Students report on Climate March

With the help of PPro and others, 55 Princeton students attended the People’s Climate March in DC on 29 April. Read their report below:

Princeton Undergraduates Attend People’s Climate March in Washington D.C.

On April 29th, 2017, 55 Princeton students attended the People’s Climate March in Washington D.C. This March was organized as a resistance to the rollbacks of efforts to combat climate change proposed by the Trump Administration, fittingly taking place on the 100th day of Trump’s presidency. Beyond focusing on the effects of climate change on the Earth’s ecosystems, the March’s main goals were to promote sustainability through supporting an economy and job market less dependent on fossil fuels as a source of energy, and to demand investment in new jobs connected to the field of renewable energy. The March also addressed the ongoing inequalities associated with climate change, such as the proximity of coal plants to impoverished neighborhoods.

Thanks to the funding provided by Princeton Progressives and the Princeton Environmental Institute, the Princeton undergraduates were able to attend the March free of cost, taking a charter bus to the event. The event was organized by members of the undergraduate student groups Green Princeton and the Princeton Conservation Society; many student attendees were independent of the groups, however, and spots on the bus were offered to any students who were interested.

Many students gathered together beforehand to make posters for the event; some of their work is shown in the photos below. There were around 200,000 attendees at the March in D.C., and there were over 375 sister marches spread throughout the U.S. and the rest of the world. One of the March’s main symbols was a daisy flower, which was symbolic for peace between humans and the environment. Chants such as “The oceans are rising, and so are we” and “Hey, ho, Scott Pruitt has got to go” could be heard throughout the streets of D.C. The March passed by the White House and the U.S. Capitol Building, and ended by the Washington Monument, where there were several speakers and an uplifting atmosphere with music to end the day on a positive note.

Attending the event was a culmination of the endeavors put forth by students to improve the sustainability of various aspects of Princeton student life and raise awareness about the value of and threats facing the environment. As the school year comes to an end, we are grateful that Green Princeton and the Princeton Conservation Society were able to offer students the opportunity to attend the March because of the generous support from their sponsors the Princeton Progressives and the Princeton Environmental Institute. We hope that attending the March serves as a new source of inspiration for students so that we may return to campus next year and continue our efforts toward ensuring a more sustainable future, both on and off campus, with renewed vigor and an optimistic mindset. We will certainly always remember the wonderful opportunity we were given to attend the People’s Climate March during this crucial time in which the youth of our country must decide how to respond and fight for a better future for our planet and society.