Moving Planet Organization

Formal organizations are created by the society, there are two types of groups, primary and secondary groups which can be broken down into different categories. Primary groups are formed based on strong emotions; the main elements that make up the primary groups consist of family members and friends, where they highly impact the result of the group. Secondary groups can be influenced by the primary groups; they are usually larger organizations which relate to the community. The three types of secondary groups are usually larger organizations which relate to the community. The three types of secondary groups are; voluntary, coercive and utilitarian.

350.org is an organization established in the United States by Bill Mckibben. The number 350 relates to the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The current level is 392ppm (parts per million) which must be reduced in order to save the planet. "350 is more than a number - it's a symbol of where we need to head as a planet". Therefore it is a voluntary organization aiming to fulfil one goal- to save the planet. The organization's members consist of individuals sharing a mutual interest with a non-profit goal.



350.org's organization has a vision to reduce the amount of CO2 usage, their mission is to raise awareness and head for a change in their everyday life. Individuals shape our society; the society can keep the planet safe. "We want to be a laboratory for the best ways to strengthen the climate movement and catalyze transformation around the world".

Using formal dimensions, 350.org gives individuals the freedom to establish events relating to climate change, "mass public actions are led from bottom up by thousands of volunteer organizers". The dimensions are volunteer-generated norms where they can by pass or violate the organization's rules. 350.org is a non-bureaucratic organization, and its success depends on the volunteer's creativity.

The success of 350.org can by proven by the number of individuals involved in making a change to the planet. In October 2009, more than 5200 actions have taken place in 181 countries. Each country creates events relating to their culture. The study of the society plays a large role in the success of the event; they are usually influence by the primary groups where emotion is influenced by family and friends.

As a project for my senior seminar class, I created a poster for a fake event in Qatar; I planned an event relating to the Qatari tradition and culture, aiming to raise awareness on 350ppm. While thinking critically of an event, I asked the older generations of how they lived in the past, before the development of fossil fuels etc. Qatar was not a developed country at their generation therefore they could reflect on their experience. I had a conversation to fully experience and understand the way they lived and how they would get around in Qatar. I also looked at existing events and how to promote the awareness. Since we can't solve the issue, we can only raise awareness. I looked at the marathons and the impact they leave, I noticed that even though it does not solve, it leaves an experience. I merged both ideas, marathon and older generation's experience to create a marathon using our old means of transportation in Qatar. Using Dhows and camels, the participants would understand the society and actually live the society as in the past. This event should affect their thinking and help them preserve the fossil fuels.




Below are examples of different events in different countries.