March to End Fossil Fuels brings together thousands in NYC in demand to end fossil fuel consumption.
In early September, tens of thousands of people rallied together in New York City to demand President Biden divert the country away from fossil fuel use. The march was led by March to End Fossil Fuels, a broad-based collaboration among New York grassroots organizations, Black, People of Color, Indigenous, and frontline communities who are living next to oil and gas facilities and infrastructure.
It also includes youth, elders, workers, people of faith, and people of all backgrounds who are impacted by fossil fuels and climate disasters across the United States. Finally, the March to End Fossil Fuels includes national and international climate and justice advocacy, local and Indigenous organizations, and coalitions committed to helping phase out fossil fuels rapidly and fairly.
During the March to End Fossil Fuels, many famous people showed their support, including Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and actors Susan Sarandon, Ethan Hawke, Edward Norton, Kyra Sedgewick, and Kevin Bacon. This was the largest climate protest in the US since the beginning of the pandemic.
Some of what the March to End Fossil Fuels protesters in NYC were demanding from President Biden included:
- An end to federal approvals for new fossil fuel projects and to revoke permits for climate bombs like the willow project and the Mountain Valley Pipeline.
- Phasing out fossil fuel drilling on public lands and waters.
- Declaring a climate emergency to stop fossil fuel exports and investments abroad and turbo-charge the build-out of a more just, resilient distribution of sustainable energy.
- Providing a fair transition to a renewable energy future will help generate jobs and support workers, community rights, job security and employment equity.
Many people participating in the March to End Fossil Fuels protest felt let down by President Biden, who, although recently passing a historic $39 billion climate law, continues to allow drilling projects to take place and the expansion of gas facilities in the Gulf of Mexico.
New York City has been important for climate marches and environmental activism for many years. A few days before the March to End Fossil Fuel protest, student activists from New York University announced that the university would be divesting from fossil fuel companies. The university will avoid direct investments in any company whose primary business is the exploration or extraction of fossil fuels, including all forms of coal, oil, and natural gas.
The university also pledges not to renew or seek out any dedicated private funds whose primary aim is to invest in the exploration or extraction of fossil fuels. Other notable universities pledged to move away from fossil fuels over the past few years, and include Brown University, Columbia University, Yale University, and others.
More than 650 global climate actions took place in September in countries worldwide, with the overall message and goal to stop climate change and reduce global warming. Rallying together and uniting as one brings is how we will successfully fight against climate change.
It’s safe to say that everyone on this planet would like to live in a place with clear air and water and to minimize our impact as much as possible. Climate change impacts everyone, regardless of age, gender, or ethnicity, and it’s a problem we can all work together to solve. The March to End Fossil Fuels protest in New York City is too big to go unnoticed, and it probably won’t be the last protest to end fossil fuels that we will see.
President Biden seems committed to protecting the planet and minimizing the effects of climate change, even if he is doing some negative things. But once he sees how the people of the United States are uniting to protect the planet, he might begin to make significant changes and drastically move away from fossil fuels while he is in power.
