Over 200 NYU students gathered under the arch in Washington Square Park on Sunday, Sept. 21, to join in the largest environmental march to date, the People’s Climate March.

Before joining the greater march, the students held a rally with representatives from NYU Divest, Earth Matters @ NYU, Oxfam, Community Supported Agriculture, the Black Student Union, the Incarceration Coalition and Students for Sensible Drug Policy.

CAS senior and NYU Divest member Priya Mulgaonkar said the purpose of the rally was to encourage NYU students to be involved in the march and in environmental activism in general.

“It’s a half hour of power,” Mulgaonkar said. “My hope is that once all this energy from the march is over, people are going to crave it. There’s a huge community of people at NYU who care about this, and I think that is where the change is going to happen.”

Gallatin freshman Patrick Bova said attending the gathering made him feel like he was involved in a historic moment.

“I really wanted to participate because I think this is something really monumental and it would be really great to experience that first-hand rather than just sitting on the sidelines twiddling my thumbs,” Boza said.

Tisch sophomore Evie Cullingworth said the rally fostered a sense of campus community.

“This is one of these times where it’s like, ‘this is why I go to NYU,’” Cullingworth said. “This shows that NYU does have a sense of community, that we can all come together to support great things like this. I came here today alone but I feel welcomed.”

A version of this article appeared in the Monday, Sept. 22 print edition. Email Kirsten Rischert-Garcia at [email protected].

NYU students and faculty met at the Eisner & Lubin Auditorium for the This is Why We March Rally on Thursday, Sept. 19. Members of Earth Matters @ NYU and NYU Divest partnered to spread awareness about climate change and encourage people to unite.

The event, held in anticipation of the People’s Climate March on Sept. 21, featured author Bill McKibben and People’s Climate March representative Dan Sherrell. Other speakers included Global Climate Change ambassadors Isso Nihmei, Lorena del Carpio Suarez and Goksen Sahin, who gave a presentation on how climate change affects the people of their respective homelands.

Sherrell said the march was just the start of the movement to end climate change.

“This [People’s Climate Change] march is not the solution, it is not the end,” Sherrell said. “Rather, it is the beginning of mobilization and progression.”

McKibben emphasized the importance of the march, saying people must unite to address climate change.

“This is a systemic structural problem,” McKibben said. “We must come together to change the power balance and do something about it. If we can do that, then we all have a chance.”

Del Carpio Suarez said the march was an opportunity to foster grassroots change.

“We have the power to change our lifestyle and decisions,” del Carpio Suarez said. “It should not only be left to the hands of politicians.”

CAS junior and vice president of Earth Matters Davis Saltonstall said the goal of the march was to encourage world leaders to take action.

“This march is a landmark in history,” Saltonstall said.

CAS sophomore Catherine Dammer-Jones said the support for the march represented a popular desire for change.

“Everyone is becoming aware of these [environmental] issues, in a way that we have not seen in a long time,” Dammer-Jones said. “There’s definitely a unifying factor, and the passion that people have for this cause is remarkable.”

CAS sophomore Rebecca Weiser said she came to the This is Why We March Rally to learn more about climate change.

“We have to do something for our environment because it is the sphere we live in,” Weiser said. “I hope for more sustainable policies to take place and for more actions to be put into effect to help the environment.”

A version of this article appeared in the Monday, Sept. 22 print edition. Email Romie Williams at [email protected].

Around 400,000 people participated in the People’s Climate March yesterday, far surpassing the expected turnout of 100,000. The march, scheduled two days before a U.N. summit on climate change, aimed to bring attention to the economic and personal consequences of continued inaction to prevent further climate changes while creating political pressure. The marchers were joined by high-profile environmentalists and political figures such as U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, former Vice President Al Gore, researcher Jane Goodall, actor Leonardo DiCaprio and Mayor Bill de Blasio. The high turnout and inclusive lineup of over 1,500 partnering organizations resulted in an effective march with a clear purpose that garnered significant media attention. Further demonstrations will be needed as the climate debate continues, but the high level of organization for this march should be emulated in future events.

The march was organized into six themes in order to tell a story through the threads of today’s climate movement. The participating groups, representing themes such as We Have Solutions and We Know Who is Responsible, lined up along Central Park West before marching through Midtown West. The groups not only provided a narrative for the climate movement, but also offered a place for hundreds of organizations to join together. The use of themes allowed a wide range of groups to participate without being directly related to one another. For example, both scientific and religious groups had their own contingent, which allowed them to support a common goal despite differences in opinions.

The rally could be a critical step in the climate movement. Despite campaigns, marches and fundraising, 39.8 billion tons of carbon dioxide were released into the atmosphere last year, 2.3 percent higher than ever before. The main contributors were the United States, China and India, which all increased their emissions at a significantly faster rate than any other nation. Though the United States decreased its emissions over four out of the past five years, there was an increase in last year’s emissions. Given the large role the United States has played in carbon dioxide emissions and the size of the demonstrations today, the Obama administration has a particular responsibility to contribute to a solution at the U.N. summit.

In response to yesterday’s march, de Blasio said, “Summits sometimes spark great change — rallies, protests sometimes spark great change. Sometimes they don’t. My sense is that the energy you’re seeing on the streets, the numbers that have amassed here and in other cities around the world suggest something bigger is going on.” While the green campaign is unlikely to immediately achieve most of its goals, it will at least galvanize positive change. The message of the movement has been well-received by politicians and citizens alike, thanks to the scale of the demonstration and the unique organization of themed groups.

A version of this article appeared in the Monday, Sept. 22 print edition. Email the Editorial Board at [email protected].