Activists are planning a mass bicycle ride, marches, rallies with speakers and live music, and other actions around the Valley on Saturday, October 24 to protest the government’s lack of meaningful action on climate change. Climate change resulting in large part from burning fossil fuels in cars, electricity generation, and heating and cooling buildings, is causing glaciers to melt, which in turn causes flooding of places where people live and grow food. Droughts and severe rainfall are both becoming more common, which makes it harder for farmers to grow food.

More information on the effects of climate change here in the Valley -- and what people are doing to combat it -- is at:

www.valleypost.org/2009/07/04/valley-farmers-hit-global-warming

Below are some of the actions planned for October 24 around the Valley. More details about these actions, and others in our area and around the world, are at www.350.org Organizers plan to post photos of the actions at www.350.org

In Northampton, there will be a rally from 11 a.m. until noon in front of First Churches at 129 Main Street. There will be live music by the band Brown Bird www.myspace.com/brownbird Speakers will include Jo Comerford, director of the National Priorities Project www.nationalpriorities.org In case of rain, the event will be held inside the church.

Near Brattleboro, in Putney, Vermont a mass bicycle ride will start at 3:50 p.m. from the Putney Food Co-op (about a quarter mile north of Interstate 91, exit 4) and go up Main Street to the Putney General Store.

In Amherst, a noon rally at the town common will include street theater.

In Keene, a noon rally at Railroad Square will be followed at 12:45 by a march down Main Street to a harvest festival at the Keene State College quad.

Finally, in Brattleboro a march up Main Street will start at Plaza Park, which is between the Brattleboro Art Museum and the food co-op, at 11:15 a.m. At 11:45, there will be a rally at Pliny Park. Speakers will include Vermont state Representives Mollie Burke, Gini Milkey, and Sarah Edwards.