Students, faculty and staff gather to advocate for climate related issues at the Climate Rally on Sept. 25 at 2:30 p.m. Protesters expressed their concerns about the state of the planet by using signs and slogans to empower and inspire change (Emma Boskovski/News editor).
A sea of passionate students assembled outside of the Integrated Science Center in support of the campus Climate Rally on Wednesday Sept. 25 from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. This event is one of the thousands being held all over the world this week as a part of The Global Climate Strike, led by 16-year-old environmentalist Greta Thunberg.
Students who participated decorated the area outside the college green with colorful signs that had phrases such as, “if you aren’t outraged, you aren’t paying attention,” “there is no planet B” and “make earth green again.”
The Climate Rally was organized by psychology major senior Harper Coleman. Coleman stood in front of an array of four green lawn chairs, supporting black and white signs that read “there aren’t grey areas when it comes to survival.”
Coleman was first to speak to the rally crowd, but first, he played a song called “The 1975” by The 1975. The song featured a speech from Thunberg, the Swedish teenager who has been recognized for protesting the climate crisis outside of her country’s parliament instead of going to school.
“Two weeks ago, I started looking into [Greta’s] global climate strikes and I realized nothing was happening at Geneseo,” Coleman said in his address to the crowd. “That’s why I decided to try and put this thing together … and it has been pretty interesting. It has taken a lot of work but, look around … people are here.”
Coleman and those who worked with him in organizing the rally spread bright yellow flyers all over campus. The flyer mentions that the rally is being held to raise awareness for the following issues: climate change, the Green New Deal, respect for indigenous land and sovereignty, environmental justice protection, restoration of biodiversity and implementation of sustainable agriculture.
“I want to show the college that faculty, students and people in this town care about our planet and the environment,” Coleman said. “I also want to use this event to show that one person, no matter who they are, can demonstrate ways for change … I am not a member of an organization, I am just a guy on the swim team who really liked that [The 1975] song, who decided to stand up and do something. It took work, but I think it was worth it. People are here, people are showing they are here … and that is important.”
Coleman said that upon investigating climate rallies near campus during The Global Climate Strike, he was shocked that Geneseo didn’t have one organized already.
“We are a very liberal campus and a lot of people that I know support climate action,” Coleman said. “But nobody had taken any initiative to actually do anything. I emailed the Office of Sustainability and went down to speak with their director, Dan DeZarn. He basically told me that some people have expressed interest in starting a rally but that nobody has actually planned anything out.”
Coleman said that this is when he decided to act himself and start emailing people. He contacted sustainability and climate change oriented organizations on campus. He worked with the Geneseo Peace Action Coalition, who sponsored the rally, to schedule the event on campus
“What the United Nations categorizes as peace action and all of the issues surrounding that, are what we as an organization raise awareness for,” president of the Geneseo Peace Action Coalition, Clara Gallagher, said. “This year, The International Day of Peace was about climate action. We are trying to raise awareness that you can’t have international peace without fighting for climate change as well.”
According to the United Nations, The International Day of Peace or “Peace Day” is celebrated each year on Sept. 21, this past Saturday. Each year, the UN works to recognize the efforts of those who have worked to cease conflict and promote peace.
“We have seen students show up in surprising numbers before,” Gallagher said. “I am not sure what to expect but I hope that students show up and recognize the efforts being made on campus to promote peace. I am glad the UN chose to recognize climate change efforts.”
The 2019 theme for Peace Day is “climate action for peace,” and this theme recognizes the importance of combatting climate change as an avenue to promote peace, according to the UN.
“I hope to accomplish a couple things with this rally,” Coleman said. “I want to raise awareness for climate change and climate action, of course. I also want to demonstrate to Geneseo, as a college and a town, that these issues are actual issues that require serious attention.”
According to The Global Climate Strike, “this week will be historic.” Rallies have been held in more than 150 countries over the past week as people are “stepping up to support young climate strikers and demand an end of the age of fossil fuels.”
“I’ve thought a lot [about] if I am going to bring kids into this world,” political science and communication double major sophomore Kelsey Dux said as she addressed the rally. “I know that this can’t even be a thought that I have. Why would I do that? Why would I bring somebody into this world when we are throwing it to trash? I am very disappointed that the United States is not leading in climate change initiatives.”
The United States has been ranked 15th, remaining stagnant for the fourth year in a row, in the University of Notre Dame’s global adaptational initiate index. The annual index ranks 181 countries on “vulnerability to extreme climate events such as droughts, superstorms and other natural disasters as well as readiness to successfully implement adaptive solutions,” according to The University of Notre Dame.
“I am often disappointed that our country falls short in environmental initiatives,” sociology major junior Catherine Gluchowski said. “I am glad that students here at Geneseo share in that disappointment and are trying to take initiatives to combat climate change.”
According to the 2019 national climate assessment conducted by the U.S. Global Change Research Program, the U.S. has not expanded mitigation and adaptation efforts in recent years that match the magnitude of climate change’s effects on the economy, environment and human health.
“I hope that more and more students recognize the efforts that can be made here on campus to counteract climate change,” Gluchowski said. “It is reassuring to know that youth such as Greta are contributing to passionate efforts as well … and those who are older and doing nothing should feel incredibly ignorant … I guess ignorance is bliss.”