What it's about:

The time of debate about climate change is over and the time of action is now. (See more about this: "Reflections on the IPCC report".) Every level and aspect of our society will need to change, adapt, and evolve in order to live sustainably on this earth.

But what should each of us do now, in this society that we live in? We all know that the things we can do as individuals have just the tiniest of impacts on global climate change, really global climate disruption.

Even more challenging, the recent IPCC report (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) is saying that if humanity stopped adding CO2 to the atmosphere today, completely, global climate disruption would continue for maybe a hundred, maybe hundreds, of years. As many as half of the species we know about could become extinct even if we fixed all our technology, drove zero emission cars, lived off the grid, etc.

We still need to act, and not only because the small changes we make might somehow add up to lessen the worst effects of climate change.

We also need to act also because when we take action, even on the smallest level, we make a commitment to something bigger: a commitment to becoming responsible as human beings for our impact on the planet, a commitment to devoting our resources, to the best of our limited ability, to helping all species survive what changes will transpire, and maybe a commitment to confront the changes we cannot prevent and grieve for the losses.

This kind of action is what we call ritual, in the best sense. Beyond political and social transformation, it means creating the personal habit of transformation. Imagining and facilitating a new world is less scary when we can make it a part of our daily meditation and work, when we make change into a habit. We need a spiritual practice for changing how we live.

What would this look like?

StoptheFlood! asks you to make change into a religious act. Change one habit or do one new thing that will reduce your personal impact on climate change. Keep adding one new thing every six months. Make it something you know you can accomplish in the following six-month period. Find a partner with whom you can share your commitment, and help each other stay on track. Let other people know what you are doing through this website and through forums in your community.

The dates recorded in Genesis for the beginning and end of the flood are exactly six months apart. These dates are the 17th of Cheshvan, when Noah's ark rested on Mt. Ararat, which was the end the Biblical flood, the 17th of Iyar when the flood rains began – roughly speaking, November and May. StoptheFlood! uses this timing to set up benchmarks for changing how we personally impact the earth's atmosphere.

We don't know whether our actions will make a dfference now. That puts our efforts in the realm of ritual, where the invisible consequence of what we do is often more important or more recognizable than the visible or physical element.

The only other date in the book of Genesis is the 27th of Iyar, when the animals, along with Noah's family, left the ark, and the rainbow appeared. The rainbow signified a new covenant between God and the land. StoptheFlood! imagines a new covenant between humanity and the land, one that we live by more and more through steady change in our lifestyles and habits.

Stop the Flood! exists as a forum to help inspire people to take personal action, to share whatever action or change they're doing, and to help people partner to help each other. Our fundamental principle is that we can't wait for politicians to act, and we can't blame others for this crisis, though we need everyone to solve it. As this project grows, we can start to see what people are doing across the country, and develop networks for spreading change in communities, synagogues and churches.

Record your commitment, your location, and your community using the form below. Your contribution will help inspire others to "become the change we seek".