Climate change action urged in Bend, worldwide
Dozens of protesters staged a climate change march through Bend on Sunday, joining thousands of others around the world demanding action to reduce carbon emissions and head off what they believe will be environmental calamity..
Diane Hodiak helped bring the march to Bend, and asks local council members to create policies that would reduce carbon into the atmosphere.
“We have to start somewhere with reducing our carbon immissions and particularly in Oregon we have beautiful forests, we have a salmon industry we have beautiful water way that we want to protect.
People of all ages participated in the protest Sunday, motivated to make a difference.
Vicotira Leistman hopes the future environment will be safe and habitable for the next generations. Participating in an event through a small town is just one step forward. “The bottom-up approach is the most effective thing we can do, and building the people power is so important in implementing strong change, in our country and all across the world.”
More than 100 people took part in Sunday’s Bend march and rally, one of a reported 2,500 marches planned in 160 countries around the globe.
In Berlin, 10,000 people joined the event, in London, around 40,000.
Oscar winner Emma Thompson was among celebrities urging people to take their commitment to the issue beyond a march. “So what I will be suggesting is that everybody tries to switch their energy providers to renewables.”
As an environmental activist and the newly appointed U.N. Messenger of Peace actor Leonardo Dicaprio will address the summit. “We are at a pivotal turning point. We are seeing the effects of rapid climate change happening every wee k in the news”
President Obama also expects to attend and speak at the Climate Change Summit.
Supporters say a carbon treaty is necessary to prevent rising sea levels that could create a global disaster. Critics counter that global temperatures have dropped every year since 1999, and Antarctic ice is at a record high level.
