Amid a chorus of calls for an end to fossil fuels, tens of thousands of protesters have launched a week-long campaign to fight climate change, blaming the crisis primarily on coal, oil and gas. natural burning. However, these protesters believe that the measures taken are not enough. Their attention has turned sharply to US President Joe Biden, pleading with him to stop approving new oil and gas projects, phase out existing projects and invoke a climate emergency with executive powers. The law is expanded.
Emma Buretta, a 17-year-old Brooklyn activist representing the youth protest group Fridays for Future, emphasized the power of public influence, saying: “We have the power of the people, the power of the power you need to win this election. If you want to win in 2024, if you don't want my generation's blood on your hands, end the use of fossil fuels."
The Fossil Fuel March through March brought together prominent figures such as Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and actors Susan Sarandon, Ethan Hawke, Edward Norton, Kyra Sedgewick and Kevin Bacon. The real action took place on Broadway, however, as protesters filled the streets, pleading for a future that wasn't so hot. The event marks the start of Climate Week in New York, which brings together global leaders from business, politics and the arts, united in efforts to save the planet. This week's highlight will be the special United Nations summit scheduled for Wednesday.
Although a significant number, an estimated 75,000 people, participated in Sunday's march, many leaders responsible for significant carbon emissions will notably be absent. Only countries that promise new concrete actions will be invited to speak at the summit organized by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Notably, this protest is explicitly focused on fossil fuels and industry, which sets it apart from previous protests.
Protest organizers expressed frustration with President Biden, who was popular in 2020, for overseeing increased oil and fossil drilling. Louisiana environmental activist Sharon Lavigne emphasized the urgency saying: ''President Biden, our lives depend on your actions today. If you don't stop using fossil fuels, our blood will be on your hands.''
Environmental activists estimate that nearly a third of the world's oil and gas drilling plans by 2050 will be driven by US interests. Over the past century, the United States has emitted more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than any other country, although China has now surpassed its annual carbon emissions. We have to phase out fossil fuels to survive on our planet, emphasized Jean Su, march organizer and director of energy justice at the Center for Biological Diversity.
The signs convey powerful messages, including “Even Santa knows coal is bad,” “Fossil fuels are killing us,” “I want a fossil-free future,” and “Keep it in the ground.”
However, representatives of the oil and gas industry resisted, emphasizing the economic importance of their products. “We share the urgency to work together to address climate change immediately,” said Megan Bloomgren, Senior Vice President of the American Petroleum Institute; However, doing so by eliminating America's energy options is a misguided approach and will leave American families and businesses beholden to unstable foreign countries. The region has higher costs and much less reliable energy.
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