The poet Adrienne Rich provides the words to Carolyn McDade's music: "My heart is moved by all I cannot saveso much has been destroyed." What moves your heart? The sight of a stranded polar bear adrift on a shrinking iceberg? A Bangladeshi child holding an empty water container? A parched field of stunted vegetable plants?

The rapid warming of planet Earth concerns us all. Climate change involves enormous amounts of pollution generated by burning coal, heedlessly destroying rain forests, using natural resources to enrich corporations and encourage consumerism, and waging war over who controls the gifts of Earth. These are only a few factors that contribute to the planet-wide crisis we face.

Although there are those who describe climate warming as a naturally occurring phenomenon, most credible scientists understand climate change on this scale is largely attributable to human action. As members of the Earth community, we must ask what we can do in the face of such disaster. Will changing my light bulbs to low-energy fluorescents make a difference? If I combine errands and use the car less, will it matter? Does recycling really amount to anything? Should our household invest in solar heating and cooling?

The obvious answer to these questions is yes! Small efforts on the part of many not only yield results; they lead to more change and model a different kind of behavior for others. A tiny measure of hope is stirred every time I go to the grocery store and see more and more of us using reusable shopping bags. A similar heartening experience is the burgeoning growth of community-supported agriculture memberships, interest in buying locally, and kids' awareness of their part in the community of life.

On Oct. 24, residents of the Attleboro area will join tens of thousands of others to share their concerns and call on elected officials to act to reduce the carbon level in the atmosphere from the current dangerous level of 387 parts per million to a safe 350. From 1 to 4 p.m., we will gather in Balfour Riverwalk Park to send a message to Washington that we are concerned about climate change and want action now. This Earth-Friendly Fair and Climate Action Rally will include speakers, music, demonstrations, kids' fun activities, and a group photo for the 350.org web site. Come and join us. Be part of creating a hopeful future for the whole community of life so that, with the poet Adrienne Rich, we can say, "I cast my lot with those who, age after age, perversely, with no extraordinary power, reconstitute the world."

SISTER CAROLE ROSSI lives and works at Crystal Spring Earth Center in Plainville. She is a member of the Attleboro Area Climate Action Coalition. The Coalition is asking citizens to attend the fair and rally Oct. 24, sign a petition to President Obama, and write a letter to this newspaper. For more information, go to sites.google.com/site/attleboro350. This column was previously published on www.thesunchronicle.com.