Thousands march for Cool Planet
Sunday, October 25, 2009
The Province
Event draws attention to the upcoming UN climate-change talks
Photograph by: Jon Murray -- the Province
Seana Buchanan knew exactly why she joined with thousands of others yesterday in a march across Vancouver's Cambie Bridge to demand action on climate change.
With two-and-a-half -year-old son Christoph by her side, Buchanan, 33, said she showed up for the "Bridge to a Cool Planet" rally because she wants him growing up in a world that respects the environment.
"I care about his future," she said. "He's having a good time here while everyone talks about changes that need to happen."
As the sun popped through the clouds, a crowd of more than 5,000 people marched off the Cambie Bridge along Pacific Boulevard to Science World for an afternoon of music and festivities aimed at spotlighting global warming.
Many carried signs demanding action on damage being done to the environment around the world.
A giant 100-metre-wide banner made by school students from around the Lower Mainland was hung off the side of the bridge. It read: "Canadians Care Cut Emissions Now."
Windermere Secondary School student Brandon Leo, 13, said young people want to live in a healthy world and they want action to end the destruction of the ozone.
"We have to change our habits," he said of the greenhouse-gas problems stemming from dependence on fossil fuels.
Some at the rally said the afternoon was a throwback to the peace marches of 30 years ago, when streets shut down as protesters converged.
Jody Aliesan, 66, was carrying a Greenpeace flag she waved at demonstrations 40 years ago. She said politicians need to take heed of the abundance of data showing there's little time to waste in stopping global warming.
Similar rallies were held around the world yesterday to highlight the international crisis.
"We are trying to send a message to our governments all over the world," said Aliesan. "We want them to stand up to big energy and make the changes to avoid a catastrophe."
She said it was impressive to see so many youthful faces.
"I'm really happy to see so many young people," she said. "This cause belongs to everybody on earth, but young children and their children will suffer the most if we don't make changes."
Of the afternoon's fun-filled events, the most unique was a large salsa dance performed in the shape of the number 350 -- the number calculated as the maximum number of carbon parts per million in an atmosphere for a safe planet.
According to Erica Stahl, Hot Salsa, Cool Planet was to connect salsa dancers with the climate-change movement in a celebratory way.
She said having hundreds of dancers was symbolic of the fight to save the planet.
"We have quite a large salsa community and we wanted to emphasize the gravity of the issue we face in confronting climate change," she said.
"We want to send a powerful message to Ottawa. We need fast and deep reductions in the emissions that cause global warming, and we support strong action at the UN Climate Negotiations in Copenhagen in December."
Bridge to a Cool Planet organizer Kevin Washbrook said the City of Vancouver was very helpful in allowing the Cambie Bridge northbound to be shut down.
He said they are hoping for a similar event next year.
Voters Taking Action on Climate Change, the Western Wilderness Committee and Oxfam all were involved in the afternoon.
"We're hoping for an annual event to keep the momentum and show the government this issue is important right now," he said.
jcolebourn@theprovince.com
© Copyright (c) The Province
http://www.theprovince.com/technology/Thousands+march+Cool+Planet/21430…
Photograph by: Jon Murray -- the Province
Seana Buchanan knew exactly why she joined with thousands of others yesterday in a march across Vancouver's Cambie Bridge to demand action on climate change.
With two-and-a-half -year-old son Christoph by her side, Buchanan, 33, said she showed up for the "Bridge to a Cool Planet" rally because she wants him growing up in a world that respects the environment.
"I care about his future," she said. "He's having a good time here while everyone talks about changes that need to happen."
As the sun popped through the clouds, a crowd of more than 5,000 people marched off the Cambie Bridge along Pacific Boulevard to Science World for an afternoon of music and festivities aimed at spotlighting global warming.
Many carried signs demanding action on damage being done to the environment around the world.
A giant 100-metre-wide banner made by school students from around the Lower Mainland was hung off the side of the bridge. It read: "Canadians Care Cut Emissions Now."
Windermere Secondary School student Brandon Leo, 13, said young people want to live in a healthy world and they want action to end the destruction of the ozone.
"We have to change our habits," he said of the greenhouse-gas problems stemming from dependence on fossil fuels.
Some at the rally said the afternoon was a throwback to the peace marches of 30 years ago, when streets shut down as protesters converged.
Jody Aliesan, 66, was carrying a Greenpeace flag she waved at demonstrations 40 years ago. She said politicians need to take heed of the abundance of data showing there's little time to waste in stopping global warming.
Similar rallies were held around the world yesterday to highlight the international crisis.
"We are trying to send a message to our governments all over the world," said Aliesan. "We want them to stand up to big energy and make the changes to avoid a catastrophe."
She said it was impressive to see so many youthful faces.
"I'm really happy to see so many young people," she said. "This cause belongs to everybody on earth, but young children and their children will suffer the most if we don't make changes."
Of the afternoon's fun-filled events, the most unique was a large salsa dance performed in the shape of the number 350 -- the number calculated as the maximum number of carbon parts per million in an atmosphere for a safe planet.
According to Erica Stahl, Hot Salsa, Cool Planet was to connect salsa dancers with the climate-change movement in a celebratory way.
She said having hundreds of dancers was symbolic of the fight to save the planet.
"We have quite a large salsa community and we wanted to emphasize the gravity of the issue we face in confronting climate change," she said.
"We want to send a powerful message to Ottawa. We need fast and deep reductions in the emissions that cause global warming, and we support strong action at the UN Climate Negotiations in Copenhagen in December."
Bridge to a Cool Planet organizer Kevin Washbrook said the City of Vancouver was very helpful in allowing the Cambie Bridge northbound to be shut down.
He said they are hoping for a similar event next year.
Voters Taking Action on Climate Change, the Western Wilderness Committee and Oxfam all were involved in the afternoon.
"We're hoping for an annual event to keep the momentum and show the government this issue is important right now," he said.
jcolebourn@theprovince.com
© Copyright (c) The Province
http://www.theprovince.com/technology/Thousands+march+Cool+Planet/21430…