Biocultural Diversity Working Group

Mission

lightblueline is a public information project to paint on the streets the message that human induced climate change will impact coastal cities. Whenever you cross the light blue line, remember that the coastline is an outcome of our collective human efforts. Let's keep the ocean on the waterfront.

Vision

Lightblueline is a volunteer public education effort that transforms the science of global climate change into a public action. We are painting the seven meter above sea level line on the streets of the world to remind everyone that human induced climate change will, if we do not act NOW, create a new climate, and a new coast line. We chose seven meters, as this is the effect of the ice on Greenland (only) melting.

Programs

lightblueline is a public information project to paint on the streets the message that human induced climate change will impact coastal cities. Whenever you cross the light blue line, remember that the coastline is an outcome of our collective human efforts. Let's keep the ocean on the waterfront. Lightblueline is spinning up in Santa Barbara, California, as its first coastal city. All of the lessons learned here can be used by others elsewhere.

Campaigns

Santa Barbara: Santa Barbara's lightblueline effort. Welcome all Santa Barbarians! This is where the original idea for lightblueline occured-- I was walking down Anacapa between de la Guerra and Cota after watching An Inconvenient Truth. And this is where a dedicated team of volunteers has been working to create the first lightblueline street painting action. We are working hard with the City government to create a best-practice example for this public education effort, so that we can pass on this information to volunteers in other cities. The lessons we learn here will help grow this movement across the globe. Here in Santa Barbara we have so much to lose should global warming create a rise in our sea level. Our beautiful beaches and the entire waterfront (not to mention the freeway, railroad, and airport--planes, trains, and automobiles are all at risk), would be ravaged over the decades, with each year sending new waves across roads and into our cliffs. We have created lightlblueline to help our neighbors understand that we all must work together NOW to change our habits and reduce our impacts on the global environment. We CAN stop global warming, but it will take all of us. Lightblueline is not the answer, it is only a beacon, a warning signal. Everytime we walk past the lightblueline or drive across it, we need to think about how living in Santa Barbara is a priviledge in part because of our beautiful coastline. Only if we can lead the world in reducing our carbon emissions, and make Santa Barbara a shining example of intelligent energy use, can we tell our children that we did everything we could to give them the same coastline we enjoy so much.