In what may be the largest climate change rally in American history, thousands are expected to march on Washington this President's Day to demand that Congress finally clean up its act and the environment.
Inspired by President Obama's inaugural address to tackle climate change as many as 30,000 demonstrators are projected to partake in the Forward on Climate Rally at the National Mall on February 17 to appeal to lawmakers to end environmental degradation and to take global warming seriously, organizers say.
At issue is the Keystone XL Pipeline that, if constructed, would run 500,000 barrels of oil extracted from Canadian tar sands deposits to American refineries near the gulf coast. Environmentalists say the 2,000 mile-long pipeline would pose a health hazards to communities near its route and that its carbon foot print would be disasterous for the Earth's atmopshere. The decision on the pipeline's construction has been put off until this summer.
The rally, organized by the grassroot enivronmental groups Sierra Club and 350.org, has drawn support from dozens of organizations including Greenpeace U.S., MoveOn, and the League of Conservative Voters. Demonstrators hope the show of solidarity will put an end to the pipeline project as well as push the EPA to limiit carbon emission by polluters.
"It's obvious we have a challenge in front of us, it's the challenge of our age," said Javier Sierra, Latino Media Strategist for the Sierra Club.
The Latino community is most vulnerable to fossil fuel and power plant emissions, Sierra said, pointing out a study funded by the League of Latin American Citizens called "Air of Injustice: How Air Pollution Affects the Health of Hispanics and Latinos."
According to the study, 39 percent of the Latino population lives withiin 30 miles of a power plant. As a result many have an increased risk of developing acute and chronic illnesses like asthma and other respiratory and pulmonary diseases.
"This fight is about us in many words than one," Sierra said.
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