Despite the threat of rain, we had between 600 to 1,000 people showing up throughtout the day to hear inspiring speeches, including from our Mayor and a State Legislator. And we all really enjoyed the excellent music from five local bands. Our local CBS affiliate was an incredible sponsor giving us a huge amount of air time, and their main anchors were our emcees. It was a great day in Boise!

Several bands including Steve Eaton, speakers including Mayor David Bieter, and a climate change supporting groups headlined this Concert. About a thousand people enjoyed the music and had a good time celebrating a National Day of Climate Action.

Thanks, Step It Up 2007 for organizing this project.

More photos...

Hi! My name is Isabelle and I'm only 8 months old. I sure am glad my parents took me to this event, because when I'm 44 years old in 2050, my kids will be enjoying fresh air and clean water. Thanks, Mom and Dad. And the music rocked! I loved the dancing!!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

APRIL 16, 2007

BETWEEN 600 TO 1,000 CONCERNED BOISE RESIDENTS ATTEND FREE CONCERT

AS PART OF NATIONWIDE CALL TO ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE

PLEASE SEE ATTACHED NEWS RELEASE AND EVENT PHOTO (photo available in different resolutions; Release also copied below)

Thank you,

Greg Otero

Step It Up Boise ? 2007

April 16, 2007

**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**

CONCERT FOR CLIMATE ACTION ATTENDED BY HUNDREDS

Media Contacts:

Greg Otero or Jessi Huizinga, Boise Step It Up Organizers

208-853-3250 or 208-440-7711

[email protected]; [email protected]

BETWEEN 600 TO 1,000 CONCERNED BOISE RESIDENTS ATTEND FREE CONCERT AS PART OF
NATIONWIDE CALL TO ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE

BOISE - Saturday, April 14th was billed as a National Day of Climate Action by the Step It Up 2007 campaign. With over 1,400 events around the country, Boise participated in this event with a gathering of over 600 people at Julia Davis Park. The crowd heard speeches by Boise Mayor David Bieter, Rep. Nicole LeFavour, Alan Hausrath, who is a BSU Professor and a member of the city?s Climate Protection Committee, and Rev. Elizabeth Greene of the Boise Unitarian Universalist Fellowship.

The speeches were interspersed between performances by five local bands. First up was Underscore, a band of Jr. High school students who started the day off rocking and rolling. The crowd was also treated to the music of Steve Eaton, Stella (who played an acoustic set in the name of sustainability), Farmdog and finally The Hoochie Coochie Men.

The picnicking crowd was also able to visit a wide assortment of the event?s 21 exhibitors. From a vendor that sold insulation made of recycled blue jeans to a company selling solar powered systems for homes or businesses, the event also served as an educational opportunity for the attendees to see for themselves the ?green? options that are available to them right now.

One of the goals of the Step It Up organization was to have a photograph taken of each gathering across the country, which the national organizers will assemble into a nationwide collage on their website and then present to Congress. (Boise?s event photo is attached to this email.) The caption they placed on their website under the photograph of the Boise event showed they were impressed by the size of the Boise crowd. Despite the fact that we are all tired of potato references, it was a compliment. It read, ?No small potatoes in Idaho!?

The organizers of the event consisted mainly of six people from the community, that came together through the Step It Up website and because of their beliefs about the dangers of climate change.

The Step It Up nationwide events were covered nationally by CNN and MSNBC:

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/04/15/global.warming.ap/index.html

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18095435/

For more information please visit the Boise Step it Up campaign event report website: http://events.stepitup2007.org/reports/379

Just wondering why the following isn't spoken about more since Al Gore is leading the Global Warming charge:

Al Gore Refuses to Take Personal Energy Ethics Pledge During Global Warming Hearing
Posted by Noel Sheppard on March 21, 2007 - 17:23.
http://newsbusters.org/node/11567

An interesting event took place during soon-to-be-Dr. Al Gore’s visit to Congress on Wednesday. Sen. James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma) asked the former Vice President to take a pledge that he would not use more energy in his personal residence than the average American, and Gore refused.

As reported at the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works website: "Senator Inhofe showed Gore a film frame from 'An Inconvenient Truth' where it asks viewers: 'Are you ready to change the way you live?'”

On the playground, one would call this “Put up or Shut up.” Do you think Gore put up? The press release deliciously continued:

“There are hundreds of thousands of people who adore you and would follow your example by reducing their energy usage if you did. Don’t give us the run-around on carbon offsets or the gimmicks the wealthy do,” Senator Inhofe told Gore.

“Are you willing to make a commitment here today by taking this pledge to consume no more energy for use in your residence than the average American household by one year from today?” Senator Inhofe asked.

Senator Inhofe then presented Vice President Gore with the following "Personal Energy Ethics Pledge":

As a believer:

· that human-caused global warming is a moral, ethical, and spiritual issue affecting our survival;

· that home energy use is a key component of overall energy use;

· that reducing my fossil fuel-based home energy usage will lead to lower greenhouse gas emissions; and

· that leaders on moral issues should lead by example;

I pledge to consume no more energy for use in my residence than the average American household by March 21, 2008.

Gore refused. Think this will make the network news programs this evening, or headlines tomorrow?

Don’t hold your breath.

Can you say "Do as I say, not as I do?"