THE REST OF THE WORLD AGREES WITH WHAT SCIENCE IS SAYING

…Climate Change protesters on fake ice blocks under a gallows at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany.

Climate Change: Finally, enough people are supporting what the ignorant US President calls a “hoax”.

Climate change protest rallies have become a global issue and there are 156 countries offering demonstrations.  Even countries such as Afghanistan, Brazil, Australia and Mexico have become involved.

In the United States, today many schools around the country are allowing students to cut classes to have coordinated demonstrations across all 50 US states.

The New York rally was part of that global protest that included those events in the 156 countries.  In London alone, the march attracted an estimated 40,000 people, including the actress, Emma Thompson, who likened the threat from climate change to a “Martian invasion”.  Some 30,000 people marched in Melbourne, Australia, where the demonstrators urged Prime Minister Tony Abbott to take action, citing fears that climate change could lead to more bushfires and droughts.   Organizers said more than 25,000 marched in Paris and 15,000 people marched in Berlin, urging world leaders to recognize climate change as a top pressing problem.

In Rio de Janeiro, some 5,000 marchers turned out.  Environmental slogans and a green heart were projected onto the famed statue of Christ the Redeemer that overlooks the city.

Tens of Thousands of People marched in London, and many dressed up like animals.

There was an Image that was captured by a flying drone that shows the protesters in Sydney, Australia, with people on the ground in groups

forming the words: "Beyond Coal + Gas"

Smaller protests, attracted numbers in the thousands, were also seen in cities such as Bogota, Barcelona, Jakarta and Delhi.  Next Tuesday, the United Nations will host a climate summit at the New York headquarters with 125 heads of state.  This is the first such gathering since the unsuccessful climate conference in Copenhagen back in 2009.

Street protests demanding urgent action on climate change have attracted hundreds of thousands of marchers in more than 2,000 locations worldwide. The People's Climate March in China is campaigning for curbs on carbon emissions.

"This is the planet where our subsequent generations will live," the UN Chief told reporters. "There is no 'Plan B' because we do not have a 'Planet B'."  The UN Secretary General was accompanied by primatologist Jane Goodall and the French Ecology Minister, Segolene Royal.  New York hosted the largest of the protests, drawing more the 600,000 marchers to have taken part in rallies around the world.  A Mother Earth Float made its way down 42nd Street, New York, where other protesters used a number of out-sized floats to convey their message.

Manhattan echoed to the sound of chants, horns and drums as the colorful protest progressed through the streets.  The massive mobilization was aimed at transforming climate change "from an environmental concern to an everybody issue".  Business leaders, environmentalists and celebrities joined the demonstration. Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio also took part, having been appointed as a UN representative on climate change last week.

The marches brought more people on to the streets than ever before, partly thanks to the organizational power of the e-campaign group Avaaz.  The climate talks will also be influenced by technology, as it was recently reported that the sun and wind can often generate power as cheaply as gas in the home. Certainly the UN's Secretary General, hopes that he can make a fresh start in the endless blame-your-neighbor round of climate talks.

Next year, world leaders are due to show up in Paris to settle a global climate deal, not based on a bitterly-contested negotiation in the middle of the night, but on open, co-operative offers of action to tackle a shared problem. The UN’s Mr Ban has invited leaders to New York to make their offers public. Some small nations will doubtless make new contributions to the carbon contraction effort as they realize how vulnerable their own economies are to a hotter world. 

But some big players may continue the game of climate poker, holding back their offers until they see what else is on the table. So there is no guarantee that the UN Chief’s idea will work.  But for those weary climate politics watchers, it will be a change.

Copyright G. Ater 2019