How Bloggers Will Change the World, and How You Can Help

Today I am helping to launch a new initiative called Blog Action Day, along with Collis and Cyan Ta’eed of FreelanceSwitch and FlashDen … and our goal is to bring the blogging community together, for just one day, talking about one issue — and for Blog Action Day 2007 (Oct. 15, 2007), that issue is the environment.

What would happen if every blog published posts discussing the same issue, on the same day? One issue. One day. Thousands of voices.

We’re just launching the initiative today, and already some very major blogs have signed up to participate … there are dozens already, including Lifehacker, Web Worker Daily, Lifehack.org, Dumb Little Man, ProBlogger, FreelanceSwitch, Get Rich Slowly, Copyblogger, Unclutterer, Wise Bread, and many more.

If you’d like to find out more, check out the site, and if you have a blog, please sign up to participate … all you have to do is write a post about the environment on Oct. 15. You could, of course, also help promote the initiative by letting as many people know about it as possible, and by running one of the cool banners that Collis created.

To help launch the initiative, I wrote a post that explains how blogs can be a force for social change, how they are already changing things:

How Bloggers Will Change the World, and How You Can Help

I hope you enjoy it, and hope you’ll take part in this day!

Posted on 16 August 2007 in Aboutzenhabits |
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Comments (20)

Modern Worker Says:

August 16th, 2007, 16:19 pm

I saw the graphic on yuor sidebar today and checked it out, Leo. Now I’m all registered for the event, looking forward to it too.

john Says:

August 16th, 2007, 16:29 pm

sounds like a really B.A.D. idea

Bryan Person, Bryper.com Says:

August 16th, 2007, 17:35 pm

If every blog published posts about the same issue on the same day, I’d get a headache! I don’t mind a handful of similar posts on one topic, but after that I will simply tune the rest out. I like variety in my blog reading.

Josh Says:

August 16th, 2007, 17:58 pm

Hi Leo,

Great idea. I just registered my new blog, http://makecollegebetter.com

I plan to write an article about how college campuses are an incredible place to unite with others towards a goal, and specifically towards saving the environment.

Thanks for the heads up about this great cause,
Josh

William Mize Says:

August 16th, 2007, 18:04 pm

I’m just a guy who writes mystery novels, but I’m in.
Love this idea.

Modern Worker Says:

August 16th, 2007, 18:06 pm

Bryan, it’s one day, it won’t hurt that bad (after all, we’re only trying to save the planet…)

Gib Lett Says:

August 16th, 2007, 18:08 pm

Sure, let’s get the whole blogosphere to lecture us on energy consumption for a day. That’s gonna help.

Leo Says:

August 16th, 2007, 18:38 pm

Thanks for the comments, guys, and thanks so much for those who have signed up! Spread the word on your blog if you can.

@Bryan: I hear you, but again, this is just for one day … and the average reader isn’t expected to read all the posts on that day. The key is to get a discussion going, to get people to think about it … and the more blogs that participate, the more readers are reached. It’s a matter of getting as wide a discussion as possible … if only a small handful do it, they only reach a small portion of Internet readers … but if a wide group does it, we can reach millions and millions of people. It’s exciting!

@Gib: Actually, it could help. Energy consumption and other environmental issues will only be addressed if people talk about it, if they give it some thought, if awareness is raised. This is an attempt to do those things. Even more, it’s an attempt to unite the blogging community, even if only for a moment, and create a greater sense of community and participation. I think that’s a good thing.

Scott Taylor Says:

August 16th, 2007, 19:05 pm

Adding my blog, http://www.scotttaylor.eu as we speak :)

Thanks for the notice

Best,
Scott

Tigerplug Says:

August 16th, 2007, 20:00 pm

Sounds good to me!

How about a skype cast!…. where we can all chat together about it?

Bryan Person, Bryper.com Says:

August 16th, 2007, 20:04 pm

@Modern Worker, @Leo, OK, I was reading a little bit too quickly. The environment is certainly a very worth cause to come together about. I applaud that.

However, everyone blogging about it on the same day is really meaningful if you can move others to action. Will politicians actually take note and do actually something about the problem? I hope so.

Aimee Says:

August 16th, 2007, 20:37 pm

thanks for posting about this. it’s a great idea, and i will do my bit to help spread the word too.

Danny Says:

August 17th, 2007, 0:02 am

I think this is a great idea and plan to do my part. My blog is new and small, but collectively, bloggers have an incredibly powerful voice that would be impossible to ignore.
Earth Day is only one day a year and has had a tremendous impact on raising awareness. This will too!

Peter Says:

August 17th, 2007, 0:17 am

Great idea. My blog (iwillchangeyourlife.com) is now signed up.

Patricia Says:

August 18th, 2007, 11:23 am

I think it is a terrific idea. There are so many topics about the environment we can write about,that it is not going to be boring or repetitive at all (see http://blogactionday.org/resources). My blog is in Spanish and I will promote the day among Spanish-writing blogs!

PD: I always read your blog Leo, it is very inspiring!

Kat Says:

August 18th, 2007, 16:31 pm

It’s really neat to see bloggers using their power for good. :-)

Last month I sponsored something called The 40 Day Fast where we had 40 different bloggers each sign up for a day and on that day, they chose to not eat (in an effort, small though it is, to relate to those in need) and write a post or two about a need/cause/situation in the world and an organization that meets that need. And each day the other bloggers linked to the featured blogger for the day.

It was an amazing project. I don’t have a very big blog, but just from my little idea I know that several children were sponsored through organizations like Compassion International and we even raised enough money on the last day to buy three goats for families in Haiti and Kenya. Hundreds of people also learned more about child hunger, the current slave trade, the situation in Darfur and other really important issues.

All that to say, if I can make a difference with my little blog, I’m sure that this effort will really have a great impact.

I’m off to go sign up. Thanks for letting us know about this Leo.

Robert MacEwan Says:

August 20th, 2007, 17:57 pm

For what it’s worth I added it as a page on my site so it shows at the top. Hope this helps by driving my geek traffic your way. I’m PR6 so I guess that means something.

Mike Panic Says:

October 4th, 2007, 9:04 am

In the spirit of the day, I am running a contest to give away a Nalgene Refill Not Landfill bottle.

Mandy Says:

October 11th, 2007, 4:54 am

I think this is a really great idea, and I’m going to sign up. The blogsphere is such an amazing thing, millions of people writing blogs and interacting with each other no matter who they are or where they are from.

It really levels things out, no barriers.

So if we can speak as one and make a difference for the better then I think we should do it, it will be really interesting to see what happens!

Thanks for making it happen…