Sunday, September 21, 2014 will go down in history: the world's largest march to fight global warming. It goes down in my heart as one of the most moving and powerful days of my life.
Moms Clean Air Force marched, along with many other parent groups. We were there for all of you.
Over 400,000 people marched. We came from all over the world-mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, grandmothers, uncles: the people. Blessed to be alive, joyful to be here. The people: Outraged at the greedy corporate polluters hijacking our world. The people: Demanding that we ramp up the race for clean energy.
At the start, we formed a circle and Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul and Mary) led us in singing "This land is your land, this land is my land, From California, to the New York island." And we felt it: This is our land. We are taking it back. My tears came when we began chanting: "This is What Democracy Looks Like!"
We expected to be marching with parents, with environmentalists and with members of the environmental justice community. But here's what democracy looks like: Doctors and nurses turned out in force, underscoring how dangerous global warming is to people's health. Labor unions marched. There were summer camps and congregations, alumni organizations and neighborhood groups. There were artists and politicians, anarchists and CEOs. Teachers joined -- with their students from colleges, high schools, from middle schools.
We are going to win this fight. The tide is turning. The Rockefeller family announces it will divest its foundation of fossil fuel holdings. Mayor de Blasio commits NYC to an 80 percent reduction of greenhouse gas pollution by 2050. Texas is a national leader in wind energy, with more turbines and more jobs than any other state. There are more jobs, by tens of thousands, in the solar industry than the coal industry. The list goes on. And will grow on.
We unite against cynical and willful denial, against corporate greed, against polluters who are doing everything they can to overturn our beloved democracy -- lying about what they do, sowing confusion and hiding the damage they are inflicting.
We cannot, and will not, stand for this.
And so, we march. We march with love. And love will win.
Photo: Ted Fink Photography