Today is 10/10/10, a global day of doing. It’s the biggest day ever for action on climate change.
Here’s a roundup of 10 fabulous things going on today.
1. People all over the world will be cycling to mark the occasion. In Japan, Sumo wrestlers will take to the streets in downtown Tokyo on bikes and Keep It Wheel in Sydney will gather hundreds of cyclists for a slow and enjoyable bike party.
2. New Bedford, MA, USA is hosting a Barn Raising event. In the past, people would come together and help neighbours literally raise their barn from the ground up. In the spirit of this, New Bedford residents will be coming together and weatherising each others homes.
3. In Lesotho, one company is hosting a “Solar Cooking Extravaganza“, bringing together members of the community and spreading solar cooking love.
4. In Shimizu, Japan there is a “Really Really Free Market” where people come with anything but money. Advice, clothing, toys, books — everything really — gets swapped.
5. More than 850 universities across the world have signed up for the Great Power Race, a competition that kicks off today and lasts until the Spring. To win, universities must implement clean energy solutions and are awarded points. The uni with the most points wins!
6. Friends of the Earth Middle East is hosting a three nation, 3-day “Relay for Water”. It starts with Jordanian cyclists carrying a container of water from the Yarmouk River who will then link up with Israeli cyclists who will mix in water from the Sea of Galilee and cycle to the West Bank to hand the water to Palestinian cyclists who will cycle to the Dead Sea and pour all three waters together today.
7. People in Vancouver are getting up to some mischief today for 10.10. They’re fighting climate crime! Participants will relocate sand meant to be used in the building of a new freeway to re-reinforce dikes in areas around Surrey, a neighbourhood at risk of flooding.
8. One Day on Earth will document a 24 hour period where people in every country around the world simultaneously film. Footage will show what people are doing to cut their emissions as well as just recording life from their own vantage point. Want to see the human experience?
9. Polar bears and other animals (allegedly) will be painting the cycle lanes on streets in Kyiv, Ukraine. I can’t wait to see the photos.
10. The 1 degree initiative in Nepal is “Flooding Facebook and Twitter“ by changing their status’s to: “We’re working–what about you?” and continuously uploading and tagging photos the environment to draw leaders attention to climate change issues.
For 10:10, I’ve convinced the football team I coach to carpool to games for the rest of the season. Taking 10 cars (as per usual) is chaos, unnecessary and needless to say, pretty bad for the environment. So, from this week on, me and my team and their parents will be getting cozy in only a few vehicles.
What will you get up to today?
Katherine Hui is currently the Social site editor at Green Thing, a web-based public service in London that inspires people to lead greener lives through creative content.
Before this, she worked as the Development Manager at Social Innovation Camp, an organization that encourages people to use web and mobile-based technology to mobilise social change. She oversaw 300 ideas submission and helped build 20 prototypes – five of which have gone on to get further funding or investment.
Katherine’s came over to the UK form Canada in 2007 for an MSc program at the London School of Economics. Before arriving in London, she managed a small environmental start-up in Vancouver called the Canadian Climate Change Alliance.
Katherine is football mad. She is a loyal supporter of Arsenal FC, plays for Islington Borough Ladies FC and coaches for Gunners in Islington in her spare time. Her second favourite hobby is kite surfing and she can sometimes be found chasing the wind.
