The 350 Campaign Going Global, Viral, Multi-Lingual

There’s a grassroots organization launching a multi-lingual social networking site today to promote the most important number on the planet.

The number is 350 -- as in parts per million (ppm) of carbon in the atmosphere, the limit of what's acceptable.

And the grassroots group - aptly named 350.org -- is working to embed the number into global consciousness. They're organizing online to have offline results in every corner of the globe, an attempt to redeem the story of the Tower of Babel and unite humanity around a single number.

NASA’s Jim Hansen says 350 ppm is the maximum safe allowance of CO2 in the atmosphere before devastating and irreversible climate changes occur. The world is already at 387 ppm, and the official EU carbon target is at an astronomical 550 ppm.

By spreading the word, 350.org is building pressure on international media and legislative bodies to drastically and immediately change carbon emissions.

Their target audience? Nothing short of mobilizing the world.

“We need an international community to move together on a united front,” states Jamie Henn, Media Manager for 350.org. “It’s called global warming for a reason.”

Though the organization has a global focus, its strength is on the local level.

“The main way we try to connect with people is talk to those already doing great work on the ground,” states Henn. “The movement is already there, it just needs to be brought together.”

Unlike larger organizations, 350.org isn’t trying to control the movement. Instead it wants supporters to take the campaign and run with it. Like with this excellent video from Free Range Studios going viral.

Utilizing online social networking tools beyond Facebook (imagine Japan’s MySpace), SMS, and text messaging, 350.org provides followers with online management tools to create email lists and exchange promotional materials such as photos, videos, and statements. Supporters then host local campaigns and contribute back to 350.org’s online network.

Open source example: 350.org’s website is fully functional in nine different languages. Who did the translating? Its supporters. More languages are on the way.

“This sort of work wouldn’t have been possible ten years ago or even a few years ago,” states Henn. “We do everything online.”

350.org is not working alone. The group has plenty of allies including South African cleric Desmond Tutu, Paul Lowe, Bianca Jagger, and groups such as Trees for Clean Energy Network, Avaaz.org, Amnesty International, David Suzuki Foundation, Islands First and 1Sky.

Stay tuned for updates to see how human creativity is unleashed to embed the most important number in the world into global consciousness.

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