This past Sunday, Binghamton University student groups and Binghamton residents helped constitute the over 311,000 participants walking in the People’s Climate March.
The rally took place in New York City two days before the United Nations Climate Summit. The event began at 11:30 a.m. in midtown Manhattan and lasted over four hours.
BU students walked with the “We Have Solutions” branch of the march, which advocated that people could make a difference if political leadership agrees to address climate change.
Grace Clark, a freshman majoring in philosophy and a member of Intellectual Decisions on Environmental Awareness Solutions (I.D.E.A.S.), said that the protest was successful with an impressive turnout.
“I had never seen such a large, diverse group come together for a common cause,” Clark said. “There were anarchists and socialists marching right next to each other — two opposite ends on the political spectrum united in an effort to change the way we treat our planet.”
According to Eleazer Weissman, a junior majoring in philosophy, politics and law and the president of New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG), the students wanted to show solidarity with the movement to increase awareness for future elections.
“We are really making it known to those who make the laws, so they can finally make a change,” Weissman said.
Jon Mermelstein, a junior majoring in history and a member of Binghamton College Democrats, stated that the event had a diverse turnout, with faith groups ranging from Hillel to the Presbyterian Church. According to the New York Times, the march featured everything from scientific advocacy groups to Franciscan monks.
Harris Weiss, a junior majoring in political science and president of Binghamton College Democrats, said he believed that the march would bring results.
“Whether they listen to us is one thing, but they will definitely hear it and they will be held accountable if they don’t do anything, ” Weiss said.
Weissman said he believed that BU is taking steps to improve its environmental outlook. He cited signs of progress as buildings with platinum environmental ratings and the BU Acres program, which grows organic food that is used in the College-in-the-Woods dining hall.
“I really like how there is a series of small things,” Weissman said. “In Dickinson, they have a system where the lights turn off if nobody is around, adjusting water pressure, just things like that which build up to improve our outlook.”
The student groups worked together to advertise the event across the University and on social media. They organized transportation so that they could travel as a unified group.
“We coordinated well with other organizations like I.D.E.A.S., NYPIRG and Hillel,” Mermelstein said. “And working with them was great.”