Thousands Protest Climate Change Across the Country

Forget marching on Washington. Organizers of Step It Up 2007 have found a different way to get people's attention. All across the country today -- in all 50 states -- over 1,400 actions are taking place in the country's largest demonstration against climate change.

Participants in Step It Up 2007 may be scattered far and wide, but their unified message is clear: Congress, cut carbon emissions 80 percent by 2050.

Since the idea began months ago, it has grown from a protest into a movement.

"Step It Up has already exceeded every one of our expectations thus far and today is no exception," their organizers wrote. "It's impossible to tell how many people are involved in a distributed action like this, but we're confident that if we brought us all together it would be enough to fill the Washington Mall three or four times over."

People will be gathering in the places most important to them, including the levees in New Orleans, the top of a melting glacier on Mt. Rainier, and underwater on the endangered coral reefs off Key West.

In New York City, the "Sea People" will hold a rally at Battery Park and then create an interactive art installation in lower Manhattan -- marking the 10-foot elevation line or the "future sea level" if climate change continues unabated.

Step It Up 2007 will be making images and video available throughout the weekend, so check back frequently to see the latest actions.