“On June 12, do your part to save the planet. Belch.”

This is the slogan of Carbon Belch Day, which urges those who have doubts about climate change alarmism to unleash their greenhouse gases into the atmosphere in a day-long “belch.” The site’s organizers, conservative citizen-activist group Grassfire, hope that visitors will sign the site’s petition against U.S. involvement in the Kyoto agreement, cap-and-trade systems, and carbon taxes in addition to donating their own gaseous metabolic byproducts to the cause next Thursday. According to Grassfire president Steve Elliot, “Carbon Belch Day will have at least as much impact on the so-called ‘planetary emergency’ of man-made global warming as the goofy save-the-earth mandates telling us to turn our lights off for an hour.”

I’m all for grassroots activism, and I have some admiration for Belch Day as a publicity stunt. However, the Belch is not going to provide any lasting, meaningful contribution to the battle against alarmism in the name of climate change, especially given the reflexive nature of the political problem it’s designed to combat. The actual petition sounds a little more promising, though even the most well-intentioned online petitions are not going to change the world.

Of course, I can’t stop you if you’re drawn by the allure of “sticking it to the man” by grilling up some delicious steaks and sitting in the comfort of your air-conditioned home. Just remember that it’s not quite a revolutionary act– at least, not yet. If you plan to contribute actual belches to your Belch Day effort, consider a creative twist like some of the artistes on “the largest collection of digitally recorded belches on the Net.” (I’m partial to the Blue Danube Waltz, myself.)

–Lauren M. Ruhland, 2008 MCPP intern