In a resounding call to action, progressive lawmakers and dedicated climate activists joined forces at the Capitol on Thursday to unequivocally demand the cessation of fossil fuel usage. This gathering served as a prelude to a planned mass march set to transpire in New York City on Sunday, leading up to the United Nations’ highly anticipated climate ambition summit scheduled for September 20.
Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon, an unwavering advocate for environmental preservation, conveyed a stark truth: “Clearly, saving the planet is the most important issue facing humanity. But here’s the ugly and brutal truth: right now, humanity is failing. The planet is crying out for help.”
This rally served as a poignant cornerstone within the context of approximately 200 global climate actions occurring worldwide this week, spanning countries as diverse as Bolivia, Pakistan, Ethiopia, and Austria.
In the heart of New York, dozens of impassioned activists took to the streets, directing their fervor toward the corporate giants of asset management, BlackRock, and Citibank. Their fervent demonstration sought to underscore the significant investments made by these financial institutions in fossil fuels.
The culmination of these mobilizations will be the “March to End Fossil Fuels” set to transpire in New York City on Sunday, September 17. This momentous event has garnered support from an impressive alliance of 400 scientists and 500 organizations, including influential entities such as the NAACP, the Sierra Club, and the Sunrise Movement. Organizers are boldly predicting that this march, aiming to unite tens of thousands of activists from across the nation and around the world, will be the most prominent climate rally in the United States over the past five years.
Keanu Arpels-Josiah, an 18-year-old climate advocate, emphasized the paramount importance of this event: “The March to End Fossil Fuels will be a historic, intergenerational, and cross-societal march, making it clear that President Biden needs to restore his [campaign] promise and end the era of fossil fuels now. We voted for a climate president, not for fossil fuel expansion.”
The focus of the New York City protest will be a fervent appeal to the Biden administration, urging it to take resolute steps toward the phasing out of fossil fuels. This includes declarations of a climate emergency, the suspension of approvals for new oil and gas ventures, and the gradual cessation of fossil fuel drilling on public lands. Despite President Biden’s assertion that he would seek to phase out fossil fuels, he has drawn criticism from climate activists for authorizing schemes like the Willow Project in Alaska.
Notably, while President Biden has signed the Inflation Reduction Act, celebrated as a historic climate legislation milestone, his record on fossil fuels will likely undergo rigorous scrutiny during next week’s summit. António Guterres, the United Nations Secretary-General, who fervently advocates for more assertive climate action, has dubbed the impending summit as a “no-nonsense” conference. He firmly articulated, “The price of entry is non-negotiable – serious new climate action that will move the needle forward.”
Democratic Congresswoman Barbara Lee, addressing the gathering at the Capitol, urged President Biden to set an exemplar for world leaders. She accentuated that the world is closely monitoring the United States, especially as the nation has historically been a significant contributor to environmental pollution. “If we don’t fulfill our moral obligation to address climate change, we can’t expect other nations to do so either,” Lee stated unequivocally.
The urgency of the summit was palpable, with some organizers bringing their own young children to the event, emphasizing the stakes involved in combating climate change. One of the organizers held a poignant sign that read, “Joe, for the love of your grandchildren.”
Kamea Ozane, an 11-year-old hailing from Sulphur, Louisiana, expressed her resolve to participate in the march alongside her mother to shed light on the profound impact of the climate crisis on her community. Sulphur, located within the notorious “Cancer Alley” region of Louisiana, grapples with severe pollution.
“Every time I struggle to catch my breath, I am reminded of the urgent need to march against fossil fuels,” conveyed Ozane in a heartfelt email shared with The Guardian.
The impassioned message conveyed by Ozane resonated with progressive lawmakers present at the rally. Democratic Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib declared, “We’re at a critical moment in our history. It’s fossil fuels versus our planet. It’s fossil fuels versus our future. And I know damn sure what side I’m going to be on.”
Multiple speakers at the rally evoked recent environmental calamities, such as wildfires in Hawaii, floods in Libya, and typhoons in the Philippines, as chilling examples of the toll exacted by climate inaction. Senator Ed Markey underscored the dire necessity for transformative change: “These are not isolated events. They are links in a chain, forged by our own decisions and by our own emissions. Our country, our planet doesn’t need more fossil fuel facilities or oil exports. What our country needs is an oil change once and for all.”
Progressive lawmakers are not solely reliant on President Biden’s initiatives. Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky is poised to reintroduce the Future Generation Protection Act next week, a legislative proposal aimed at prohibiting crude oil and natural gas exports and curbing greenhouse gas emissions from newly established power plants, while also terminating hydraulic fracking. Although the current divided Congress poses a formidable challenge to the passage of this bill, Schakowsky and her allies maintain a long-term perspective in their resolute stance against the climate crisis.
Schakowsky articulated this forward-looking approach during her speech at the rally: “We are preparing for the next election, where we [will] win and we [will] do everything that we need to do to save the planet and to save our people. We can do this.”
