Eco-notes

As if Gorbutt Burbling weren't already a religion:

Combining elements of a Sunday service and a political rally, Denver-area congregations gathered Saturday to call on Congress to reduce carbon emissions and fight global warming. Similar rallies took place statewide as part of the national "Step It Up" event. Activists gathered at more than 1,300 sites across the country to push for an 80 percent reduction in carbon emissions by 2050.

At least our eco-hysterics seem to have settled on a percentage.

"The faith community has been pretty quiet about global warming, but it goes to the core of what we believe about taking care of each other and the Earth," said Monika Leaf, a United Methodist church member who attended Saturday's rally at First Plymouth Congressional Church.

Monika Leaf? I like it.

Across town outside the state Capitol, the Climate Cats, an environmental group formed by Shae Whitney and Duncan Dotterrer, held another Step It Up event, featuring a band and a tent where participants signed petitions to Congress.

The Climate Cats also suggested changes that individuals could make, including washing clothes in cold water and unplugging unused chargers and computers to reduce energy costs.

But it's clear that if I ever hear the name "Climate Cats" again, I shall start screaming and never, never stop.

"Some of these things are pretty easy to do," said Naomi Segel, a student at the University of Denver. "I try to be good, but I fly home all the time."

Just unplug that charger and we'll call it even, Naomi.

The event at First Plymouth, organized by the Rev. Peter Sawtell of Eco-Justice Ministries, connected climate change to the moral responsibilities of people of faith and advocated pressuring Congress in addition to taking individual steps.

Of course.

U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette urged the crowd to write to the rest of the Colorado congressional delegation to take an aggressive stance on climate change.

"It's important that it's not coming from an environmental group," said the Denver Democrat. "The faith-based perspective is more potent as a lobbying technique."

That's got to be one of the most breathtakingly cynical things I've ever read outside the speeches of Lenin.

Update: Yeah, there's only one note, so this post shouldn't be titled "Eco-notes." Go away.