Blog Action Day. YOU, YOU specifically need to read this.

Today is Blog Action Day 2009.  According to the Blog Action Day website:

Blog Action Day is an annual event held every October 15 that unites the world’s bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day with the aim of sparking discussion around an issue of global importance.

We have seen examples of blog coordination to create positive social change before.  A few of my favorites were started by Rob Reed through his  Max Gladwell blog.  His 10 Ways to Change the World Through Social Media post was syndicated simultaneously on many of the most influential sustainability and green blogs around the world and it really put SocialYell on the map as a way to rate and review organizations based on corporate responsibility.  And we were lucky enough to participate in the next “10 ways” post and use our blog to get the word out on 10 Ways to Support Charity Through Social Media.  I bring this up not just to relive old times, but to point out that there are at least 2 important things going on here.

One, clearly, is to raise awareness about climate change.

It seems almost unbelievable that we need more “awareness” that we are contributing to climate change in an unnatural and unsustainable way and that we need to take action to make big changes in the way we live and the ways we use energy, but we do.  The disconnect is a lot like the one we all see when we Cc a bunch of people on an email.  Know what I mean?  When a recipient sees other people in the address field, it is easy for her to think that someone else is taking care of it.  Instead of talking about how “we” need to act now, I’d like to hear people tell themselves “I” need to act now and tell others “YOU” need to act now!  It is like Justin’s dad said (of @shitmydadsays fame):

“You need to flush the toilet more than once…No, YOU, YOU specifically need to.”

There is no CC in Climate Change! Well, um, you know what I mean.

Which brings me to the second important thing going on here: mass coordination over the fastest growing information medium in history to affect change.  Never before have we been able to communicate on a personal level in such a mass way.  I want to take this chance to tell our readers that YOU, YOU, specifically need to act.  YOU need to take the bus instead of drive, YOU need to search for alternative energy options in your area, YOU need to write your congress person, YOU need to read the Blog Action Day posts and learn how to make the changes that need to be made. I do, too!

While I clearly love it when SocialYell and our blog posts get shared to many people, I’d like to encourage people to email or talk with people one-on-one about changing the way they take accountability for climate change.  No Cc’ing.  No guilt trips.  Just honest conversations about how every individual is accountable for climate change.