Delaware’s 10-10-10 Tree Planting –
a 350.org Celebration of Climate Solutions

A coalition of Delaware environmental organizations are hosting a series of events on October 10, 2010, as part of a Global Work Party, raising awareness about climate change.  At noon, volunteers will be planting 350 native trees in 2 Delaware locations - at Middle Run Natural Area in Newark, and at the Nature Conservancy’s Milford Neck Preserve on the Delaware Bay. 

At 2PM, following the tree planting, there will be a Climate Workshop at the Middle Run Natural Area, 110 Possum Hollow Road,
Newark, DE 19711.  The public is invited to learn what they can do to save energy and protect the climate.  There will be discussions on the State of the Climate, and how to improve your home energy efficiency.  All political candidates are invited as well, to participate in the celebration.

These 10-10-10 events are a part of the thousands of communities across the globe, who will be taking action to address climate change -- celebrating what people can do right now to make an impact, garnering media attention for climate action, and sending a strong message to decision-makers at all levels that it's time for them to do their jobs, too.

The 10/10/10 campaign was initiated by 350.org, an international movement started by Bill McKibben, aimed at uniting the world in dealing with the climate crisis. The focus is on the number 350--as in 350 parts per million (ppm) of carbon dioxide  (CO2)--the concentration in our atmosphere that leading climate scientists say we be below.  The concentration is already at 390 ppm and increasing by over 2 ppm each year as emissions continue, but with concerted effort now – improving energy efficiency, and transitioning to renewable energy sources - we can reduce the CO2 concentration to the sustainable range and avoid severe damage to Earth’s climate system, immense human suffering, and large-scale species extinctions.
So far the global average temperature has increased about 0.8 degrees C (about 1.4 degrees F) since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.  The increase would continue to rise to above 2 degrees C (3.6 degrees F), even if could stop further emissions now, since the CO2 concentration is already past 350 ppm, and it takes a while to warm up the oceans and melt ice that helps keep the earth cool by reflecting incoming solar radiation. 

The 10-10-10 events in Delaware are sponsored by these organizations

• Delaware Chapter of the Sierra Club
• League of Women Voters of Delaware
• Delaware Nature Society
• Delaware Center for Horticulture
• Nature Conservancy Delaware Chapter
• Coalition for Climate Change Study and Action (C3SA)

The C3SA is composed of members from seven local churches: First Unitarian, Limestone Presbyterian, Trinity Presbyterian, St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, New Ark United Church of Christ, the Unitarian Universalist Society of Mill Creek, and the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Newark.

For further information, contact David Donohue, member of the Energy Committee of the DE Chapter of the Sierra Club at dd@daviddonohue.com, 302-463-4270 or Pam Sapko, Executive Director of the Delaware Center for Horticulture at psapko@thedch.org or 302-658-6262, Ext.102.

For more information about the international effort, visit www.350.org.

Some views of the event... (thanks to Amy Roe for the photos!)

Many ages...

Trees paid for by participating organizations and delivered by the Delaware Center for Horticulture.

We got instruction.

We got a lot of trees planted

We learned about climate change and saving energy at home.

Here is some of the group participating.

Photo credits:  Amy Roe