September 21 through September 26 marked the UN’s conference on climate change. People gathered all around the world on the 21st to take a stand and voice their opinions about climate change. In New York City alone, there was an estimate of 100,000 people scheduled to march through the streets, but over 310,000 people showed up instead. Monday through Friday marked the actual conference on climate change, while Sunday was the march through the streets of NYC. Not only did people gather in NYC, but they also gathered in cities around the world, London, Rio, Rome, and many others.
There were people from other countries in NYC, religious groups, school groups, and even people’s dogs dressed in costumes regarding climate change. Public figures like Leonardo DiCaprio, Al Gore, Mark Ruffalo and Bill McKibben joined the 310,000 people in NYC to show their support and concern towards the climate.
Lasell student, Sophie Donohue said about the march, “I hope that it proves how many people, globally, actually care about this issue and that it shows people who aren’t as aware the reality of the situation.”
Orange signs reading “I’m Marching For” graced the hands of people littering the streets, all filling in what they were marching for. These signs had one common theme to them, things that are heavily effected by climate change. Things like the future, and life made frequent appearances on these orange signs, along with other things like snowboarding, and my future grandchildren. One father toted around his 9-month old daughter and a sign that read I’m Marching for Vivi (my 9-month old) so she can live in a safe climate!
The climate march was a powerful thing. This was such an important event because it brought people together in real life, not just through a hashtag on Twitter, to show how much of an impact climate change has on people’s lives. Being surrounded by that many people all marching for a single cause makes one really think about how concerned that many people are for the future of our earth. It was an incredible thing to witness and be a part of.
Josh Rebello, a sophomore Environmental Studies major at Lasell, said, “I hope this rally shows every world leader, no matter who they are or how much power they have, that people are serious about climate change and something needs to be done about it. Sooner rather than later.”
*To see more photos from the rally, go to our Facebook page! https://www.facebook.com/pages/Her-Campus-Lasell/169012009971053