I joined with nearly 50,000 protesters who endured freezing winds to express their fervent desire that President Obama take bold action on climate change. For my husband and I, the Forward on Climate rally was a culmination of years of living a green lifestyle. It was time to move beyond the recycling bin and compost pile to fight for climate justice. Sunday's rally gave us an opportunity step up our commitment. It put the wind in our sails to demand urgent action on climate change. We chose on the ground activism because we're not prepared to accept the inevitability of our children's future without a fight.
President Obama had strong words to say in both his inaugural address and State of The Union about the need for urgent action on climate change. Before the SOTU, I was interviewed along with other environmentalists and asked what I wished President Obama would convey during his speech. I said it was time for him to address our climate concerns - the people's concerns, not the oil, coal and gas companies that so many politicians on the Hill are beholden to. I said, "The political is personal."
It was this singular focus that drove me to take to the streets of DC on Sunday and raise my voice with tens of thousands from all generations. It's why I pushed my husband, and my friends and MCAF colleagues, Dominique, Kerry and her husband, Matt to join me.
I knew the rally would thrust us out of our comfort zone. I hadn't protested in the streets since I boarded a bus to DC in high school with a bunch of bell-bottomed teenagers wearing peace buttons to oppose the Vietnam War. We were fighting for our future. I was wearing a tee-shirt my father printed with the slogan, "War is not healthy for children and other living things."
On Sunday, being part of the climate solution meant going beyond green and marching forward. One of the handmade rally signs summed it up with a photograph of the Earth and these four words: "Too Big To Fail"
Catch a glimpse of the speakers and the energy of the rally in this video:
Photo: Ted Fink