Youth Lead Demand For Climate Action In Peekskill, Croton

PEEKSKILL, NY — Hundreds of people gathered today in Peekskill and Croton-On-Hudson to call for climate justice as part of the Global Climate Strike. In Peekskill, they gathered outside Senator Chuck Schumer’s office with demands for a declaration of a national climate emergency.

In Croton, organizers said, they gathered at Lisa Moir’s The Blue Pig, which closed for the Climate Strike.

Their message was, right here, right now, the climate crisis is jeopardizing our economy, our health, and our security. We need a national mobilization to address the climate crisis.

Climate change is costing the United States $240 billion from extreme weather and fossil fuel pollution while renewable energy is growing by leaps and bounds, the protesters said. Each year about 6.5 million deaths worldwide are linked to air pollution. Our use of fossil fuels is literally killing us. Nearly a billion people live in areas at high risk from global warming and about 40 percent of them are in countries already struggling with conflict, conflict that will spread and threaten peace and our national security.

As people gathered in Peekskill, local folk singer/songwriter Fred Gillen Jr. sang before handing the program over to local environmental activist Courtney Williams and student organizer Sage Overskei North. North challenged the crowd, by saying, “If we don’t save the environment, who will?”

Williams reminded the participants that personal actions are not enough.

“We need to overhaul the way our government works. We need our elected officials to answer to us and not to fossil fuel companies. Using a reusable straw isn’t gonna cut it,” he said.

After the rally outside Schumer’s office, children as young as 1 year old delivered the climate demands to his staff.

In Croton, people of all ages gathered for speeches by high school students and chants lead by elementary school students. The Blue Pig proprietor Lisa Moir urged attendees to make climate action part of their everyday lives and speak up to businesses that they see being irresponsible.

“If you see something, say something. If you need to put on a sweater because it’s too cold, tell them,” Moir said to those gathered.

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