On November 16th, I attended the “Do the Math Tour’ at the Hammerstein Ballroom. It was an electrifying event, that pumped up the crowd, and got us all excited to band together to fight Global Warming, and to build a grassroots movement that is strong enough to stand up to the fossil fuel industry. Bill McKibben, the Founder of 350.org, has been working endlessly to raise awareness of the facts around Climate Change, and to wake us all up to the reality that time is running out! He was joined by Naomi Klein, the Canadian author and social activist known for her political analyses and criticism of corporate globalization. Together, they painted a picture of where we are and where we need to go, if we want to make real change.

I think the most exciting and promising aspect of the tour, is the launch of an unprecedented campaign to cut off the fossil fuel industry’s financial and political support by divesting our schools, churches and government from investing in them. We were all reminded of the history around the end of Apartheid, and that it was student pressure on college campuses that caused universities to divest in all companies doing business in South Africa. We need to do the same thing to the fossil fuel companies! They need to feel it in their pockets, because that is all they know! College campuses all want to market how “Green” they are. Well, this is a way for them to really be “Green!” Please join the movement! Whether you are a student or you were a student, your voice needs to be heard! Start at home, and look into your own personal portfolios, and make sure you don’t have any money invested in fossil fuel. Then get in touch with your own College Alumni Department, and let them know you won’t donate, unless they divest in fossil fuel. And if you are a current student, join the movement on your campus, or start one if its not already there. Either way, there is a place for all of us to be active in this movement, and we need to get everyone on board! Please spread the word, so we can all do our part. For more information, go to the 350.org website, www.350.org