Mothers Out Front March for Earth Day

About 80 people gathered in Washington Square park on April 21, the day before Earth Day, to raise awareness of Climate Change.  The event was organized by Mothers Out Front. Some were wearing hats topped with windmills.  Non-polluting wind energy is one of the "renewable" options to replace fossil fuels which add carbon to the atmosphere. A proposal to build an off shore wind farm on lake Ontario is facing political opposition.  The problem, as many stated, is a system which puts profit for a few over people.  The march continued around the block with a stop and some songs in front of the Rundell library, and ended back at the park a half hour later.

2015 was the warmest year since weather records have been kept. In Rochester we were outdoors in T-shirts on Thanksgiving and Christmas. 2016 is expected to be even warmer.

Solutions to the problem involve more than simply eliminating the burning of fossil fuels.  Organic Farmer Liz Henderson explained that 1/3 of the excess carbon entering the atmosphere comes from poor land management and "industrial" farming practices. Carbon is actually good when it's in the soil.  It helps keep plants healthy.  Organic farming practices such as crop rotation, maintenance of ground cover and leaving forests intact can remove carbon from the atmosphere and store it in the soil where it is needed.  

As explained by Myra Brown of Spiritus Christi church, we must challenge the wrongheaded religious theology of domination over the Earth with humans at the top of the food chain instead of partnering with the very creation that sustains us. Pope Francis has become an outspoken ally in this cause.

More local events will be taking place in 2016.  Meanwhile we can all help by contacting our representatives in Albany and DC and demand action on this threat to our very survival and by voting for candidates who recognize the problem.

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