Ship of Fools: People's Climate March

Thread: People's Climate March Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.

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Posted by Squirrel (# 3040) on :

Did any other shipmates participate in the marches this weekend?

My wife and I were at the one in New York City. It got so big that the organizers texted us to please leave the march early. I've never seen such a large demonstration in my life. And since NYC is a town with about a million unemployed or under-employed performers, it was also quite a show.

Posted by comet (# 10353) on :

I'm jealous!

Posted by Tukai (# 12960) on :

It pulled about 1000, including me, on a glorious spring morning in Canberra. There was no march as such, more of a teach-in. After some speeches etc broke into 4 hour-long workshop on particular activist projects; I went to the one on "Save the Great Barrier Reef" organised by a well-briefed and well-organised youth group.

Posted by Squirrel (# 3040) on :

I grew up in one of New York's few really reactionary areas, and have many Facebook friends from my school days there.

On Monday and Tuesday there were tons of posts from climate change deniers. One guy got really nasty towards me for participating. And another, who had a rep for being the school bully in 6th grade, posted "Rush rocks!!," in reference to Rush Limbaugh, the king of far-right talk radio.

Posted by no prophet (# 15560) on :

About 450. Escorted by police on bicycles. I really envied their bicycles.

Posted by Zappa (# 8433) on :

My little town? Nah. There in spirit, though, I was (not that I knew it was happening anywhere, and it didn't here).

Reminds me of the peace marches not of the 1960s but of the 1980s, when in Melbourne around 110,00 marched for ... for what?

But here I think the marches do give some small sliver of hope that people power might at least shame, if not challenge, corporate greed and Murdoch hubris.

Posted by Jemima the 9th (# 15106) on :

Me! I took the kids to the London march. I've heard estimates of between 27,000 and 40,000 people there. I really enjoyed it. We stuck with the kids n families section at the back, so it was easier for the kids (not that there was any trouble anyway) but did mean they got very bored indeed waiting to move off.

Posted by Squirrel (# 3040) on :

I'm really glad that there were marches all over the globe.

A question for non-USA Shipmates:
Is climate change denial rampant in your country as well as mine?

Posted by Doublethink (# 1984) on :

I am in the UK. I don't think I've met someone in real life who doesn't believe the climate is changing - or rather, if I have, they haven't said. Tis rather on a par with denying cigarettes cause cancer.

[ 25. September 2014, 18:38: Message edited by: Doublethink ]

Posted by Horseman Bree (# 5290) on :

The only serious Climate Change Deniers in Canada seem to occupy the offices of the Prime Minister. Just about everyone else, including many of the "base" Conservative voters, will say that the climate is changing and then argue about how to deal with that, in the hope that they, personally, won't have to do much.

The generalised destruction of manufacturing in Canada has been encouraged by Harper in the hope that everyone will become mining peasants in the Tar Sands of Alberta.

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :

It seems to me that what people are denying isn't so much the fact of climate change (it's hard to ignore the fact that a high temperature that would have made news 20 years ago now lasts for most of July), but the cause - they don't want to admit that increases in global temperature might at least in part be attributable to the activities of humans.

I suppose it must be hard for Mr. Harper and his colleagues to resist the temptation to exploit the apparently abundant reserves under their feet.

Posted by Horseman Bree (# 5290) on :

Almost every country with oil reserves has been spoiled by the desperate need to exploit that resource NOW, not tomorrow, now. In the process the country loses industry, becomes addicted to easy money and then collapses when the resource runs out. Sort of similar to the Spanish and easy gold.

Norway seems to be the only country with enough sense to save for the inevitable end of oil.

Posted by Zappa (# 8433) on :

Canada's Harper and Australia's Abbott really deserve a love-child. Spawn of Satan. New Zealand's Key would I suspect be a denier but even the Right in NZ are pretty Left on climate issues - our tiny and insignificant nation is rather vulnerable to climatic shift.

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :

My 'sister' [thankfully in this case no relation] is a flat earther on this score - terrifying!

Posted by no prophet (# 15560) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Horseman Bree:
Almost every country with oil reserves has been spoiled by the desperate need to exploit that resource NOW, not tomorrow, now. In the process the country loses industry, becomes addicted to easy money and then collapses when the resource runs out. Sort of similar to the Spanish and easy gold.

Norway seems to be the only country with enough sense to save for the inevitable end of oil.

They are invested in the Alberta tar sands. Alberta is reported recently to be deforesting faster than any other place on earth. Norway is doing well economically, environment not as good.

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