People’s Climate March in nYc September 21st 2014 | Flood Wall Street

The People’s Climate March was timed with the United Nation’s Climate Summit 2014 in which dignitaries from around the world and President Obama responded to Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon’s invitation to talk about Global Warming. On the 21st of September, people from all over the world participated in climate marches in their own towns. It was the largest simultaneous Environmental March in history.

Here’s a link to the 352 photographs that I took at the Climate March hitchabout nYc Sept. 21st and Flood Wall Street march the following day, Sept. 22nd 2014

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

Here’s more info about the climate march. And a link to 352 more photos – highlighting and describing the specific messages of the climate marchers and ‘Flood Wall Street’ gatherers the following day.

actor Leonardo DiCaprio shaking hands with the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon

Leonardo di Caprio adressed the public in this video message, timed with the March and Climate Summit: Stop Pretending Like Facts Don’t Exist.

This shot below was zooming in to capture a drone hovering above the crowd. Small and moving with speed and precision, it was easy to miss. Perhaps it was monitoring for a journalist? Though much legislation will arrive regarding the rights and privacy demands that will ensue with the operation of drones, there are already some quite positive uses. This article about drones by Caitlin Kauffman  “Flying a Fine Line: Drones could be a boon for conservation – but first, they need to overcome their stigma”  in the Sept/Oct Sierra magazine points out. “Despite their reputation, though, small civilian drones like Hugo are making their way into a variety of eco-toolkits. Drone-mounted thermal cameras alert game wardens in Namibia to poachers stalking elephants and rhinos. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration flies tiny drones into the eyes of hurricanes to collect climate data and improve storm warnings, and scientists from southeastern universities equip them with sensors to track spilled oil in the Gulf of Mexico.”

Here’s a link to the 352 photographs that I took at the Climate March hitchabout in nYc Sept. 21st and Flood Wall Street Sept. 22nd 2014

closeup shot of a drone that was executing very quick turns on all axis.

No Wars to Defend Petro Dollar

There was plenty of media coverage. Huffington Post reports on the numbers around the world that marched, around 600,000 people worldwide.

The World Wildlife fund sent this to my inbox today Oct 7th, regarding the numbers who came out to support the Climate March and the fact that this is only the B E G I N N I N G!

Climate Change Action Now | World Wildlife Fund

“Only after the last tree has been cut down. Only after the last river has been poisoned. Only after the last fish has been caught. Only then will you find that money cannot be eaten.”

I march because overpopulation and human habits have wrought havoc on our environment. As this article by Damian Carrington in the Guardian indicates, “Earth has lost half of its wildlife in the past 40 years, says WWF. “The number of wild animals on Earth has halved in the past 40 years, according to a new analysis. Creatures across land, rivers and the seas are being decimated as humans kill them for food in unsustainable numbers, while polluting or destroying their habitats, the research by scientists at WWF and the Zoological Society of London found.”

Regarding the Living Planet Index (LPI), “We have all heard of the FTSE Financial Times (London) Stock Exchange 100 index, but we have missed the ultimate indicator, the falling trend of species and ecosystems in the world,” said Professor Jonathan Baillie, ZSL’s director of conservation. “If we get [our response] right, we will have a safe and sustainable way of life for the future.”

The Living Planet Index (LPI) reflects changes in the health of the planet’s ecosystems by tracking population trends of over 2,500 vertebrate species. Much as a stock market index tracks the value of a set of shares, the LPI calculates the average annual rate of change for species populations from 1970 to 2008, the latest date for which sufficient data are available. I wrote about the Gross Domestic Project (GDP) in a different light in an earlier blog: “GDP Gross Domestic Problem – Why the Measurement of Wealth Depends on a Healthy Environment”. https://digesthis.wordpress.com/2012/04/12/gross_domestic_problem_-why-measurement-of-wealth-depends-on-a-healthy-environment/

My ribbon of hope stated “All of the species | plant | animal | fungal whose habitats are being lost.”

Here’s a link to the 352 photographs that I took at the Climate March hitchabout nYc Sept. 21st and Flood Wall Street march the following day, Sept. 22nd 2014

All of the species | plant | animal | fungal whose habitats are being lost

ribbons of peoples wishes

Raging Grannies

BP $

March for the Penquins

 

if you frack the water, you frack the kids

Let’s not even START to talk about the deleterious effects of the impact of fracking on groundwater. In an article written for the Rolling Stone, “The Big Fracking Bubble: The Scam Behind Aubrey McClendon’s Gas Boom“. Jeff Goodell states that “McClendon dominates America’s supply of natural gas the same way the Tea Party-financing Koch brothers control the nation’s pipelines and refineries.

The Climate March was organized by numerous global environmental organizations, of which these are a few: 350.org, Avaaz, GoFossilFree.org, the Center for Biological Diversity http://www.biologicaldiversity.org, Greenpeace.org and MoveOn.org.

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) was another of the groups demanding collective action; for people to join in the streets of New York city to demand world leaders meeting at the United Nations General Assembly, to turn-talk-into-action. WWF encourage friends and family members to watch this free online film about climate change.

