A group of protestors hit midtown on Saturday to advocate for the increased use of clean energy.
Over 1,000 attendees gathered at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza on 47th Street for 350.org's Moving Planet event, a movement that took place in over 175 countries to influence the United Nations talks about Climate Change. 350.org is a grassroots environmental organization that advocates for lowering the environmental carbon level to below 350 parts per million and decreasing the world's dependence on fossil fuels.
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A group of NYU students met in Bobst Library on Saturday afternoon before traveling to the rally together.
"It was great to be a part of the international movement that 350.org has been organizing," Gallatin senior and Earth Matters president Dave Seaward said. "We wanted NYU to be a part of the international movement."
The event featured key members of the environmental advocacy community, including NASA climate scientist Dr. James Hansen, GRITtv founder Laura Flanders and Mohammed Waheed Hassan, vice president of the Maldives.
Hansen, 70, who in 1988 was the first person to testify before Congress about global warming, warned the crowd of the dangers of inaction.
"Climate change — human-made global warming — is happening," he said. "It is already having noticeable impacts. ... If we stay on with business as usual, the southern U.S. will become almost uninhabitable."
Khushali Upadhyay, a Stern freshman who has had previous experience with environmental advocacy, said the event was an important step for the future.
"I knew I wanted to be involved because it is extremely important to come together as one group and show the world that there are people who care about climate change," Upadhyay said. "International movement is key because climate change is an international problem. Everyone is affected by it."
The rally was an effort to demonstrate and inspire worldwide leaders to work towards a future where the world is less dependent on fossil fuels.
"This is an international issue," CAS junior and active Earth Matters member Lauren Singer said. "Our energy crisis isn't just centered in New York City. Our energy sources are an international problem and [one] that affects everyone."
In a previous version of this article, WSN incorrectly stated that Dr. James Hansen in 1998 was the first person to testify before Congress about global warming. In fact, he testified in 1988. WSN regrets the error.
