• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • HOME
  • NEWS+OPINIONS
    • NEWS TO US
    • COLUMNS
      • APPARENT HORIZON
      • DEAR READER
      • Close
    • LONGFORM FEATURES
    • OPINIONS
    • EDITORIAL
    • Close
  • ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT
    • FILM
    • MUSIC
    • COMEDY
    • PERFORMING ARTS
    • VISUAL ARTS
    • Close
  • DINING+DRINKING
    • EATS
    • SIPS
    • BOSTON BETTER BEER BUREAU
    • Close
  • LIFESTYLE
    • CANNABIS
      • TALKING JOINTS MEMO
      • Close
    • WELLNESS
    • GTFO
    • Close
  • STUFF TO DO
  • TICKETS
  • ABOUT US
    • ABOUT
    • MASTHEAD
    • ADVERTISE
    • Close
  • BECOME A MEMBER

Dig Bos

The Dig - Greater Boston's Alternative News Source

THOSE CLIMATE CRUSADERS

Written by EMILY HOPKINS Posted October 13, 2014 Filed Under: COLUMNS, Free Radical, NEWS+OPINIONS

FreeRad_Climate(ChristineIrvine)
Photo courtesy Christine Irvine / Survival Media

We’ve had nearly two weeks to digest the People’s Climate March, a wildly successful operation that brought more than 300,000 people from a number of diverse backgrounds and political groups to New York City. The lead-up campaign was super glossy, employing a couple dozen full-time employees, maintaining high-end online content to attract heads, and essentially inviting people to engage with the brand and buy what the organizers are selling—the march.

But in the weeks since, the manicured climate march website that was instrumental in outreach has featured little more than a masturbatory, self-congratulatory recap, complete with President Obama sound bites and claims to having made history. Similarly, the post-march press release is peppered with the tallies of the groups and dedicated parties who attended, a pissing contest that made little mention of demands, let alone set a deadline for when demands should be met. Many of the hot links to volunteer “hubs” don’t lead to actionable info either.

In other news: The day after the People’s Climate March, about 3,000 protesters descended on the Financial District in New York for an Occupy Wall Street-style direct action. Their goal: Shut down the New York Stock Exchange, and point fingers at the corporate greed that is complicit in the climate crisis. The People’s March entourage could have used its wealth of resources to promote the second action, but seemingly chose not to for branding reasons.

Perhaps the People’s March looked at the great marches of the past and decided that creating images akin to past D.C. actions is the same as spurring change. Maybe that’s how average people feel, a symptom of an ineffective education system that equates movements to marches. Or maybe this is just another example of greenwashing. Either way, some good things may come from mobilization related to the march, but otherwise it was a glorified photo op.


 

EMILY HOPKINS
+ posts
    This author does not have any more posts.

Filed Under: COLUMNS, Free Radical, NEWS+OPINIONS Tagged With: 350.org, Bill McKibben, climate justice, Direct action, New York, New York Stock Exchange, Occupy Wall Street, People's Climate March, radicalism

WHAT’S NEW

State Wire: Mass Bill Would Tighten Restrictions On Facial Recognition Technology

State Wire: Mass Bill Would Tighten Restrictions On Facial Recognition Technology

Mass Higher Ed Advocates Urge More Investment In Students 

Mass Higher Ed Advocates Urge More Investment In Students 

Guest Opinion: Promoting Metal Detectors In BPS Perpetuates Dangerous Narrative

Guest Opinion: Promoting Metal Detectors In BPS Perpetuates Dangerous Narrative

State Wire: Mass Leads Nation In 'Green' Building Development

State Wire: Mass Leads Nation In ‘Green’ Building Development

State Wire: Mass Advocates Of Higher Ed Set Goals For Fair Share Revenue

State Wire: Mass Advocates Of Higher Ed Set Goals For Fair Share Revenue

Does Massachusetts Underestimate Its Greenhouse Gas Emissions?

Does Massachusetts Underestimate Its Greenhouse Gas Emissions?

Primary Sidebar

LOCAL EVENTS

AAN Wire


Most Popular

  • Think Massachusetts Cannabis Prices Are Low Now? Just Wait Six Months!
  • Why Are Cannabis Prices Really Crashing?
  • 20 Great Tracks To Come Out Of Greater Boston In 2022
  • A New Beginning For Formerly Incarcerated Women
  • Jerrod Carmichael Has First Show After Coming Out—At the Wilbur In Boston

Footer

Social Buttons

DigBoston facebook DigBoston Twitter DigBoston Instagram

Masthead

About

Advertise

Customer Service

About Us

DigBoston is a one-stop nexus for everything worth doing or knowing in the Boston area. It's an alt-weekly, it's a website, it's an email blast, it's a twitter account, it's that cool party that you were at last night ... hey, you're reading it, so it's gotta be good. For advertising inquiries: sales@digboston.com To reach editorial (and for inquiries about internship opportunities): editorial@digboston.com