WiserEarth Editors

Here’s a brief history of Step It Up’s role within the growing climate movement:

When we came up with the idea for Step It Up in October 2006 – a small band of young people and one author -- we never imagined the kind of support, energy, and action the plan would unleash.

Early on, we realized that th­ere were many groups out there focusing their efforts on climate change -- from community clean energy associations to organic cooperatives to local chapters of the Sierra Club. And we also knew that there were many individuals who had watched An Inconvenient Truth, switched all their light bulbs to energy-saving ones and then wondered, "what next?"

So, in January of last year we decided to see what hand we could play in trying to push things a little further -- we launched stepitup2007.org, the first open source, web-based day of action dedicated to stopping climate change. We had no expectations, so we were surprised when people all over the country -- many of them new to organizing -- signed up to host rallies in their communities.

Just three months later, on April 14th, the Step It Up National Day of Climate Action, communities came together in more than 1,400 places, all holding up banners that said: Step It Up, Congress: Cut Carb­on 80% by 2050. On that night, photos streamed in from all across the country, from underwater in Key West to dwindling glaciers in Wyoming to the levees of New Orleans. At schools and on town greens, concerned citizens made their voices heard, and the results speak for themselves. See http://april.stepitup2007.org for the slideshow from April 14.

In August, building on the many successes of April 14 (and learning a few lessons along the way), we decided that we needed to bring together more people to ensure that those in power would understand the meaning of real leadership on climate change. We ratcheted up the demands, and partnered with 1Sky to present a scientifically-based set of solutions to global warming and also create a green economy strong enough to lift people out of poverty. Through September and October, climate campaigners ad concerned citizens from all around the country, many of whom had organized April 14th events, jumped on board and made it their own.

We christened it Step It Up 2: Who's a Leader?, and on November 3, organizers across the country creatively showed the world that they will hold their politicians accountable. Collectively all of us sent more than 14,000 messages to our members of Congress and presidential candidates, inviting them to attend a Step It Up rally and address the 1Sky priorities. More than 80 of them attended events, sent representatives or statements.

All told, in the last ten months, working together, we've organized about 2,000 demonstrations in all 50 states.  And we've shifted the debate on Capitol Hill too -- they're not where they need to be yet, but they are miles ahead of where they were.

Furthermore, again working together, all of us helped launch a new coalition in the movement, 1Sky, and its new website www.1sky.org. Local Step It Up groups will continue organizing in their communities, but we're folding our headquarters into this larger 1Sky initiative. 

You will hear from our crew in the future too.  As usual, we'll be asking for help--we're trying to figure out now how to start building the same kind of grassroots movement around the world. But more on that in the months ahead. For now -- many thanks for being in on the ground floor of history. This new movement needs to keep on growing and flourishing. And it needs to move fast.

Look through the rest of our website, check out the other next steps in the movement already in the works, and join in.

We thank you with all our hearts.

The StepItUp2007.org Team -
Bill, Ian, Jamie, Jason, Jon, Kelly, Lauren, Lindsey, May, Phil, and Will

Vist our website for photos, videos, and learning more.  And also be sure to check out the book put together after the first Step It Up day of action called Fight Global Warming Now: The Handbook for Taking Action in Your Community.