New York Climate March

This Septemeber I went to New York City for the NY Climate Change March. A small group of us from UD drove up for the day to take part in this huge and important event. It was an unbelievabel experince being able to walk along side 400 thousand other like-minded people through the streets of the city. It was impressive to see such a large number of people collected in one place, voicing their desire for change.

There were so many people, each representing different issues—from bee diversity and GMOs to fracking and fossil fuels. It became obvious that climate change is no small issue. All things are interrelated and thousands of separate issues contribute to the larger problem. The climate march brought people together to collaborate and discuss different issues and solutions, sending a message to those in power that they care about the future of our planet.

It was also nice to see the large variety of people and ages that came out to the the march. There were children, college students, families, business owners, and politicians all marching side by side. Climate change, sustainability, and the condition of our planet affects everyone worldwide. It was important therefore that all types were present. Of all the people there I appreciated the number of college age students that made the trip. There were groups from many different colleges across the nation. As a college student I see all too often our generation being complacent or uninterested in the problems around us. Often students think that they don’t need to get involved because there are other people out there that will do it instead. There will be others solving the problems, others to get involved, and others to voice opinions. But the only way we were able to see such a large turnout at the march was by that many people finding the need to show that they care. Things only change when people make an effort and ask for it. 

Léa Dolimier, 2016 Cohort