Record Climate Change March in New York City Monday

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The People’s Climate March was apparently a rousing success. Organizers say that more than 310,000 people attended the climate change rally in New York City on Monday, making it the largest climate-change related demonstration ever.

The demonstrators, who included homeowners flooded by Hurricane Sandy, NYC political leaders and indigenous people fighting oil company developments on their lands, chanted, sang and danced to draw attention to the growing threat of climate change.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon, former U.S. vice president Al Gore, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, and actors Mark Ruffalo and Leonardo DiCaprio were among the demonstrators at the climate change march.

Ban Ki Moon announced just last week that DiCaprio was officially named a U.N. Messenger of Peace for his lifetime commitment to important environmental causes.

Of note, over 1,100 environmentally-focused organizations endorsed and.or participated in the climate change march, including well-known groups such as 350.org, Avaaz, the Sierra Club, Climate Justice Alliance and the Service Employees International Union.

First of a series of events to highlight “Global Warming Week”

Today’s demonstration in the Big Apple is the first in a series of events held to be held across the globe this week to highlight the global warming issue ahead of the U.N. summit on the topic Tuesday. U.S. President Obama and other world leaders as well as well-known business magnates will be at the U.N. to present initiatives designed to reduce global warming.

Statements from climate change march participants

“I’m totally passionate about our planet and what’s happening with our life here,” said Heather Snow, 57, a massage therapist from Wilmington, N.C. who attended the climate change rally. “The whole Congress, everyone has gone insane, and it’s time to end the insanity. I don’t know how, I don’t know when, but it’s got to happen soon. We’re running out of time.”

Bill McKibben, the executive director of  350.org, commented: “we need to demonstrate there are an awful lot of people that care about climate change and demonstrate that this is a huge issue for all kinds of people. Since the fossil fuel companies have money, we have to have something on our side, and that’s people.”

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