Call it global warming, climate change, or even environmental pollution but the end result will still be the same. An unprecedented rise in greenhouse gases and especially carbon dioxide levels in the past decades have spawned much debate about what the future of our city will look like. Those living in New York City and its boroughs especially in those many areas only ten feet above sea level could notice changes in the form of more frequent and intense storms, hurricanes, damaging coastal floods and damages to homes and wetlands. Extreme cases of heat waves and droughts, and already rising sea levels are also on the list. With close to 600 miles of coastline, even city homeowners living in "risky" areas most prone to storm damage are getting heated with insurers denying some low lying areas, including greater metropolitan New York, coverage. Beyond the threat to existing infrastructure there are also concerns about public health effects including poor air quality leading to respiratory ailments and asthma, and rising heat temperatures that could potentially be hazardous to the elderly and young children. According to a recent study by the New York Climate and Health Project, if the current climate change trend continues "summer heat-related mortality could increase by 55% by the 2020's, more than double (129% increase) by the 2050's".The best case scenario is still possible but only with collaboration and collective efforts. Increase in energy produced means increase in burning of fossil fuels. Population increases mean changes in land-use which directly affect the amount of carbon levels. Can the city learn to make the necessary changes to mitigate the problem? Can small changes to our growing and substantial lifestyle have any impact? As New Yorkers, we are already remarkably sustainable, living in a dense, compact and efficient city. We account for a mere 2% of emissions in the U.S. and though the actions we take may not have a big enough impact on global warming, the city is certainly poised to lead the charge and set the standard for others to follow in curtailing carbon emissions. And a slow down of those emissions can play a large role in buying more time, time that is valuable and necessary to find ways to adapt effectively. If New York City can provide the best possible model for carbon efficiency and still maintain a quality of life, it can probably be repeated just about anywhere. Many experts are foreseeing a major damaging hurricane due for New York City. And all inhabitants will have to be prepared for this. The secret to keeping parts of New York from going underwater in the next 50 years is in understanding ways we can lessen our impact, by preparing for the future and getting involved.Bill McKibben, writer and scholar most noted for his book, "The End of Nature," with some recent graduates of Middlebury College in Vermont are doing something about Climate Change in the form over 1,000 actions nationally. It is an effort to show solidarity and put pressure on the political powers that be to recognize the need to address the issues with urgent care. Step it up 2007 was formed to unite individual actions in 50 states on a single day, April 14th. A call to Congress to literally Step it Up to cut carbon emissions by 80% by 2050 is the goal of the project. The target reduction, though challenging, is a very necessary one. There will be documentation of the actions all over the U.S. which will be posted for this event. On the Step it up website: www.stepitup2007.org, it reads, "The actions range from a rally of thousands in New York City, to a handful of scuba divers off the coast of Key West, to a community of senior citizens in Ohio holding a global warming awareness day." Awareness building and community action are the touchstones of this campaign. The fundamental reason being that "All individuals, groups and organizations involved in these actions are hungry to do something big and they all agree on one thing: the need for substantial and rapid action."Here in New York City, as part of the Step it Up campaign, the Sea of People Rally will be held at Battery Park on Saturday, April 14th at noon. Part march, rally, and visual installation, anticipated thousands of participants are being called to dress in blue (to represent the sea) and proceed north in two columns along the future projected sea line of Lower Manhattan under the current sea level rise scenario. Organizations such as Transportation Alternatives, Solar one, Code Pink, and Natural Resources Defense Council are on board with the project. Volunteers and participants are greatly needed to create an event to send a powerful message: that it is time for change. For more information and those who would like to get involved should go to the website: www.seaofpeople.org.Chock full of scheduled speakers from the community, music, and local fervor the day will come to represent a critical action of public support striving for measures to secure a less dubious future. Ben Jervey, author of "The Big Green Apple: Your Guide to Eco-Friendly New York City", a primer for all things green and sustainable in the city, is one of the many dedicated Sea of People organizers. He views the event to be "the one important thing people can do to act if they choose to take only one action this year". The more public support and presence the event can build the more of an impact it will make. People from all the surrounding boroughs of Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx and Staten Island especially should come to lower Manhattan to join the rally that day as they too will be most prone to the effect of climate change and increased storms.According to Columbia University's Climate Change Information Resources website: www.ccir.ciesin.columbia.edu/nyc, a helpful information hub: "Individual actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions can help to slow climate change. Many actions have synergistic, or "win-win" effects." While skeptics may believe it is futile to try to lessen our carbon emissions impact, the choices we make and actions we take in a city of 8 million can certainly have a ripple effect.