Reflections on the People's Climate March 9.21.14

On September 21st, Scott & I joined approximately 400,000 people in the People's Climate March, the largest climate march in history.



Neither of us had participated in a demonstration before, but I gave Bill McKibben's audiobook Oil & Honey: The Education of an Unlikely Activist to Scott as a Christmas present last year and we got really into his story and his efforts with 350.org.  When we learned that this march was happening right near my apartment on Central Park West, we had to check it out.



We jumped in around 84th Street, right where the big Ben & Jerry's ice cream cone happened to be.


We were excited to see Jerry Greenfield himself there. We didn't introduce ourselves but here he is in the background of this selfie.



 

and there he is with a backpack on.



There were so many people from around the country and the world advocating different types of environmental causes. A cause with one of the most visible presences (at least in our section) was the prevention of the Keystone XL pipeline, which is largely lead by McKibben. Organizations like Tar Sands Blockade were out in full force.





 

The march didn't start moving for what seemed like hours because the crowd was so big.






Even other species joined.



The most moving part was the moment of silence, followed by the powerful roar/cheer of hundreds of thousands of people that made it's way up the streets and reverberated through the city.  Here's a pic I took during the moment of silence:



 

Here's someone's YouTube video of it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9mJSGKii8Y

 

 

Overall, really cool experience. I'm grateful I got to be part of this and would definitely participate again.

The Largest Climate March in History

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUUTB2vvIlY

This wasn't on my NYC Bucket List Challenge, but I just signed up to join the People's Climate March on Sunday, September 21st.

It will be my last Sunday living in NYC and the first protest I've ever participated in. Since the meeting place for the march is just a couple of blocks from my apartment, there is really no excuse not to join other than large crowds give me anxiety. Hopefully I can keep that in check.

 

Thinking Outside the Bottle: Boxed Water is Better®

In need of some water after a run, I stopped in Birdbath Bakery recently and was caught off guard when I found the water they were selling was not bottled, but boxed.

The brand was Boxed Water is Better®, and the unique carton's bold branding and packaging immediately piqued my interest.

[caption id="attachment_124" align="aligncenter" width="463"] Boxed Water is Better.[/caption]

I looked up the company when I got home and found that their website is also beautifully simple and well designed.

Self-described as "Part sustainable water company, part art project, part philanthropic project, and completely curious", the eco-conscious water distributor based in Grand Rapids, MI apparently doubled its sales in 2013.  Check out the Environmental section of their site to learn about their green initiatives like a partnership with 1% For the Planet and the reduced carbon footprint of cartons vs. bottles.