I t was muggy as the sun tried to break through the overcast skies above New York City on Sunday, Sept. 21, the last full day of summer.
I had every expectation of walking into a historic moment as I strolled through Columbus Circle toward Central Park — camera in hand — to join the throng of demonstrators assembling for the People’s Climate March.
To find people of all races, languages and creeds amassed into a banner-waving, sign-toting sea of humanity that stretched from blocks was breathtaking and inspiring.
The march was a call for action on climate change by world leaders, including President Barack Obama, who were meeting at the United Nations Summit on Climate Change in the week ahead.
There was no way to know at the time that the size of the crowd exceeded all expectations; pre-march estimates pegged attendance at 100,000 people, but the official tally by day’s end put the number at more than 310,000.
Marchers use signs, symbols and noise makers to call attention to the urgent need to take action to reverse climate change during the People’s Climate March held in New York City on Sept. 21. The low rolling beat of drums echoed off buildings as the eager participants prepared to stride forward in a single mass of humanity.
With a flourish of brass and woodwinds, the People’s Climate March ceased to be stationary.
Brightly colored flags waved in the air as handmade signs were held above the heads of the endless stream of people marching in boisterous solidarity through Columbus Circle.
Some danced to the mini-marching band that accompanied the line through the streets, and others shouted slogans: “Hey hey, ho ho, climate change has got to go!”
The spirit of the crowd was all- encompassing amid the union of demonstrators.
Even my dog, Thor, sniffed the air in excitement and leapt up playfully.
“Climate justice, now!” someone shouted as we continued forward.
And then, suddenly, the march stopped. At 42nd Street, the procession halted See the video entirely, and a www.gmnews.com hush fell over the demonstrators that were the focus of the entire city.
Minutes passed while a forest of arms stretched into the air and then a barely audible alarm was sounded from the back of the march, followed by a roar from the crowd that rose to a thundering crescendo.
The march — one of thousands in more than 150 countries that day — was evidence of a growing movement among global citizens in the face of the threats presented by climate change.
“It brought everything down to the common denominator of survival,” said Cindy Zipf, executive director of Clean Ocean Action, who carried a banner calling for a halt to plans for a liquefied natural gas facility off the coast of Long Branch.
Janie Schildge, a member of the Red Bank United Methodist Church, noted the diversity of the crowd.
“All ages were there, and we met many families with tiny ones on backs or in strollers,” she said. “People get it that we need to take action.”
However, as encouraging as the support was for the People’s Climate March, solutions remain difficult, if not outright elusive.
According to Zipf, the U.S. is pursuing a policy of unprecedented expansion of natural gas, which is only furthering dependence on fossil fuels.
For her, success will be measured by the response of global leaders to demands that the well-being of Earth be a chief consideration when drafting policy.
“To be successful on our part, having marched, it has to be just the beginning,” Zipf said. “It has to move to the next level. We need to engage this incredible momentum and hold our leaders accountable.”