WASHINGTON – Around 300 people gathered to demand climate action from the Biden administration outside the Environmental Protection Agency headquarters on Sunday, according to estimates from organizers.
Protesters called on President Joe Biden to protect public lands, cancel oil and gas projects and use all unspent money from the Inflation Reduction and Bipartisan Infrastructure Acts to invest in the climate.
Protesters came from the Washington DC metro area, New York and Pennsylvania to urge Biden to take action in his final 60 days of power before President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January.
A coalition of activist groups organized the rally, drawing hundreds of protesters to the Federal Triangle metro station. (Emma Richman/MNS)
“We cannot imagine trying to sleep any night during the Trump administration if we haven’t done everything we can first,” said Saul Levin, political and campaigns director for Green New Deal Network.
2024 has been the hottest year on record with the global average temperature reaching 1.54 degrees Celsius over pre-industrial levels, according to the World Meteorological Organization. This temporarily exceeds the Paris Agreement 1.5-degree temperature rise limit.
Trump is expected to take office in January, appointing former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to head the Environmental Protection Agency. Together, the administration is expected to roll back the more progressive climate policies under Biden.
Levin organized the rally with over 30 climate change activist groups. He said it was the launching point for a campaign over the next 60 days to demand Democrats do as much as possible for the climate before Trump takes office.
Some protesters also held signs urging Senate Democrats to confirm more judges that would uphold environmental laws to safeguard against the Trump administration.
Jason Rylander, legal director for the Center for Biological Diversity’s Climate Law Institute, said there are limits to what the Trump administration can reverse. Rylander, who attended Sunday’s rally, added that the legal system is an important wall of defense.
“We will stand up with our partners and take the Trump administration to court at every turn if they’re undoing environmental protections,” Rylander said.
Several speakers addressed the rally, telling personal stories and outlining demands. The crowd cheered and chanted for climate action. Organizers led the rally in chants saying “every day counts” and “YOLO Joe.”
Protests held signs that said “60 days,” the amount of time Biden has left in office to take action on climate change. (Emma Richman/MNS)
Some protesters held signs urging Biden to pardon environmental activists. Others advocated for Biden to stop new liquified natural gas projects. Student activists led the crowd in song, and protesters of all ages attended.
Keanu Arpels-Josiah, climate organizer and first-year student at Swarthmore College, said he’s been involved in climate change activism since high school. An organizer with Fridays for Future NYC, Arpels-Josiah came to Sunday’s rally with a group of students from Philadelphia and said around 30 others came on a bus from New York.
Arpels-Josiah gave a speech at the rally and led the crowd in song alongside fellow student organizers. He urged Biden to fulfill his promises to take progressive climate action to safeguard the Earth for future generations.
“We can’t have a transition of just resignation,” Arpels-Josiah said. “We must have a transition of action and setting the groundwork to protect our democracy, protect our future, protect our rights, protect climate action.”
