After months of preparing for an outdoor rally in downtown Warrentown: acquiring permits and insurance and then constructing banners and a stage for speakers, rain chased us indoors to St.James Episcopal Church.

There, about 60 to 70 people heard a series of speakers discuss global warming: its moral implications, arctic impacts, potential local impacts, and potential technological remedies.

Mayor George Fitch described his plan for making Warrenton more sustainable through the creation of local biomass fuel and ethanol refinery.

Dr. Susan Crate of George Mason University told of her work with the Viliui Sakha people of northeastern Siberia. The Sakha practice a unique form of horse and cattle husbandry in an extreme, subarctic environment. Their short 3-month hay growing season has been severely impacted by climate change. Dr Crate invited children in the audience to participate in her talk and wowed the crowd when she produced a Sakha mouth-harp and played a Sakha tune. Later, Dr.Crate delivered a fine reading of the Wendell Berry poem, "Look Out."

Michael Kieffer, executive director of the Bull Run Mountains Conservancy, delivered a passionate and concise summary of threats facing his 800-acre preserve. Bill Day, a candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates, addressed the moral implications of global warming. Andrew Grigsby, founder and principal of the consulting firm, Commonwealth Sustainability Works, spoke on the necessity of renewable energy and sustainable communities. Don Giecek, Virginia Director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, spoke on his organization's great work. R.K. Bohm, a Lutheran pastor, provided a secular invocation--(it was good, whatever it was.)

Music was performed by the excellent Celtic-Folk duo--Tinsmith, who presented a modern hybrid of Celtic and Appalachian influences set to compelling rythyms.

After months of preparing for an outdoor rally in downtown Warrentown: acquiring permits and insurance and then constructing banners and a stage for speakers, rain chased us indoors to St.James Episcopal Church.

There, about 60 to 70 people heard a series of speakers discuss global warming: its moral implications, arctic impacts, potential local impacts, and potential technological remedies.

Mayor George Fitch described his plan for making Warrenton more sustainable through the creation of local biomass fuel and ethanol refinery.

Dr. Susan Crate of George Mason University told of her work with the Viliui Sakha people of northeastern Siberia. The Sakha practice a unique form of horse and cattle husbandry in an extreme, subarctic environment. Their short 3-month hay growing season has been severely impacted by climate change. Dr Crate invited children in the audience to participate in her talk and wowed the crowd when she produced a Sakha mouth-harp and played a Sakha tune. Later, Dr.Crate delivered a fine reading of the Wendell Berry poem, "Look Out."

Michael Kieffer, executive director of the Bull Run Mountains Conservancy, delivered a passionate and concise summary of threats facing his 800-acre preserve. Bill Day, a candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates, addressed the moral implications of global warming. Andrew Grigsby, founder and principal of the consulting firm, Commonwealth Sustainability Works, spoke on the necessity of renewable energy and sustainable communities. Don Giecek, Virginia Director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, spoke on his organization's great work. R.K. Bohm, a Lutheran pastor, provided a secular invocation--(it was good, whatever it was.)

Music was performed by the excellent Celtic-Folk duo--Tinsmith, who presented a modern hybrid of Celtic and Appalachian influences set to compelling rythyms.