Climate Week NYC (CWNYC) is an event that takes place every September in New York City. Started in 2009, the gathering happens at the same time as the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Both of these events bring together international leaders from government and civil society, business executives, scientists, and activists from all over the world to discuss global issues. This year, CWNYC took place September 17-24 while the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly was on September 5-19.
The 193 countries that are part of the United Nations convene every year during UNGA. In 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted, which is a plan for creating a better world for everyone and making sure nobody on the planet is left behind. Learn more about the UN SDGs here.
Photo from UN.org: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2015/12/sustainable-development-goals-kick-off-with-start-of-new-year/
The events of Climate Week NYC are meant to bring people together and talk about progress they have made toward the SDGs on current projects, start new ones, and make connections to find ways to work together. CWNYC began with the March to End Fossil Fuels, bringing over 75,000 people and 700 organizations to the streets of New York, demanding an end to the use of fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas).
Why We Should End the Use of Fossil Fuels
Around 80% of the world’s energy is powered by fossil fuels, which is the main cause of global warming. Coal is the dirtiest fossil fuel and is the largest source of global temperature rise. Oil releases about one-third of the world’s total carbon emissions, not to mention all the oil spills in recent years that have ruined our oceans’ ecosystems. Even though natural gas is a cleaner energy source than coal and oil, it is still responsible for one-fifth of the world’s total carbon emissions.
Photo courtesy of Jerome Pennington Photography
Climate Change is Changing the Planet – and It’s Not Looking Good
Climate change is a serious problem, especially in 2023, the hottest year ever recorded in history. Take a look at all the climate-related problems we’ve had so far this year. In June, hundreds of wildfires in Canada blew smoke across the U.S., turning New York City orange and causing hazardous air quality in several parts of the U.S.
Photo from ABC News: https://abc7news.com/air-quality-update-philadelphia-smoke-nyc-canada-wildfires/13354826/
July 3 through 6 were the hottest days on record globally. Various areas around the world experienced heatwaves, including parts of Europe, China, and the U.S. August brought devastating fires to Lahaina, which the Saugus Scroll reported on in August. A superstorm in Libya in early September left 15,000 people dead or missing, and here at home in drought-ridden California we experienced 10 storms in January, resulting in floods and landslides; we had a “bomb cyclone” in March, leaving over 100,000 people without power, and in August, we had a tropical storm, which the Scroll also reported on.
In addition, climatologists are saying that winter is not looking good either, and we should expect an El Niño season. This means that warm waters will be pushed toward the west coast, which can drastically affect our weather as it will make areas such as the northern U.S. and Canada drier and hotter than usual. However, this causes the southeast to be wetter and more likely to experience flooding.
Why It Matters
All of the extreme weather events that the world experienced this year were caused by climate change. Solving the climate crisis is one of the most important things we have to do to ensure a healthy planet will exist for future generations. Climate action was at the top of the agenda for CWNYC, especially discussions about how the world can fully transition to clean, renewable energy sources like solar, wind, hydropower, and geothermal.
Photo courtesy of Jerome Pennington Photography
What Can a Teenager Like Me Do to Help Stop Climate Change?
Climate change is a big problem and it can be overwhelming to think about; climate anxiety is a real thing. As a young person, you may think there’s not a lot you can do to help stop climate change – but that’s not true! There are plenty of things all of us can do to help stop climate change, like:
- Conserve water – Take shorter showers. Turn the water off when you’re brushing your teeth or washing the dishes. Ask your parents to fix leaky faucets or running toilets. Because we are in a drought in California, it’s even more important to do all of this.
- Conserve energy – Turn off lights and appliances when you leave a room (or your house). Ask your parents to consider replacing incandescent bulbs in your house to LED ones because they use less energy. This contributes to SDG 7 which is Affordable and Clean Energy.
- Drive less – Consider walking, biking, or taking public transport when going somewhere. Carpool to places when you can.
- Eat more fruits and vegetables – Not only are fruits and veggies good for you but they also help conserve water and energy! It takes a lot more water and energy to produce foods like meat, dairy, and processed foods (like soda, chips, and candy) than it is to grow fruits and vegetables. Meat production can also cause deforestation and forest fires. This is because trees are cut down to make room for animals to roam freely and for open fields to grow food for animals. This results in loss of wildlife and biodiversity. The meat production industry is also responsible for three-fifths of greenhouse gas emissions of the entire food production industry. So you see, by eating more fruits and vegetables, you are supporting SDG 15: Life on Land.
- Reduce, reuse, and recycle – It takes a lot of water and energy to make the things we need and use every day. SDG 12 is Responsible Consumption and Production and you can contribute to it by:
–Reduce by buying only what you need.
–Reuse everyday things like plastic bags, glass containers, and paper bags. Buy vintage clothes instead of new ones. Donate old blankets to animal shelters.
–Recycle what you can; don’t throw away soda cans and water bottles in the trash. Take them to your local recycling center, and as a bonus, you’ll walk away with some extra money too.
- Volunteer your time – You can support SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities right here in SCV! Participate in activities that help the planet like planting trees, cleaning riverways, and picking up trash from beaches and hiking trails. There are plenty of volunteer opportunities here in Santa Clarita. You can go to the Santa Clarita Volunteers website to find ways to help the community and the environment.
- Educate yourself and others – Continue to learn what you can about conservation and clean energy. Tell others about what you’ve learned and encourage your family and friends to take small actions like the ones suggested above. As an example, after reading this article three years ago about how the almond milk industry killed 50 billion bees, my family switched to drinking oat milk instead.
The important thing is to take action. If you’re old enough to vote then vote according to your values, join a march, protest, or do as many of the actions suggested above. By doing these, you are working towards SDG 13: Climate Action. Earth is our only home, and we need to start treating it that way. Remember – there is no planet B.
