Over four hundred thousand people from around the country, young and old, took action yesterday to make a statement about climate change. This event was one of many taking place around the world (http://peoplesclimate.org/), and drew national news attention.
My stepfather Trip Barnett attended the march, and he told me that it was a life changing experience for him. He said that it reminded him of the energy and the fight for change that he experienced during the 1960s. It made me so proud to see the picture of him there, making a statement about what he believes is a worldwide crisis. It is easy for me to justify not attending yesterday by claiming that I work on issues related to climate change for my job, and that I make a difference in some way. Fortunately, there are people like Trip who are willing to make the personal effort needed to bring this issue into the national spotlight.
He is unlikely to see the worst effects of climate change in his lifetime, but he is concerned for the future of his children and grandchildren. It is people like him to whom we owe a great debt of gratitude for bringing about the environmental and social change in this country that we sometimes take for granted. He along with hundreds of thousands of others made a powerful statement yesterday, and hopefully policy makers and others will start to listen.