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This post was originally published in The Huffington Post [2]
Although I live only a few short hours from New York City, a trip to New York this weekend just isn’t in the cards. I’ll be sticking close to Boston as thousands of people join forces for The People’s Climate March this Sunday, September 21st. It’s being dubbed the “largest climate march in history” by organizers [3], and has the potential to draw hundreds of thousands of people [4] to the streets of New York City.
Unfortunately I won’t be one of them. Like many, I want to be there, but for one reason or another can’t make it happen. Thankfully, we are so fortunate to live in a world where we no longer have to be physically present to have a big impact. The internet and technology make all of this possible. So on Sunday, while so many amazing people find themselves physically marching in support of a climate crisis I so desperately want to stop, I’ll be following along, sharing and adding to the experience virtually.
Why I Care About the Climate Crisis
My family is unique and yet like so many other families. Every day I celebrate my three boys, since without them I couldn’t wear my treasured “mother” hat. Creating our family didn’t come easily. We were forced, as many are, to place a tremendous amount of thought into whether or not we wanted to bring children into this world. Infertility will do that to you. We made a conscious decision to start a family and found our way through both adoption and natural childbirth.
Now here we are-14, 12 and 10 years after making that difficult decision to bring life into this world. A world in which my boys will soon inherit along with a climate that’s spiraling out of control right before our very eyes.
- Temperatures have exceeded [5] global averages for 36 consecutive years.
- The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has risen by 25% since 1958 [6].
- Extreme weather events [7] are becoming more frequent and severe.
It is implausible to imagine saddling the children of today with the world as it presently exists. Something must be done to repair our planet, and it must be done quickly.
As people flood the streets of New York City this Sunday, September 21st, for the People’s Climate March I’ll be marching along in spirit, doing my part from afar to show I care deeply about this issue (these are things you can do too).
- I’ll use my voice on social media to share information and spread the words of the march participants, using the hashtag #PeoplesClimate.
- I’ll continue writing about the climate crisis we’re all facing.
- I’ll share photos and create banners with the words: ‘Action, Not Words: …..!’ (add your local, national, or regional demand in dotted area at the end). Photos can be submitted by social media share using #peoplesclimate hashtag or check this link.
- I’ll continue to talk, create discussion and share perspective with friends, neighbors and colleagues on the issues surrounding climate change.
My boys are starting to understand the complexities of our world, but they are too young to have a voice-or a voice that will be heard and make an impact. As parents it is our job to advocate for our children and protect them from injustice. The People’s Climate March is a perfect opportunity to be a voice among many, stepping up to the plate to make the world a better place for us all.
Will you join me?
photo credit: f_lynx [8] via photopin [9] cc [10]