Monday, April 16, 2007
Cities all over the nation participated Saturday in the National Day of Climate Action that asked Congress to “step it up” and reduce carbon emissions by 80 percent by the year 2050.
Lawrence was one of those cities, and the KU Environs was one of the organizations that helped plan an afternoon march on Massachusetts Street from South Park to the Riverfront Plaza, a tour of the Bowersock Mills and Power Company on the Kansas River, and two different speaker’s panels. All of the events were a combined effort to raise awareness and appeal to legislators about climate change.
Environs president Nicole Reiz, Wichita senior, organized about 100 protestors in South Park on the east side of the park gazebo for a pre-march picture that would be sent to the national Step It Up program and posted on its Web site.
Juliana Tran, Dallas sophomore and member of Environs, participated in the march and said the event was all about thinking locally and acting globally.
“It’s a lot about local action and communities,” she said. “I mean, we walked here today. It’s the little things.”
Her friend Bobby Grace, Kansas City, Kan., sophomore and Environs member, said he’s been turning his lights off more and taking shorter showers to personally impact energy conservation.
“Daily people need to make changes,” Grace said.
pullquote
Nothing will bring down the power of the United States more quickly and more decisively than this.
-professor Donald Worster, environmental history
Some signs protestors carried during the march had slogans such as, “It’s not just for hippies anymore. Step it up Congress,” and “You can’t breathe money.”
As the march progressed past Seventh Street on Massachusetts Street, the crowd on the porch of Free State Brewery Company, 636 Massachusetts St., stood and applauded the marchers, although one cynic said, “I think they’re helping global warming by making cars drive slower.”
The day kicked off with a speaker’s forum in the Burge Union that featured Kansas Sen. Marci Francisco (D-Lawrence), former city commission candidate Carey Maynard-Moody, environmental history professor Donald Worster and Jason Fizell who represented U.S. Sen. Nancy Boyda (D-Kan.).
Fizell said Boyda had signed the CLEAN Energy Act of 2007, which among other things promoted national investment in clean, renewable and alternative energy resources.
Francisco discussed rising mercury levels in Kansas, as well as the proposed building of three new coal-fired power plants near Holcomb.
“We’re just looking at individual issues,” she said.
Worster introduced his lecture as a rant.
“I hope this rant carries all the way to Congress,” he said.
He said the U.S. has put too much focus on outside threats and should consider climate change more critically.
“We fear the wrong invader,” Worster said.
He said increased climates would destroy U.S. businesses.
“Nothing will bring down the power of the United States more quickly and more decisively than this,” he said.
Another forum was held later in the day at the Ecumenical Christian Ministries, 1204 Oread Ave., and featured several Lawrence residents who discussed different methods to lead more energy-efficient lifestyles.
Kansan staff writer Tyler Harbert can be contacted at tharbert@kansan.com.
— Edited by Sharla Shivers
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