Naperville Climate Strike
Around 250 concerned citizens gathered at the Oliver Hoffman Pavilion in Downtown Naperville to take part in the local Climate Strike.
Activists want leaders to take action, and one way they hope that happens is through the Green New Deal.
Green New Deal
“It honors that basic promise that America should make to all of its citizens which is you get to breathe here, you can drink the water here, you can enjoy the natural resources here, they’re yours,” said environmental attorney and speaker Shawn Collins. “They don’t just belong to companies that want to exploit them, to pollute, and to make a profit. But they’re here for the human beings who live here and depend upon them.”
The proposed legislation aims to bring greenhouse gas emissions down to net-zero and meet 100 percent of power demand through clean sources by 2030.
Rachel Ventura, who is running against Congressman Bill Foster for the 11th District Seat, co-sponsored the strike and supports the Green New Deal.
Speakers at Strike
Multiple speakers talked about why they are personally striking and what they want to see from leadership.
And one speaker not only urges politicians today, but future leaders like herself.
“I feel like there’s a lot of students who are still kind of alienated from politics and don’t feel like they have a voice here, but we all do,” said high school student and speaker Ashlyn Pearson. “And it’s really important, especially for our generation because we’re not only seeing how climate change was caused, but then how it can be changed in the future and the drastic effects it’s causing now.”
The Naperville climate strike is part of a global effort to draw attention to the accelerated climate crisis.
Naperville News 17’s Aysha Ashley Househ reports.
