People's Climate March 2014 and UN Climate Change Summit

On People's Climate March

Two days before the United Nations Climate Summit, thousands of people marched through the streets of New York City carrying an array of different signs. Mayor Bill de Blasio, Al Gore, Leonardo DiCaprio, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and Sting were among those in attendance at the People's Climate Summit.

This ground breaking march took place on September 21, 2014 as a coalition effort to raise awareness about climate change and to urge government officials and lawmakers to take action on this global issue.

Politicians have been warned repeatedly about the problems surrounding climate change.

At the march, protesters spoke about the need for industrial nations to make the switch over to renewable energy.

The seven hour march proved to be a unified and effective effort whose sole purpose was to awaken change within the country. People want action. The world is taking notice.

Future demonstrations such as the People's Climate March will need to take place if the goal is to awaken the minds of politicians and lawmakers to the detrimental effects of carbon emissions,

Demonstrators and protesters at the People's Climate Summit in New York City made the point that something must be done. Any actions that are taken to combat climate change must be done very soon. On Sunday, Mayor Bill de Blasio launched a plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the city by the year 2050.

UN Climate Summit

The President of the United States and other world leaders convened for a meeting at the United Nations Climate Summit on September 23, 2014. The purpose of this summit, as expressed by General Ban Ki Moon, was to generate action for a climate change treaty that will go into effect by the end of 2015.

President Barack Obama delivered a keynote speech to address the United States' stance on climate change. He spoke about the responsibility of both China and the United States in reducing carbon emissions.

"As the two largest economies and emitters in the world, we have a special responsibility to lead. That's what big nations have to do," President Obama said.

The global threat that is facing the world is an important issue that needs to be addressed by lawmakers and policy officials. Turning a blind eye to the public, especially, the marchers who gathered at the People's Climate Summit on Sunday, is not a good idea. President Barack Obama acknowledged our changing climate.

"Worldwide, this summer was the hottest ever recorded with global carbon emissions still on the rise. So, the climate is changing faster than our efforts to address it," the President expressed to the 120 world leaders gathered at the UN Climate Summit.

The President also delved further into actions that the United States will be taking to combat climate change on a global level.

"We're partnering with African entrepreneurs to launch clean energy projects. We're helping farmers practice climate-smart agriculture and plant more durable crops. We're building international coalitions to drive action from reducing methane emissions from pipelines to launching a free trade agreement for environmental goods," the President remarked.

At the close of the UN Climate Summit, environmentalists and concerned members of the public can only hope that a deal was reached amongst UN committee members and world leaders.

Photo used courtesy of Golf33 and South Bend Voice via CC commercial agreement.