Hundreds march across Arizona demanding action on climate change

Andrew Nicla
The Republic | azcentral.com

Hundreds of young people converged on the streets of downtown Phoenix Friday afternoon, demanding action on climate change.

They were marching in solidarity with other groups in Tucson, Payson, Prescott and hundreds of thousands of others across the country and around the world in the Global Youth Climate Strike.

The Phoenix group gathered at the Maricopa County Courthouse, marched to the state Capitol and rallied with teachers, scientists and politicians, hoping to draw interest and urgency to an issue that adversely impacts them, their children and their children’s children.

The marchers, wearing hats, shades, shorts and sneakers, headed down Washington Street holding signs reading: "Respect your Mother," "Be part of the solution, not the pollution" and "There is no Planet B."

But one sign captured that passion and frustration best and briefly: "Enough."

The event drew more people than organizers had anticipated. Some even showed up and spoke out for the first time.

It was a day of firsts for 15-year-old Anthony Romero, a freshman at Glendale High School. This was his first time at the Capitol, his first time going to any kind of rally and the first time speaking in front of a crowd.

"It was an incredible experience," Romero said, adding that he never gets up in front of crowds and never gets a chance to speak up at school. 

Romero heard about the rally from his science teacher and he asked his grandfather to come along with him. And when organizers opened the microphone to the crowd, something compelled him to go up. 

"I knew I had to say something, and so does this group, so do we all," he said.

"We all need a voice in our future. Being here gave me hope for my future."

Like Romero, these younger groups desperately want a say in an issue that will disproportionately affect them. And they're speaking up.

Friday’s rally comes six months after AZ Youth Climate Strike’s previous rally in March. One of its main organizers, Aditi Narayanan, 16, a student at BASIS Phoenix Central High School, said a lot has changed since then. Despite some progress, they face the same hurdles they did months ago.

“In the Legislature, the Republicans do outnumber those Democrats, but there are still ways to make concrete change,” Narayanan said, adding that their tasks are achievable and bipartisan, however, rooted in progressive ideas.

Friday’s event aims to lay the groundwork for what the group sees as a crucial window of opportunity to push for a plan that works for everyone in Arizona. Beyond the scheduled speakers at the rally, activists will register people to vote and talk about important environmental issues across the state.

Since it was formed, the group has formed coalitions with other like-minded environmental activists to push for change. With larger numbers and growing enthusiasm, Narayanan said the group will be more a more aggressive and persistent presence at the state capitol and in the community.

But they’re not asking the adults to listen to them; they want them to listen to the hundreds of scientists who researched and wrote the United Nations’ 2018 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report. That document presents a bleak future for political inaction, laying out the consequences and how everyone around the world will be affected no matter what.

Scientists said those effects can be minimized or completely avoided if the world collectively cuts emissions and reduces warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. A warming planet could bring many consequences for the American Southwest, like hotter and drier weather than puts older, poorer and minority groups at a disproportional risk, especially in terms of urban heat and air quality.

The group wants three things: for Phoenix to declare a “climate emergency” as an example for other large cities and take meaningful action to address it; to halt all new fossil fuel infrastructure; to adopt a climate resilience and adaptation plan.

Narayanan said these were a consolidated list of asks that she and others see as realistic proposals that could gather bipartisan support.

Gaining that support has been the toughest challenge for the group and other environmental activists. Group members group worked with many of the lawmakers present at Friday’s march on bills to address water conservation, renewable energy and stricter environmental standards, none of which made it out of committee.

But Narayanan is hopeful this time around. Since March, the group has asked to meet with Republican lawmakers in their districts to pitch these proposals in a different way in hopes of finding some actionable middle ground.

“Whenever we talk to Republicans about climate change, we always stress the business angle of sustainability,” Narayanan said, adding that these talks have been productive and some officials have been receptive to the idea of coexistence between these ideas and business interests.

That lack of Republican involvement hasn't been because of a lack of trying, organizers said. Brian Mecinas, advocacy director for the group and a freshman political science major, said the group has reached out to Republicans representing their district, far-right and moderate, as well as young Republican groups.

Some have harshly declined their invitations to their forums, Mecinas said, others have blocked them on social media after they reached out, but most ignored them. 

"Uncoincidentally, a lot of people who aren't willing to listen to the science, do the reading and educate themselves and listen to their constituents are conservative lawmakers," Mecinas said, adding that the group may have positive relationships with Democratic lawmakers, but because they're the only ones listening.

"They see this issue as being very politicized. In reality, the climate crisis is a non-partisan issue. It's an issue that's going to affect everybody, no matter what party you are." 

While most in Arizona and in the Southwest might not feel the immediate effects, some people are feeling the effects now on their wallets, Narayanan said. 

“A lot of Republicans are realizing their utility bills are climbing because of climate change, this increased heat and therefore this increased need for access to utilities,” Narayanan said.

But the movement isn't over, the group organizers said. It will need to extend beyond one day if the groups want a chance at larger change. That, they say, starts with smaller ones.

The coming week will be a week of action for the group. Speakers who took the stage at the rally encouraged people to further organize in their community, register to vote, pick up trash around their neighborhood and call their elected representatives throughout the week.

On Friday, they're asking people to show up to the second part of the climate strike at 10 a.m. at Arizona State University's Hayden Lawn on the Tempe Campus.

Ultimately, scientists say, to keep the planet inhabitable and be able to sustain humankind’s growing demands, the world needs to cut carbon dioxide emissions down to 350 parts per million. 

The time for action is now, Narayanan said, and some people aren’t listening and aren’t willing to address a problem that will affect their children.

“We have to do everything we can,” Narayanan said.

“I don’t want to look back on this in 10 or 20 years and see that I haven’t done everything I can to combat this climate crisis.”

Environmental coverage on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is supported by a grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. Follow The Republic environmental reporting team at environment.azcentral.com and at OurGrandAZ on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Reach out to the reporter at andrew.nicla@gannett.com or 602-444-3821. Follow him on Twitter @AndrewNicla.

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