Global Climate Activists Hone Their Advocacy and Rally to New York

Thousands of individuals, including students, retirees, scientists, politicians, and celebrities, flooded the streets of Midtown Manhattan on Sunday to urgently demand a shift away from fossil fuels, which pose a grave threat to the planet’s rising temperatures.

These demonstrations, which took place in Germany, England, Senegal, South Korea, India, and elsewhere, were primarily led by young people and were part of a larger weekend of peaceful protests.

One of the event organizers in Samcheok, South Korea, Borim Kim, stated, “Instead of taking meaningful climate action, the government is prioritizing the interests of the fossil fuel industry and powerful groups.”

According to Ms. Kim, the protesters chanted “Let’s end fossil fuels!” in Korean and affirmed their belief in the possibility of achieving this goal.

These climate protests, the largest since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, come after an exceptionally hot summer, exacerbated by global warming, and amid record profits for oil and gas companies.

These protests serve as a warning for the upcoming United Nations’ meetings in New York and the climate talks scheduled for November in the United Arab Emirates. Activists are demanding that no new coal, oil, or gas projects be undertaken, while industry leaders argue that they can continue drilling while implementing measures to reduce the pollution caused by fossil fuels.

Emma Buretta, a 17-year-old student and organizer with the Fridays for Future movement, emphasized the need to move away from fossil fuels, stating, “Previous climate marches have not sufficiently focused on this issue.”

These protests represent a change in messaging and tone from climate advocates, who have grown increasingly frustrated with the expansion of fossil fuel projects. Oil and gas companies have made promises to use emerging technologies to capture and store carbon dioxide, but activists believe this is not enough.

According to scientific models and the International Energy Agency, nations must cease new oil, gas, and coal projects to maintain safe levels of atmospheric warming. Lauren MacDonald, a British activist, stressed the importance of preventing the approval of a new oil and gas field called Rosebank.

Activists are particularly frustrated that the U.N. climate negotiations will be held in the United Arab Emirates, a major oil-producing state, and will be overseen by Sultan al-Jaber, the head of the Emirati state-owned oil giant, ADNOC.

However, their grievances extend beyond the UAE. They also want to send a clear message to President Biden as he embarks on his re-election campaign: take stronger action if you want our support.

While the Biden administration has introduced ambitious climate legislation and is promoting the transition to renewable energy sources, they have also continued to approve permits for new oil and gas drilling. This has angered many of President Biden’s supporters and left-wing politicians who are urging him to declare a climate emergency and halt all new fossil fuel production. Several lawmakers from the progressive wing of the Democratic Party are scheduled to speak at a rally following the march.

Jean Su from the Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental group, voiced their concerns, saying, “President Biden has already approved major projects like the Mountain Valley Pipeline and the Willow project this year alone. Scientists have stated that we can only prevent further disasters by halting expansion and phasing out fossil fuels. Today, we are here to deliver a loud and clear message to our leaders that we need to phase out fossil fuels.”

Simultaneously, climate protests are becoming more confrontational, with civil disobedience actions that may lead to arrests. Activists have thrown pies at glass-covered paintings, disrupted a U.S. Open tennis match, and affixed themselves to oil company buildings.

Civil disobedience actions are planned for Monday in Lower Manhattan.