A recent report from the United Nations (UN) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has placed a call for action due to the increased severity of climate change. If no change is made now, it will soon be too late to undo what has been done.
In response, a rally titled “Climate Can’t Wait – Better Together” took place at Hasbrouck Park on Wednesday, April 20. The rally was held in anticipation of meeting bikers who are on route to Albany to speak about the climate crisis in New York State.
The rally featured bikers speaking along with Mayor Tim Rogers. This event is very special for our community, as everyone comes together to fight a common issue.
“Climate change is the result of more than a century of unsustainable energy and land use, lifestyles and patterns of consumption and production,” said IPCC Working Group III Co-Chair Jim Skea.“This report shows how taking action now can move us towards a fairer, more sustainable world.”
“The evidence is clear, and the time for action is now. We can halve emissions by 2030,” the press release stated in bold at the top.
“In the scenarios we assessed, limiting warming to around 1.5°C (2.7°F) requires global greenhouse gas emissions to peak before 2025 at the latest, and be reduced by 43% by 2030,” the press release said. “At the same time, methane would also need to be reduced by about a third. Even if we do this, it is almost inevitable that we will temporarily exceed this temperature threshold but could return to below it by the end of the century.”
The rally had a relatively intimate turnout of close to 100 people. Third-year digital media management major Kenny Nohavicka attended the rally.
“It was really nice because it was a really beautiful day out,” Nohavicka stated. “In the first hour there were clubs and organizations spreading information about Earth Day.”
Hudson Valley Regional Coordinator of NYPIRG, Eric Woods was involved with the rally and is very passionate about making a change.
“The main goal of the Climate Can’t Wait – Better Together rally is to bring people together to call on the New York State legislature and the Governor’s office to swiftly pass bold climate legislation before the end of the legislative session in June,” Woods remarked. “We will be welcoming and serving as a stop for some of our coalition partners, a group of young climate justice activists cycling from NYC to Albany to build momentum for climate action in Albany on April 22nd!.”
“I think the fact that the mayor was there to speak was really cool and interesting,” Nohavicka remarked. “Being there and seeing a town official speak to us was really empowering.”
Many people had a wonderful time, sharing ideas and making connections with each other with a shared interest in saving the planet.
This rally is just one of many that will be held in the near future, and the efforts made by these individuals is admirable with the state of crisis called by the UN and IPCC.
“The cyclists have held rallies everyday this week starting in battery park and riding up the hudson with stops in Yonkers, Beacon, Newburgh and more,” Woods remarked. “New York passed some of the boldest climate legislation in the nation in 2019, the Climate Leadership & Community Protection Act. Unfortunately our lawmakers have done very little to see it through in the past three years. Policy holders and decision makers have the tools they need to act now, it’s just a matter of whether they want to cater to public health or corporate greed.”
