Automobiles may be a convenient way of getting around, but they are one of the greatest sources of greenhouses gas emissions in the world today. That’s why a group of local climate activists decided to put the car—represented by a beat-up old Honda—on trial for all the problems it has caused.
Automobiles may be a convenient way of getting around, but they are one of the greatest sources of greenhouses gas emissions in the world today. That’s why a group of local climate activists decided to put the car—represented by a beat-up old Honda—on trial for all the problems it has caused. The event, organized by the Santa Cruz 350 coalition, took place on Saturday at the Town Clock. The presiding judge was Fred Keeley, the county’s treasurer-tax collector. Rather than drive the car to its trial, it was hauled there by bicycles.
The trial was the highlight of a daylong event, which included cultural events and vegetarian potluck dinners (meat production accounts for 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, compared to 13 percent for cars). Sailboats displayed huge 350 signs to remind people that the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere should not exceed 350 ppm. It is now above 387. Students from the Gateway school demonstrated by the surfer statue on West Cliff with wave-shaped signs to mark the impact of rising sea levels on coastal communities.
Thousands of demonstrators in 170 countries took part in the worldwide Climate Action Day event, which comes just six weeks before world leaders gather in Copenhagen to tackle the issue of global warming. Read more at the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
