350.org is an organization dedicated to combating climate change by building a community of grassroots activists around the world. The activists are demanding commitments from all sectors -- government, industry and individuals -- to work together to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. You can watch this universally understandable animation to get a better idea of 350.org’s motives and strategy. 

Although the high level of CO2 currently in the atmosphere is not an immediate death sentence, as the org says “we're starting to see signs of real trouble: melting ice caps, rapidly spreading drought. We need to scramble back as quickly as we can to safety.” Safety means going from from 392 parts per million of carbon dioxide in the air to just 350 ppm. Leading scientists concur that 350 ppm is the upper limit for CO2 in the atmosphere needed to prevent irreversible climate change. 

The need to get back below 350ppm is pressing. 350.org has an impressive set of “messengers” to deliver that urgent call, from Archbishop Desmond Tutu to Van Jones. NetSquared also boasts one of 350.org’s key communicators, Joe Solomon. Joe is 350.org’s Social Media Coordinator and a frequent contributor to the NetSquared blog.  

The strength of the organization, however, lies not in celebrity, but in their ability to mobilize thousands of supporters to take part in offline actions. In 2009, they coordinated 5,200 simultaneous rallies in an enormously widespread day of political action. They followed up in 2010 with a distributed art project on a scale so large it could be seen from space. 

This year 350.org, in collaboration with other organizations fighting climate change, is holding a worldwide rally on September 24 called Moving Planet. It will make a clear, bold statement against the use of fossil fuels with thousands of demonstrators arriving, marching and traveling without using fossil fuels. Participants can walk, bike, skate, sail or unicycle their way to local events that are being staged in communities all over the world. Those interested canuse this interactive map to find an event happening in their community. To set up your own event in communities where there are none, sign up here.

For more information about the Moving Planet project, watch this video, read the original invitation letter or visit their FAQ page.