Hundreds participated in the People\u2019s Climate March at Serra Sculpture Park in downtown St. Louis on Saturday to voice opposition to the Trump Administration\u2019s policies on global warming.<\/p>\n
Satellite marches took place in several cities while the main march took place in Washington D.C. More than 100,000 people showed up at the Washington D.C. march, according to reports. The marches were hosted by .350.org, an international environmental organization.<\/p>\n
Cheryl Kemner, a sister of the Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, stood in Serra Sculpture Park with a sign that said \u201ccaring for our common home.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe try to educate and collaborate with other groups,\u201d said Kemner. \u201cWe try to care for the earth.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kemer said there was a connection between climate change and peace.<\/p>\n
\u201cClimate change affects the poor,\u201d she said. \u201cWho else would need more help? We want peace in everybody\u2019s lives. If the poor have to scramble harder, if they don\u2019t get their fair share of the common good, then we\u2019re affecting their peace.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark Peters, a clinical dietitian, said he demonstrated out of concern.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve studied nature all of my life, for 55 years,\u201d Peters said. \u201cI started bird watching when I was five. I\u2019ve seen the changes over time with non-native invasive plants and their influence on the environment. So, that\u2019s what sparked it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Peters also said the cause of climate change and peace are connected.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith food insecurity in the third word, as the climate changes, it will impact their issues,\u201d he said. \u201cIt will make things worse with climate change.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kent Krimmel attended with a group of people from the Ethical Society in Clayton. Like others, he said he attended out of concern.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that climate change is real and that it\u2019s going to be harmful to humanity if we continue with the path that it\u2019s currently on,\u201d Krimmel said. \u201cA more volatile climate will make for a more volatile situation between nations if this continues.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kathleen Henry stood in the park with a sign that said \u201cgroper in chief, climate change is real.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe planet is quickly become uninhabitable,\u201d Henry said. \u201cWe need to be worried; we need to take action.\u201d<\/p>\n
Henry said climate change induced migrations are already underway and that those migrations could negatively impact security and peace. Sierra Club member Tom Ball carried a Sierra Club sign at the demonstration.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe signals of climate change are so strong that they cause wars,\u201d Ball said. \u201cAnd you can look to the Middle East for a lot of this.\u201d<\/p>\n
A number of speakers addressed the crowd in Serra Sculpture Park. City of St. Louis Treasurer Tishaura Jones spoke. In her recent campaign for mayor, Jones spoke of the goal on transitioning the city to 100 percent renewable energy by 2040.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you want to change the game and redefine St. Louis,\u201d she said. \u201cKeep people at the front and center of your agenda. You know what you are representing at the climate march, keep people at the front because it saves people\u2019s lives \u2013 a healthy climate saves people\u2019s lives.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jean Ponzi, host of the radio show Earthworms, talked about the investment in green technology by local businesses.<\/p>\n
\u201cBusinesses today are investing in sustainability because young customers expect it and talent expects it,\u201d Ponzi said.\u00a0 \u201cSo, the millennial generation is driving sustainability into the mainstream. We need to work with businesses in our community to work for these goals.\u201d<\/p>\n
The demonstrators, carrying signs that said \u201clove trumps hate,\u201d \u201csave our earth,\u201d \u201cclimate change is real\u201d and \u201calternative energy, not alternative facts,\u201d walked from the park on Chestnut Street and onto Third Street and then returned to the park via Market Street. Many chanted things like \u201cclean energy now,\u201d \u201cfight climate change\u201d and \u201cthe earth is dying.\u201d Anne Bartonveenkart, a volunteer for .350.org, called the demonstration a success.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe wanted to bring many people in the St. Louis region together to keep carbon in the ground,\u201d Bartonveenkart said. \u201cTo pressure our local governments, and the government at all levels, and show them that fighting climate change is important for people in St. Louis and to build a new local economy that\u2019s equitable for all people.\u201d<\/p>\n
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