Climate Change Disruption
the film

“Climate. Change. Disruption” is a film by Kelly Nyks and Jared P. Scott. They ask you to be a part of the largest climate march in history.

There was also a lively hiphop crew with a very articulate native american speaker.

music and words about the environment

Here’s feedback from avaaz about the march.

http://peoplesclimate.org/events/

the march with bird kites

Man carrying sign ‘Corporations are Killing the Planet, pauses as he gazes at a painted sign on the ground that says ‘Capitalism is Killing the Planet’.

Here’s a link to the 352 photographs that I took at the Climate March hitchabout nYc Sept. 21st and Flood Wall Street march the following day, Sept. 22nd 2014

Corporations are Killing the Planet Capitalism is Killing the Planet

the Bronx contingent

native american spirit

Tax Carbon team

Tax Carbon

http://www.taxcarbon.info

Protect Appalachian Communities

submerged Brooklyn bridge

Don’t Panic Learn to Swim

Reclaim the Future

Tax Wall Street End Climate Change

Financial Advisor groups Progressive Asset Management Group

 

I met Eric at the end of the march. He was promoting his Progressive Asset Management Group ‘Divest with Us’

 

 

 

 

 

 

driver didn’t really have to pay attention, the horse was on ‘automatic pilot’.

the horse was our ‘automatic pilot’

 

 

Later when several of us were trying to get a cab to go out to dinner, we were forced by the numbers of people there, to take a horse drawn carriage instead. The driver was well versed in talking about politics.

 

 

 

 

The march the following day, on Monday the 22nd was from Battery Park to Wall Street. The theme abounded, Flood Wall Street; Stop Capitalism, End the Climate Crisis

I met a German woman, Godlind, who has lived in the United States for years. She and I chatted in the morning before the Wall Street march got underway.

Godlind holding sign Climate Action Now

 

She gave me a copy of her Sierra magazine, saying that at least two articles would be of interest to me. She was absolutely right. Sierra’s motto is Explore, Enjoy and Protect the Planet. The September-October issue of the Sierra Club looks into art as education about the environment, cool green schools and much more.

Imagine, Remembering John Lennon was on one side of this postcard.

Imagine Remembering John Lennon

and on the other side were photographs of the simultaneous march globally.

The global movement Revolution | Globalization | Evolution

@theglobalmovement Instagram Revolution | Globalization | Evolution

Artwork by Nikki McClure Poem by Hank. CrimethInc ex-Worker’s Collective

your life is your life, don’t let it be clubbed into dank submission. be on the watch. there are ways out. there is light somewhere. it may not be much light but it beats the darkness. be on the watch. the gods will offer you chances. know them, take them. you can’t beat death but you can beat death in life, sometimes. and the more often you learn to do it, the more light there will be. your life is your life. know it while you have it. you are marvelous, the gods wait to delight in you.

Another newspaper-sized flyer depicting Capitalism as a Pyramid Scheme was also distributed by CrimetheInc (an anarchist collective composed of many cells acting independently in pursuit of a freer and more joyous world). The resulting inequalities can only be maintained with escalating force.

Capitalism As a Pyramid Scheme

Global warming and recession are the first warning signs. Let’s join forces to establish another way of life.

After the People’s Climate March, the work begins. BEYOND EXTREME ENERGY – action to retire fossil fuels. A week of action – starting November 1st in Washington D.C.

CO2 bubble

Reclining on Wall Street banner

Naturally one learns a lot when gathering among a bunch of people, now the work begins!

The following day, 3,000 of the 300,000 who attended the march the previous day, met at Battery Park and walked to Wall Street. links to photos of each day.

tears for mother earth and her creatures

 

I really was feeling emotional, as I held someone else’s earth globe, moved by all of the different people involved in expressing this purpose. My plastic dress had “The Great Pacific Garbage Patch” written on it, though it just as well could represent the carbon bubble.

Carbon Bubble theory

I mentioned the Cree Prophesy in an earlier blog http://carolkeiter.wordpress.com/2013/11/22/the-truth-earthlings-love-letter-to-the-earth-thich-nhat-hanh-kumi-naidoo-greenpeace-saving-the-earth-from-ourselves-only-after-cree-indians/

Naturally, I hitched to the march.

nYc hitch sign

Climate March and NYC hitch sign upon arriving in SoHo at the Canal St. Station

And another sign I made along the way.

En route to NY, I encountered people inside their car, as it was towed after running out of gas.

towed car

towed car with the passengers inside

Arriving in New York city, I met a young man Amir whose Jewish father was born in Iraq, his Jewish mother born in Iran. He was raised by his parents in Israel, and can NOT go to either of his parents’ homelands, because of his Israeli passport. Interestingly tragic. I was getting acquainted with his snake.

Here are 352 more labeled photos highlighting the specific individual messages of the climate marchers and Flood Wall Street gatherers the following day.

the Polar Bear canvassing for the Center for Biological Diversity

closeup shot of a drone that was executing very quick turns on all axis.

Tax Wall Street End Climate Change

March for the Penquins

No Wars to Defend Petro Dollar

BP $

Raging Grannies