Transition Network helps communities deal with climate change and shrinking supplies of cheap energy (peak oil). This process, which we call Transition, aims to create stronger, happier communities.

For more details on this project, read the Google Group message here : http://groups.google.com/group/openkollab/msg/582c1d19beb9d5cf?pli=1

See also Suresh's Posterous here : http://sureshf.posterous.com/

PLANETE - Les Nations unies lancent la Décennie de lutte contre la désertification...

Un milliard de personnes dans près de cent pays du monde sont menacées par l’avancée du désert. Ce lundi s’est ouvert à Fortaleza, au Brésil, la 2^ème conférence internationale sur le climat et le développement durable dans les régions semi-arides, sous l’égide des Nations unies. C’est l’occasion pour la communauté internationale de donner le coup d’envoi de la Décennie de lutte contre la désertification (2010-2020), destinée à enrayer la progression des zones désertiques dans le monde.

Currently, an increasing number of local events and actions about global warming are organized by individuals or groups in different parts of the world. The efficiency and effectiveness of these efforts would be maximized only if people act together.

The aim of the non-profit, non-political web platform in the morning of a day ® is:

• to provide activists and event organizers with an opportunity to announce and promote their events and actions about global warming.
• to inform the general public about these events and actions, and give them the opportunity to participate in them
• to connect the event organizers, by informing them about each others' actions

Additionally, to strengthen and promote the idea of collective action, this platform offers a song, called in the morning of a day. Feel free to listen to it, download it, sing it and share it with others, in order to raise global warming awareness.

All the information posted on this platform is organized in detail and shared with all its users.

There are no simple steps worth caring about. We'll only head off disaster by taking steps -- together -- that are massive, societal and thorough. Most of what needs to be done involves political engagement, systems redesign, and cultural change. It can't be done in an afternoon and then forgotten about.
So screw the little things. Here are 10 big, difficult, world-changing concepts we can get behind.

1. ELIMINATE NUCLEAR WEAPONS
2. STABILIZE THE BOTTOM BILLION
3. CREATE A GLOBALLY TRANSPARENT SOCIETY
4. BE PREPARED, GLOBALLY
5. EMPOWER WOMEN
6. ENABLE A FUTURE FORWARD DIET
7. DOCUMENT ALL LIFE
8. NEGOTIATE AN EFFECTIVE CLIMATE TREATY
9. BUILD BRIGHT GREEN CITIES
10. BUILD NO NEW HIGHWAYS

Does the not-completely-altruistic motivation for these collaborative partnerships lessen the value of any positive outcome? On the contrary -- I believe any motivation is good motivation, and I think we'd be farther along in the conversation on how to fight climate change if more organizations banded together not under the guise of saving the world, but with the honest, boldly-stated intent of saving the world and furthering their own missions at the same time.

From an Antarctic research base and the Great Pyramids of Egypt, from the Colosseum in Rome to the Empire State building in New York, illuminated patches of the globe went dark Saturday night to highlight the threat of climate change. Time zone by time zone, nearly 4,000 cities and towns in 88 countries dimmed nonessential lights from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

WWF called the event, which began in Australia in 2007 and grew last year to 400 cities worldwide, "the world's first-ever global vote about the future of our planet."

"Last night's message from the masses was loud and clear: Delay no more, real action now!" Kim Carstensen, the leader of WWF's Global Climate Initiative, said in a statement.

A perilous fusion of land and climate crises is at the heart of the problems consuming the planet. But the G20 summit in London won't help, says Sue Branford.