Maggie Gorman, Managing Editor
A historical protest regarding climate change took place in New York City on September 21st. Anywhere from 300,000 to 400,000 people flocked to Central Park to gather and begin the march down 8th Ave, 6th Ave, and 42nd Street. The protesters peacefully carried signs and yelled chants urging the United Nations General Assembly to make changes to improve the current condition of the world’s environment.
This protest came ahead of the United Nations climate summit on September 23rd, where world leaders discussed the possible ways to slow down digression of the environment. Leaders from all parts of the world were asked to promise to take action in order to see results in the next year.
The climate change march drew out many celebrities such as Mark Ruffalo, Leonardo DiCaprio, Al Gore, and Sting. Even though they attracted much attention to themselves, their goals for the day were to exercise the same rights they, and average Americans, share.
In addition to public figures and celebrities, five seniors from Newtown High School took part in the march. Forest Speed, Max Galassi, Meghan Powers, Mike Eisele, and Alexa Summerlin, members of NHS’s Environmental Club, could not pass up the opportunity to be a part of something so monumental.
“Ms. Ramsey is one of the environmental science teachers and she brought it up to us. Those from the club who decided to go drove down to the train early in the morning in time for the march,” Eisele said.
Once there, the seniors had an unforgettable experience. “There were so many people there. The word around on the day of the march was that there were 10,000 people but we later found out that there were roughly 400,000. It was a very inspirational and cool experience to be a part of. Although the main theme of the march was climate change, there were little movements going on throughout it that supported the general idea of an eco-friendly tomorrow. We held signs that said, "Newtown High School Environmental Club is a Fan of Renewable Energy",” Eisele said.
For hours, people walked the streets of New York City alongside like-minded world citizens, but Newtown’s teens had a more specific message regarding the environmental state of the world.
“I hope this movement captures the public's attention of the environmental issues our world is desperately battling right this second,” Powers said.
Proponents of climate change recognize that it is important for people to be aware of the changes our climate is facing and that a lot of it is because of humans. On the other hand, there are ways to improve conditions. It is just crucial for people to be educated on what is happening today and is affecting not just one country, but the entire world.
The biggest takeaway for the students was the great sense of unity felt in the crowd. “The best part was being around people who cared about the same thing just as much as I did. It was so amazing to be a part of a movement that involved thousands of different people and to feel like you were a part of history in the making,” Powers said.
NHS students, celebrities, and world leaders alike are awaiting action on the poor state of the environment. Taking part in this historical march was the first step, or first 10,000 steps rather, towards a cleaner and healthier tomorrow.
Photo Credit; www.cnn.com
