Philly voices at today's climate change rally in D.C.
Comments from some of the more than 500 area residents who are at the rally.
More than 500 people headed out this morning from Southeastern Pennsylvania and central New Jersey, planning to take part in a climate change rally in Washington, D.C.
I'll be posting some of their quotes here throughout the afternoon.
Meanwhile, a bit of background:
Organizers are expening about 20,000 or more people to converge on Washington to voice their support for action on climate change and their opposition to the Keystone XL pipeline that would transport oil from the Tar Sands of Canada to the Gulf Coast.
The demonstration comes after a week of climate change-related events.
In his State of the Union Address on Tuesday, Barack Obama said that "for the sake of our children and our future, we must do more to combat climate change," adding that "if Congress won't act soon to protect future generations, I will."
On Wednesday, nearly 50 activists, including Eileen Flanagan of Philadelphia, were arrested in an act of civil disobedience in front of the White House.
The next day, the Government Accountability Office added the financial liability of climate change to its list of "high risk" areas for the federal government, and two senators introduced climate change legislation that, among other things, would impose a fee on emissions of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas.
Buses were organized by the Sierra Club, Clean Air Council, Earth Quaker Action Team, Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future and other groups. They left from Quakertown, Devon, King of Prussia, West Chester, Philadelphia, and Ocean County, N.J.
Who are the local folks and why are they going?
Nancy Grossman, 53, mom, pharmacist and yoga instructor from Jackson, Ocean County, N.J.: She was already convinced climate change was "a really serious issue," and then Superstorm Sandy hit. She's seen the damage first hand, helping a friend dismantle her storm-wrecked home. "It'st just one disaster after another," she said. "I don't know what other proof people are looking for."
He called today's rally "powerful, moving ... I'm glad I went."