There are many different viewpoints when it comes to global warming. There are those who think that it is out of our hands and nothing can be done about it. There are people who think it’s all a bunch of hooey and it will never happen. There are those who are trying to fight it both politically and in their own backyards, and some who are so scared of it that they try not to think about it at all. But there are a large number of people out there who are concerned about it but still haven’t the slightest idea what they can do. No matter our views on the topic, can we afford to be wrong?

The most frightening things in life are the unknowns. The best way to guard against them is education. It’s also important to be able to distinguish between something that is difficult and something that is impossible. Difficult just means it’s going to be a bit of a challenge.

This Saturday, at the National Day of Climate Action gathering downtown Olympia at Sylvester Park, experts will supply the answer to the looming question, “Is it true and what can we do about it?”

This gathering is one of hundreds like it in cities all across America on April 14 in a nationwide effort to raise awareness about greener living and show the government that its people care about reducing carbon-monoxide emissions.

“The focus this year is a long-term goal of eighty percent reduction of C02 emissions and how the U.S. can lead the way in transformation of our fossil fuel dependent global economy/culture/society into a clean energy-renewable based, green values oriented world,” says Chris Stegman, an event organizer and a founder of the local Green Party in Olympia,
Saturday there will be a Drive Green display with a line-up of energy efficient vehicles all along Legion Street next to the park. Also, a Global Warming Café will feature a Low Carbon Diet allowing those who drop by to find out how they can lose up to 5,000 pounds of carbon emissions per year. Everyone entering can have his carbon footprint measured, and leave with an idea of how to reduce it.

There will be a permaculture exhibit space sponsored by Eco-City Olympia/Terra Commons, and Beth Doglio of Climate Solutions will be on hand to update the community on the work her organization is doing promoting clean energy development in the Northwest. A Procession of the Species will demonstrate which animals will face extinction if global climate solutions are not implemented in time.

There will be a waterfront tour displaying markings on buildings placed there to show the predicted water level in 2050.

“The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said there would be a three-foot rise, which would result in floods at high tide in downtown Olympia — not an underwater situation,” says Janet Jordon, an organizer of this event. “That panel didn’t want to deal with the situation where a sheet of ice slides off an island (Greenland), and since they finalized their report there is evidence this is indeed happening. So we will tell people about the possible 16-foot rise as well as the more conservative 3-foot rise that the IPCC predicted.”

A slide show on global warming, followed by community discussion of Climate Solutions, is scheduled from 4 to 6 p.m. at the MXX96 meeting room located at the corner of State Avenue and Washington Street. Educational films will be shown at the Olympia Library from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., including “An Inconvenient Truth,” “The Great Warming” and “Too Hot Not to Handle.”

Apart from all this great information, there will also be a bit of fun to be had. Native Blue jazz sextet will perform from noon to 1 p.m., Planet Percussion will perform from 2 to 2:30 p.m., and members of the Blackberry Bushes will perform from 3 to 3:30 p.m.

 “The kids table will have art supplies and ideas for painting; lots of thermometers and a way to test out the greenhouse effect (measure the temperature inside and outside of a baggie); an earth ball for two teams to toss around; and chalk for drawing critters on the sidewalk (the ones we want to save),” says Jordan.

As a prelude to Saturday’s festivities, Friday, April 13, at Media Island, 816 Adams St. (across from Olympia’s library), there will be a showing of “Peak Oil,” a film about Cuba’s response to global warming and peak oil issues.  The free film begins at 7 p.m.

[Sylvester Park, April 14 noon to 4 p.m., free, downtown Olympia, 360.705.3528]

Nation Day of Climate Action local gatherings

• Tacoma EnviroHouse Tour, a 800 suare foot house with environmentally friendly products and technologies, Saturday, April 14, 10 to 11:30 a.m., City of Tacoma Landfill, 3510 S. Mullen St.
• Bremerton at Evergreen Park, downtown from noon to 3 pm.
• Bainbridge Island at Waterfront Park, 402 Brien Drive SE, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• Kent at Suburbia Café, downtown Kent, letter writing from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and then they will be joining the big march in Seattle.
• Seattle at Occidental Square at 2 p.m. the march will begin and proceed down to the waterfront and then on to Myrtle Edwards Park.

For more information about National Day of Climate Action and locations nationwide, visit http://stepitup2007.org