Text by MAYA MUKHERJEE, KAT FARRELL and SAANVI GARG
Photo by SAANVI GARG
Rallying for a better Earth Palo Alto community members gather and march on Earth Day
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limate change is not a lie! Do people as a millennial himself. not let our planet die!” “I’m so moved when I see older generaOver 100 people armed with tions come out,” Rading said, “But we’re the their voices took to the streets of generation that’s left to inherit the Earth.” Palo Alto last month to vocalize the change Congresswoman Anna Eshoo spoke at the needed to save our planet. beginning of the event, discussing the relePalo Alto community members gathered vance of climate change to Palo Alto. at City Hall on April “I’ve seen it [cli22 to celebrate the mate change] in my 52nd celebration of own congressional Earth Day. The event, district — the CZU March and Rally for fire, 77,000 of my the Earth, consisted constituents, evacuof a series of speakers ees in that fire,” Eshfollowed by a march oo said to the crowd. around downtown “Previous to that fire, Palo Alto to build — AJWANG RADING, congressional there were floods, and awareness for climate now we see on our candidate for District 16 change. coastside that we have The Raging the erosion of the seaGrannies, an activist group of elderly wom- wall, because of sea level rise.” en, and students at Gunn High School co-led Rading and Eshoo both campaigned at the the event. Victoria Tregoing, a member of the event, highlighting the actions they would be Raging Grannies, praised student involvement taking if they took office. in the cause. “Especially coming up to the pri“It’s civic involvement,” Tregoing said. mary on June 7, we have “We didn’t have opportunities like that too the opportunity to elect new much when we’re younger.” leadership that’ll actually Ajwang Rading, a congressional candi- deliver stuff,” Rading said. date running to represent California’s 18th “We’ve had the same reprecongressional district in the House of Repre- sentative, respectfully, for 30 sentatives, attended the event as well. Rading years — no also commented on the participation of young e n v i r o n -
“I’m so moved when I see older generations come out. But we’re the generation that’s left to inherit the Earth.”
14 May 2022
mental bills.” Eshoo, however, praised the current actions that the federal government is taking towards fixing climate change. “We face challenges that are going to require additional action,” Eshoo said. “We passed that action in the House, my friends. It was in the Build Back Better legislation. It is the single largest sum of money and policies directed to climate change, over half a trillion dollars.” Attendee Matt Schlagel commented on the importance of finding a community at events such as the Earth Day Rally. “The most important thing is to recognize that we have a problem, and once you recognize it, to find people who actually care about it that you can build communities around,” Schlagel said. “So I love it that today all of these people who are concerned about climate are out here, and are building communities that we can carry forward.”
