BINGHAMTON, NY (WSKG) — Ahead of the U.N. Climate Action Summit on Monday in New York City, young people are demanding action against the climate crisis. Strikes are happening all over the world including in Delhi, Ithaca, Hamilton, Scranton, and Binghamton.
Dylan Feliciano, a Senior at Binghamton University, helped organize the event in Binghamton because he was tired of doing nothing while, as he puts it, the world literally burned.
Although the goal of meeting 100-percent renewable energy may seem lofty to some, Feliciano said it’s the spirit of America to do the thing people say we can’t do.
"No one thought government ruled by the people would be a possibility. Everyone thought that was a radical, crazy idea that would never occur, and yet, we did it," he said. "No one thought we could put a man on the moon, and we did it. And I think, just like that, we can cause drastic long-lasting change to our world and to our economy."
Feliciano wants Congress to see the nation-wide support of serious action against global warming, and, at a time when the Trump Administration is rolling back environmental protection measures, he wants to send a message about the U.S. to the rest of the world.
"The United States is not just the Republican Party and Donald Trump who don't believe in Climate Change. There's a lot of people [...] who believe that this is an issue, that this is a crisis, and we need to respond to it."
There are things individuals can do to live more sustainably, but Feliciano said state and local municipalities should invest more in clean energy and public transportation.
Students are taking public transportation to the event in Binghamton. It starts at 3 P.M. at 15 Henry Street. Over a hundred people are expected to be there. Another round of strikes is scheduled on September 27th.