Before taking off from Union Square, Barillaro urged the group to "lead the fight against fossil fuels."
SCA has taken up the 350 Challenge, a global movement that in Somerville means asking people to act to make the city "cleaner, greener and healthier" by biking or planting a garden, for example. The number refers to the amount, in parts per million, of carbon in the atmosphere that scientists consider safe, according to 350.org.
The Moving Planet mass meeting in Boston was one of more than 2000 events in 175 countries that hoped to mobilize people to demand reduced use of fossil fuels, the website reported. "
David Watson, the executive director of the Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition (MassBike), checked bicycles into a temporary parking area on the grass. He said he set up the valet to “encourage people to ride their bikes to events and make the connection to the benefits it has to the environment, their health and their wallet.” He supported the mission of the rally, too. "Raising awareness of climate change is still necessary,” he said. “A lot of people just don’t believe it yet.”
