Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country
Founded 05-05-05

Take a Picture To Step It Up

Contribute to a High Country Photo Petition to Reduce Carbon Emissions

Story by Kathleen McFadden

Sometimes you just have to do something. Ask Nancy Gray.

Gray was already concerned about global warming after seeing Al Gore’s film An Inconvenient Truth. Then she read an article in the National Resource Defense Council magazine about the nationwide Step It Up Campaign, a grassroots effort to urge Congress to put America on the path to reduce carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050. Wanting to learn more, Gray downloaded and listened to a podcast about the initiative.

Here’s what she learned.

Step It Up 2007 is a National Day of Climate Action on April 14. So far, more than 1,000 rallies are planned for across the country in all 50 states, and the gatherings range from a rally of thousands in New York City to a handful of scuba divers off the coast of Key West to a community of senior citizens in Ohio holding a global warming awareness day.

Wanting to participate in Step It Up 2007, Gray searched for a local event or effort. She couldn’t find one. So she decided to start one.

Gray describes herself as “a tree hugger from way back,” but leading an initiative is a new experience for her. “It’s just me, and I have to at least try,” she said. “It’s time to take a stand.”

Instead of trying to organize a rally, Gray came up with another idea—compiling a photo petition that gives practically everyone the chance to participate. She has enlisted the support of Mountain Keepers and the Zero Waste Task Force.

Signing the Petition

“Signing” the High Country photo petition is easy.

• Between now and Friday, April 13, identify a place in the High Country that is important to you and that you would like to see Congress protect by reducing carbon emissions.

• Create a sign or a photo title that finishes the following phrase: “Step It Up, Congress! Protect ____________!” Examples include “my backyard,” “the beauty of the Parkway,” “our trees,” “Mt. Jefferson,” “Beech Mountain Park.”

• Take a picture of yourself with your sign in your special place or just take a picture of your special place with your sign. Alternatively, title your photo with the completed phrase.

• By April 13, email your digital photo to hicophotopetition@yahoo.com or mail your printed photo to PO Box 368, Vilas, NC 28692. Be sure to attach your name, address, email address and phone number so local representatives know you are a resident of the High Country.

Sending the Petition

On Saturday, April 14, volunteers will assemble all of the photos into a banner with the headline, “Step It Up, Congress! Protect the NC High Country! Reduce Carbon 80% by 2050!, and will upload a photo of the banner to the StepItUp07 website so it will be sent to Congress with photos from across the country.

Local volunteers will also create a photo petition to send to local representatives. The petition will state, “We, the undersigned residents of the North Carolina High Country, want our representatives to act quickly to put the United States of America, and especially the North Carolina High Country, on the path towards reducing carbon emissions 80% by the year 2050. Step It Up, Congress!”

Learning More

The goal of cutting carbon by 80 percent by 2050 requires less than a 2 percent reduction per year. The campaign does not advocate any specific set of solutions for cutting carbon emissions, but simply hopes to inspire leadership in Washington to help make the large-scale changes needed to help slow down the effects of global warming.

The leader of the Step It Up 2007 campaign is Bill McKibben, one of the country’s leading environmental writers and activists. To read more about the Step It Up Campaign, click to www.StepItUp07.org.

Helping More

Anyone who would like to help compile the banner and photo petition on April 14 is encouraged to join other volunteers in this local grassroots effort. To step up as a volunteer, email hicophotopetition@yahoo.com.