We are slowly transitioning to renewable energy sources, but apparently not fast enough. Fossil fuels greatly contribute to the carbon emissions that are harming the environment, and protesters in New York City are pressing the US President to make a radical change.
Protesters Call for the End of Fossil Fuels
People from all walks of life join the ongoing protest in New York City to call for the end of fossil fuel usage. The movement is specifically directed at the US President Joe Biden with the upcoming United Nations climate summit.
Although a lot of countries have already taken the pledge to strive to meet certain global climate goals including President Biden, the US has fallen behind in transitioning off fossil fuels, which is the primary concern of the protesters.
Organizations who also share the vision of a green earth have joined the demonstration, including Amnesty International, Ben & Jerry's, the NAACP, Patagonia, the Hip Hop Caucus, Sierra Club, Greenpeace USA, and 700 other organizations and brands.
Princess Daazhraii Johnson of the Neets'aii Gwich'in expressed: "You would think that our leaders around the world would have their eyes wide open. Look at what just happened in Libya. Look at Lahaina. Look at all of the suffering that's going on around the world."
One of Johnson's complaints is in regard to Alaska being mined by big oil companies, stating that they have faced fear tactics like the Alaskan economy crashing if they don't comply, adding that they have not been able to go to their traditional fish camp in four years.
Jose Cruz, a construction worker from Yonkers said that the climate has been affecting the workers and sending them to the hospital, as per The Verge. The health issues were brought on by climate change, specifically, the temperature being too hot or too cold.
A Baltimore, Maryland student, Yara Changyit-Levin says that while Biden expressed his concern about climate change, he has not declared a climate emergency, nor has he halted fossil fuel projects and canceled existing ones.
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How Bad is the Fossil Fuel Situation?
A 2022 report from the NRDC states that the world still uses oil, coal, and gas for around 80% of energy needs. This has led to alarming effects like water and air pollution, as well as long-term damages like global warming and climate change.
It's not just the use of fossil fuel that harms the environment, but also the process of obtaining the resource. It involves unearthing, processing, and moving underground oil, gas, and coil that also causes extensive damage.
The runoff from the operations leads to streams, rivers, lakes, and other bodies of water, which are threatening wildlife and entire ecosystems. As fossil fuel burns, pollutants are released into the air, further harming living things including humans.
Carbon emissions are not the only thing that people have to worry about. In fact, according to the NRDC, coal-fired power plants generate about 35% of dangerous mercury emissions in the US, along with two-thirds of US sulfur dioxide emissions.
Related: Half the World Can Potentially Face Increased Risk of Death Due to Climate Change
