Here are some photos from the event.

On November 3, Bloomington stepped up efforts on global warming by pushing the discussion to new scope and depth. People came to participate in conversations with local leaders and experts on topics such as: peace and global warming, re-envisioning community, what we really need to change (beyond lightbulbs), talking to children about global warming, and peak oil. There was also a workshop explaining the basic science of global warming and one offering advice on how to write effective letters to editors and elected officials.

One highlight of the day was Congressman Baron Hill's appearance at noon: he addressed the crowd briefly and then spent a good deal of time answering questions and hearing constituents' concerns. Several people enjoyed the opportunity to share their visions and ideas with their congressional representative, and we appreciated his willingness to listen.

In the afternoon we also held a short rally, enjoying the beautiful fall day outside while videotaping a message to Congress and listening to a reading of Bill McKibben's speech.

While turnout was smaller than we'd hoped, the energy and commitment of the people who did come was encouraging. New ideas were generated about how to fight global warming as individuals and as a community, in the context of our nation and the rest of the world. Some of the ideas have already made their way into discussions among leaders in local government and may be headed toward implementation in our community. (We were fortunate to have the participation of several County and City Council members and a County Commissioner at our event!) All in all it was an enjoyable and successful event!