By EMILY GRUNES September 30 2021
On September 24th, Croton climate and environmental activists united at the Blue Pig Ice Cream to demand a livable future. Students of all ages, local politicians and community members came together in solidarity. The goal of the event was to demand that leaders at the local and national levels to take drastic action to bring Croton to a carbon neutral future by 2040. The need for this is obvious as seen in the 2021 report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC) report, which warned that the effects of climate change are at an irreversible point and that in order to have a inhabitable world in the future, society must reach carbon neutrality by 2050. Without drastic action, human societies across the world face a real and deadly threat.
The event was filled with music and inspirational words of our local leaders and community members. Behind the colorful signs and lively music, the event was meant to raise awareness of the severity of the climate crisis and mobilize everyone to take action. Lisa Moore, owner of the Blue Pig, explained that “This is only the beginning, I wanted to have this event to bring people together and rebuild the fight for climate action now, we can’t all just think that it is someone else's job to combat this issue. We are all the problems and we are all the solution.” Croton is an affluent community, and it is achievable for many families to make major steps to becoming carbon neutral, like investing in renewable energy and driving electric vehicles.
One of the many speakers at the event was New York assemblywoman Sandy Galef who spoke about her goals relating to environmental issues, and her gratitude to the Croton community for their efforts to make change. Senior Shoshana Daly also spoke, saying words of hope for a brighter future. When asked why she attended the rally she said “I think it is important that kids our age realize that it's not all doom and gloom. There are things we can do to combat climate change and we must! Yes it's a severe issue but if we act now we can preserve our future”. In her speech she asked everyone to take small actions, she said “It can often seem daunting to be so small in the face of such a large issue, but there are actions that we can take. I ask you all to download Climate Action Now, an app that gives you daily tasks like calling representatives and writing letters to companies. These are small yet impactful ways that teens can join the fight against climate change”.
This was a meaningful event highlighting the passion of the Croton community. As many of the speakers announced, there is a lot to be done, but there is also still hope. Croton 100, the organization in charge of the event, holds monthly meetings and provides a platform for students to get involved. The group is always looking for new members, and for more information you can visit croton100.org or email youth organizer Eric Lewandowski at youth@croton100.org.