A Little Demonstration with a Big Message

by Leigh Pomeroy

Across the country, Saturday was "Step It Up 2007" day. Set up by a seed group led by environmentalist Bill McKibben and a half-dozen students at Middlebury College, Step it Up is a movement to increase awareness about global warming. McKibben is the author of the 1989 book, "The End of Nature," one of the first tomes to warn of the dangers of climate change.

According to Step It Up's website, there were nearly 1,400 events across the country on Saturday. Democracy Now called it "the largest-ever demonstration against global warming."

The events varied in size from 1,200 in Manhattan to 500 in Chicago to "hundreds" in St. Paul and nearly 50 in North Mankato.

While the numbers weren't huge in relation to mega-demonstrations of the past advocating for civil rights, voting rights, an end the Vietnam War and support of immigrant issues, the sheer number of activities across the country were more than ample evidence of grassroots involvement.

In Mankato the organizer was Deeba Rahman, a young computer programmer for a large local employer. By her own admission, this was her first involvement in organizing such an event, and she was more than a little nervous. But her efforts did manage to attract the attention of the local CBS affiliate and newspaper, as well as passing cars honking in support and at least one pickup driver whose comments were not as appreciative.

Issue advocacy makes strange bedfellows, and the other leader of the group was David Johnson, a 40-something-year-old radiologist at the local hospital. To look at him one might instantly think "Republican," but he drives a Chevy S-10 all-electric pickup, one of the few ever made in the country, and will happily talk about the solar-electric system that occupies the roof on his garage on his rural property near Mankato.

Global warming and carbon reduction advocacy may not attract the big numbers, but the tide is swelling for change. And it appeared from this small group in North Mankato that at least a few folks are willing to make their commitment public.