Blog Action Day - Collective Voice

Our Web was the platform for a blitz by nearly 16,000 bloggers concerned with global warming and the environment today. Blog Action Day, a U.N. backed event, represents a significant milestone for Web 2.0. Bloggers from around the world participated in serving up ideas, tips and data to inform people via their blogs. Blogs have been a rapidly growing medium for concern and information about environmental problems. News on important issues from the U.N. summit to Al Gore's recent Nobel Peace Prize are spread across blogs in every corner of our world. Our world - this is the way we have to start viewing Earth and each other. Here's my two cents worth, where's yours?

It's Global Dude

Crucial issues are the meat and potatoes of some of the best blogs and also an indication of the growing acceptance of blogs as part of the information base for many people. According to a Reuters story today: “Blogs are a new sign of concern about the environment.” If nothing else, bloggers do have a voice, and perhaps that will be enough to affect more change. Blog Action Day's aim is to promote a running commentary about these and other important issues according to the story. EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said this in his blog: “There are big differences in national levels of environmental awareness — though my impression is that the level is increasing pretty much everywhere at the moment.” Bloggers united in informing their readers about these issues can reach millions on something of a different level than conventional news sources. This is a very good thing.

Earth 2.0

From an old guy perspective, if we had been empowered with this kind of communication back in the day we would have been raising hell. Can you imagine the level and volume of discourse that would have taken place during the civil rights movement, the Kennedy assassination and especially the Vietnam War? If we had been exposed to more than Walter Cronkite assuring us that each and every U.S. soldier was personally destroying hundreds of VC or North Vietnamese troop we might have be privy to some actual facts. I believe blogging and our newfound platform is much more powerful and potentially useful than is often considered. Melting ice caps and global extinction do seem rather more impactive issue than any of our wars - and certainly a subject for great concern.

Freaking A

Copyblogger had a great quote in this story essentially pointing out that - even small actions can literally save the world. Seriously folks - we cannot continue to bury our heads in the sand and rely on a delusional circular logic system that says our massive output has no effect on a closed system. I usually don't go this far but such thinking is ignorance and madness - really. If each of us can do just a few of the simple things - it can only help the situation.

Click on the image to play with our world

Conclusion/Advent

Just a few months ago some scientists assured us that polar ice melting was not serious - today many are afraid for the worst. Use Google maps to check out rainforests and the polar ice caps - great Caesar's ghost - compare pics from 1970 and you will freak. A million people just asking questions is a powerful tool for change. So, there you have it, my small contribution to Blog Action Day. Ironically, I am listening to “Nights in White Satin” - yeah you know you love it - well we were there. “Just what the truth is, I can't say any more.” Seek the truth and send it via the Web.