All around the world today people are coming together to call for international action against climate change. The focus has been on the number 350, which is the parts-per-million of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that scientists, including the UN's top climate scientist Rajendra Pachauri, believe we need to stay below in order to avert disaster. 350.org has organized a series of events around the world calling attention to the target, and they're giving visitors and participants alike some real time gratification through Twitter feeds and Flickr slideshows. We've blogged about Maldivian officials holding a cabinet meeting underwater to raise awareness of rising oceans, and now the Divers Association of the Maldives is hosting an underwater rally with the goal of having 350 divers stay underwater in teams for 24 hours. You can find out what's going on near you at 350.org.

At Link TV we've been exploring how climate change is already having an impact in the US and elsewhere through a series of short videos called Climate Change Hits Home.

Many environmental activists claim to be neck-deep in their work, but few go so far as to submerge themselves completely; officials of The Republic of Maldives recently held a cabinet meeting underwater in an effort to raise awareness about the imminent threats of climate change.

The Republic of Maldives has been cited as a potential victim of rising sea levels, theoretically being completely submerged by 2100, according to CNS News. The Maldives' own Miadhu News talked with President Mohammad Nasheed, who asserted that "the work of drawing to the attention of the world the problems Maldives face due to climate change, should be something every Maldivian should do for the country."

Amy Goodman discussed the event on Democracy Now, including President Nasheed's comments on the eve of UN General Assembly opening session:

Here at Link TV, we are trying to raise awareness about the immediate effects of climate change with our new bite-sized series: Climate Change Hits Home. Learn how the environment has been affected in your neck of the woods and how you can activate yourself. The latest episode highlights the problem of melting polar ice, which will, of course, raise sea levels.

You don't even need to learn how to scuba.

Check out this amazing four-part documentary on the effects of climate change, overpopulation, the extinction of animal and plant species, growing consumption and industrialized farming. A Link viewer favorite, this series lays out the impending dangers to our biosphere, and paints a sweeping picture of how these changes are affecting all life around the globe. Among the many experts interviewed in The Planet is the incredible Jared Diamond, professor and writer of "Guns, Germs and Steel" and "Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed." Visit The Planet program page by clicking here.

This series is now available as a gift for your contribution to Link! For more details, click here.

The industrialization of the U.S. food system is multiplying rates of obesity and preventable illness. Our planet is suffering as well: the massive amounts of oil, coal and natural gas needed to produce, distribute and refrigerate our food is putting further strain on the planet's limited resources. I recently heard that a grocery chain that touts themselves as "green" flies their salmon to Japan to be filleted, then flies it back to the U.S. for sale in their stores! Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food, says: "When we eat from the modern industrial food system," Pollan says, "we are eating fossil fuel and spewing greenhouse gas."

Though this situation seems abysmal, Pollan offers real alternatives to our current system; alternatives and solutions for a healthier, safer and more environmentally-friendly food supply. Watch the premiere of Michael Pollan: Deep Agriculture tonight at 9PM Eastern/6PM Pacific: click here for more information.

You might have noticed the cool new "Beat Gasoline" banner on our homepage. So what's that all about?

It's becoming clear that relying on fossil fuels - oil, coal, gas - to power our increasingly industrialized world is no longer sustainable. Looking to promote alternative solutions to our sedentary car and gas-oriented society, Beat Gasoline is a cool new project from our partners at YouthNoise, a great engagement and activation organization working to create lasting change around the world by boosting the capacities of young leaders.

Beat Gasoline is looking for your videos and pictures showing how you are leaving the comfort of your couch behind to make a difference in the fight against climate change. So get out there and start filming!

Link TV's Catherine Day was recently invited to post on the Mother Nature Network's blog to highlight our environmental programming:

Have you been keeping up with Earth Focus? Earth Focus is our environmental news magazine that puts a human face on issues by featuring under-publicized stories about how environmental changes are affecting everyday people.

The most recent episode focuses on the 2009 Environmental Film Festival, 2009 Environmental Film Festival in Washington, D.C., featuring films on ocean acidification and blast fishing. Also in this episode, the fascinating documentary "Children of the Amazon" receives a special award from Link TV.