LTE North County Times - "Climate Action Day saw lots of action"

Oct. 24 was the International Day of Climate Action. While the North County Times provided little to no coverage, that doesn't mean there was little action. In North County, a group of several dozen individuals (citizensclimatelobby.org) participated in a national conference call.

Rep. Bob Filner of the 51st District spoke to the group about the upcoming climate conference in Copenhagen and the need for President Obama to speak boldly about limiting greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Outside of North County, more than 5,200 events took place in 181 countries (350.org).

Around the globe, people are concerned about rising sea levels, droughts, floods and dying forests and calling for a clear solution to the climate crisis.

What was Rep. Filner's response when asked how we as citizens can encourage our congressional members to take action? He urged us to make our voices heard -- political will comes from each and every one of us -- to educate citizens and congress about the real risks of climate change, and to let your congressional representatives know that you elected them to office because you trusted them to care for our country, our planet and ensure our children's future.

Judy Berlfein