9 Reasons To Be Part Of The Largest Climate March In History

by World Wildlife Fund's Keya Chatterjee

On September 21, as world leaders gather for the UN Climate Summit, tens of thousands of people will flood the streets of New York to demand immediate action on climate change.Don't be left out. Join the People's Climate March now and be part of a revolution.

1. I march for my son, who deserves to grow up in a world that protects its people and resources.

© Anton Vorauer / WWF-Canon

As a parent it is my job to protect my child, and that means protecting the Earth. If we have any hope of this planet continuing to provide for us, we must act now. By repowering our cities, companies and homes with affordable renewable energy, we will ensure the next generation has a clean, bright future.

2. I march for the wildlife and their habitats we’ve spent decades trying to protect.

© Steve Morello / WWF-US

The impacts of climate change, from more large wildfires to melting sea ice, threaten the species we are fighting to conserve. Unless we act now, decades of our work to protect species will be lost.

3. 3. I march for my friends in communities that are hit first and worst by extreme weather and fossil fuel pollution.

© Yoshi Shimizu / WWF-Canon

As pollution from dirty electricity continues warming our planet, dangerous weather events—from heat waves and large wildfires to heavy downpours—are becoming more frequent and severe. These extreme events are even more devastating in developing countries that lack the resources to recover, and in communities in our own country that are already suffering from environmental injustice.

4. I march to show the world that Americans demand stronger government action to curb climate change.

© Robert Van Waarden / WWF-Canon

To tackle the climate crisis, governments must advance policies that reduce carbon pollution, deploy renewable energy technologies and prepare for the effects of climate change.

5. I march for the mama puffins who struggle to find food for their fledglings because of changing ocean currents.

© Wild Wonders of Europe /Orsolya Haarberg / WWF

Rising ocean temperatures and shifting currents are impacting the survival of Atlantic Puffin populations. Warmer currents bring larger fish—fish that are too large for baby for baby puffins to ingest—causing many to die from starvation.

6. I march for my ancestral homeland in Bengal, where so many vulnerable families and species live.

© WWF-Canon / Simon Rawles

The communities of West Bengal and Bangladesh, like so many others in the developing world, did little to cause this problem, and yet suffer the most. They too have a right to access to clean energy sources, and resources to prepare them for climate impacts.

7. I march to be in community with tens of thousands of others who march for climate justice.

© WWF-Canon / Richard Stonehouse

No one is immune to the impacts of climate change, and everyone can benefit from the solutions. Together, we can create a world with cleaner air, stronger communities and more broadly shared economic prosperity.

8. I march to secure a safe future and an economy that works for people and the planet.

© Ian CR Martin / WWF-US

Tackling climate change is a huge opportunity to jumpstart our economy by investing in a clean-energy future. That means more, good jobs and stronger, healthier communities. The path forward requires urgent action and bold investment, starting today.

9. I march for justice. What will you march for?

Join WWF, along with celebrities, Senators and hundreds of thousands of others as we take a stand to change the course of history.

To sign up for the People’s Climate March, visit www.peoplesclimate.org.