People’s Climate March truly for the people

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].