Why March?

September 20-21 is not exactly a good time for me to be out of town, but I am nevertheless making plans to join the People's Climate March in New York City that weekend. Why am I considering this action?

Is global cooperation to curb greenhouse gas emissions important?

In a word, yes, extremely so. This is not the place to explain in detail why this issue tops my list of many crucial issues facing our planet and civilization, but briefly:

1. The solid consensus among climate scientists agree that human activity is causing global warming.
2. Every national or international scientific society has endorsed the position that climate change is caused by human action.
3. Recent publications (IPCC 5th Assessment Report and NOAA Global Analysis June 2014, for example) indicate that the climate change situation is even more dire than previous predictions.
4. The destructive effects of climate change disproportionately affect the most vulnerable and disadvantaged. Climate change is a moral issue.
5. Carbon pollution is regularly linked to other forms of pollution, exploitation, and oppression world-wide. Climate change is a moral issue.

Can the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) make a difference?

There is reason for skepticism, but despite disappointments this body has produced some significant milestones. It represents the best forum for global cooperation in tackling climate change. Many leaders also acknowledge the need for unilateral steps by individual nations outside of agreements reached together.

1. The UNFCCC was adopted in 1992 and later ratified by 195 Parties.
2. The Kyoto Protocol was adopted in 1997 to implement the UNFCCC and entered into force in 2005.
3. The Copenhagen Accord of 2009 essentially collapsed by all accounts, but it did set some critical guidelines.
4. In 2011, the Parties affirmed their will to conclude a new climate agreement in 2015, with entry into force planned for 2020.
5. World-wide there is now a greater sense of commitment and urgency than ever before.

Will the UN Climate Summit 2014 on September 23 make a difference?

1. The Climate Summit immediately precedes the October 2014 negotiating session in Bonn, Germany.
2. Both of which precede the December 2014 Climate Change Conference in Lima, Peru.
3. All of these conferences are in preparation for the December 2015 COP 21 in Paris, France.
4. Leaders from around the world will be present in September, including U.S. President Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
5. There is a sense that change is in the air. "UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has invited world leaders, from government, finance, business, and civil society to Climate Summit 2014 this 23 September to galvanize and catalyze climate action."

Will the People's Climate March on September 21 make a difference?

There is no way to know for sure ahead of time, and we may never know the full impact. The outcome depends on so many intangibles and factors beyond our control. But still:

1. Mass mobilization is one of the best ways known to shock the entire system into action.
2. Mass marches don't always work, but they sometimes succeed in historic ways. The People's Climate March is an invitation to change everything.
3. As of July 20, there are over 550 local, national, and international organizations participating in the event.
4. Many of the participating organizations have long histories of successful marches and non-violent actions.
5. The influence of the march may extend well beyond the UN Climate Summit.

Will my presence (or absence) in the Climate March make any difference?

Interesting question. If a thousand people come, my additional presence won't make the crowd appear any more meaningful. If ten thousand, a hundred thousand, or half a million show up, one more person or one less won't be noticed anyway. So why should I bother?

1. I have done a lot of talking (and writing) about climate change. It's time for my feet (and the rest of my body) to get involved.
2. My preparation and commitment to participate may encourage others to march as well. Every individual counts.
3. This is about more than just the Climate Summit. It is about "people who are standing up in our communities, to organize, to build power, and to shift power to a just, safe, peaceful world."
4. What a great way to meet others who share my concern for the Earth and its inhabitants, all of them.
5. There will be so much I can report back to my community if I join the march.
6. (And in a few years I want to be able to tell my grandson, "I was there".)

Please join the conversation at Face to Face on Climate.