WASHINGTON—Thousands gathered for an Earth Day rally event of musicians and speakers to press the government to pass comprehensive climate legislation. Held at the National Mall, the free concert for the 40th anniversary of Earth Day attracted many for the cause and for the music. [Article continues following slideshow]
[etssp 13]“Hopefully it is a consciousness-raising event,” said film director James Cameron, speaking with press before going on stage to speak to the crowd. Cameron, director of the recent blockbuster "Avatar," which touches on environmental issues in a fantasy setting, first woke up to environmental conservation at the first Earth Day when he was 15.
Cameron said he is concerned Americans today are uninformed and misinformed about the damage being done to the environment, which he called, “a huge looming wave that is going to crash down on us in the next decade.” Cameron thinks it is the result of a “well-funded denial campaign.”
He said that if Americans are not concerned about climate change, politicians won’t take serious steps to legislate change. He recently spoke with senators who are taking up the issue and they said they don’t have a strong mandate from constituents to move forward with climate change-focused legislation.
President Obama has expressed climate/energy security legislation is a top priority and he expects Congress to take it on after passing financial reforms. The House passed climate legislation last year and legislation was expected to be introduced in the Senate on Monday by Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), but may now be on hold behind immigration legislation, and Senator Graham may quit the bill.
Cameron said it is important to raise awareness and give politicians the support they need. He feels the event can do that because being “on the National Mall makes it about policy.”
Cameron was one of a number of celebrities lined up by organizer Earth Day Network to speak or perform Sunday. Others included Sting, Reverend Jesse Jackson, John Legend, The Roots, author Margaret Atwood, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, Olympic gold medalist Billy Demong, and many others.
Rally attendee Kelly O’Neal seconded the need for public support. Although the House has passed climate legislation she said climate legislation is a conversation that is happening now and there has to be public support and reinforcement. That is what the rally is for, she said, for “galvanizing individuals, educating individuals.”
O’Neal first got involved protecting the environment in high school joining a campaign to prevent a copper smelter from opening in her hometown of Galveston, Texas. That campaign was successful and she went on to major in environmental studies in college and work in the field.
O’Neal said she thinks it is great that climate is the theme for the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, calling climate “the issue of our day.”
“The focus too with climate change is talking about the future, we have 40 years of history of the environmental movement, but we have a lot ahead of us,” O’Neal said.
Not all attendees were as impressed or encouraged by the rally this year.
Retired environmental scientist Bev Baker of Maryland said she wasn’t feeling the “environmental love” this year.
Baker worked for the Environmental Protection Agency for 10 years and now volunteers with the Museum of Natural History. She said she has been attending “every Earth Day rally since forever,” but this year didn’t compare with the energy and atmosphere of the event two years ago, she said. She said she was put off by all the corporate sponsors.
“I am not feeling it, like I did with the crowd a couple of years ago,” she said, noting the audience did not seem engaged with the speakers. This year she said she came more for the music than to hear the speeches.
