{"id":2448974,"date":"2019-09-20T15:36:00","date_gmt":"2019-09-20T21:36:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/hundreds-of-aspen-students-join-in-global-climate-strike-march-to-city-hall\/"},"modified":"2019-09-23T08:27:20","modified_gmt":"2019-09-23T14:27:20","slug":"hundreds-of-aspen-students-join-in-global-climate-strike-march-to-city-hall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/local-news\/hundreds-of-aspen-students-join-in-global-climate-strike-march-to-city-hall\/","title":{"rendered":"Hundreds of Aspen students join in Global Climate Strike, march to City Hall"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"swift-gallery p402_hide\" readability=\"6.8987200890373\">\n<ul id=\"imageGallery-313183-857\" class=\"gallery list-unstyled\">\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/09\/climate-atd-092119-2-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/09\/climate-atd-092119-2.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | Aspen Country Day School 4th graders Sofia Abbaszadeh, 9, left, Bailey McDonough, 9, center, and Nell Lieb, 9, hold their signs in Paepcke Park as students give speeches during the Global Climate Strike event in Aspen on Friday, September 20, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"4.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"20\">\n<p><strong>Aspen Country Day School 4th graders Sofia Abbaszadeh, 9, left, Bailey McDonough, 9, center, and Nell Lieb, 9, hold their signs in Paepcke Park as students give speeches during the Global Climate Strike event in Aspen on Friday, September 20, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/09\/climate-atd-092119-2.jpg\" alt=\"Aspen Country Day School 4th graders Sofia Abbaszadeh, 9, left, Bailey McDonough, 9, center, and Nell Lieb, 9, hold their signs in Paepcke Park as students give speeches during the Global Climate Strike event in Aspen on Friday, September 20, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/09\/climate-atd-092119-2-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/09\/climate-atd-092119-2-1.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | Aspen Mayor Torre, left, waits to direct students through City Hall to have a discussion about their climate concerns in Aspen on Friday, September 20, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"1\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"13\">\n<p><strong>Aspen Mayor Torre, left, waits to direct students through City Hall to have a discussion about their climate concerns in Aspen on Friday, September 20, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/09\/climate-atd-092119-2-1.jpg\" alt=\"Aspen Mayor Torre, left, waits to direct students through City Hall to have a discussion about their climate concerns in Aspen on Friday, September 20, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/09\/climate-atd-092119-2-2-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/09\/climate-atd-092119-2-2.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | Students march across Main St. to Paepcke Park to listen to speeches during the Global Climate Strike event in Aspen on Friday, September 20, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"0\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"11\">\n<p><strong>Students march across Main St. to Paepcke Park to listen to speeches during the Global Climate Strike event in Aspen on Friday, September 20, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/09\/climate-atd-092119-2-2.jpg\" alt=\"Students march across Main St. to Paepcke Park to listen to speeches during the Global Climate Strike event in Aspen on Friday, September 20, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/09\/climate-atd-092119-2-3-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/09\/climate-atd-092119-2-3.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | Tullis Burrows, 17, leads fellow students during the Global Climate Strike march in Aspen on Friday, September 20, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"12\">\n<p><strong>Tullis Burrows, 17, leads fellow students during the Global Climate Strike march in Aspen on Friday, September 20, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/09\/climate-atd-092119-2-3.jpg\" alt=\"Tullis Burrows, 17, leads fellow students during the Global Climate Strike march in Aspen on Friday, September 20, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/09\/climate-atd-092119-2-4-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/09\/climate-atd-092119-2-4.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | Aspen Middle School 6th grade student Sylvan Doyle, 11, right, holds a sign during the Global Climate Strike march alongside her classmates on Main St. in Aspen on Friday, September 20, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"1.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"14\">\n<p><strong>Aspen Middle School 6th grade student Sylvan Doyle, 11, right, holds a sign during the Global Climate Strike march alongside her classmates on Main St. in Aspen on Friday, September 20, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/09\/climate-atd-092119-2-4.jpg\" alt=\"Aspen Middle School 6th grade student Sylvan Doyle, 11, right, holds a sign during the Global Climate Strike march alongside her classmates on Main St. in Aspen on Friday, September 20, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/09\/climate-atd-092119-2-5-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/09\/climate-atd-092119-2-5.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | Patrick Keleher, 17, left, thanks Mayor Torre after the students addressed him with their concerns in Aspen on Friday, September 20, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"1.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"14\">\n<p><strong>Patrick Keleher, 17, left, thanks Mayor Torre after the students addressed him with their concerns in Aspen on Friday, September 20, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/09\/climate-atd-092119-2-5.jpg\" alt=\"Patrick Keleher, 17, left, thanks Mayor Torre after the students addressed him with their concerns in Aspen on Friday, September 20, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/09\/climate-atd-092119-2-6-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/09\/climate-atd-092119-2-6.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | Students gather on Paepcke Park to listen to speeches for the Global Climate Strike event in Aspen on Friday, September 20, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"10\">\n<p><strong>Students gather on Paepcke Park to listen to speeches for the Global Climate Strike event in Aspen on Friday, September 20, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/09\/climate-atd-092119-2-6.jpg\" alt=\"Students gather on Paepcke Park to listen to speeches for the Global Climate Strike event in Aspen on Friday, September 20, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/09\/climate-atd-092119-2-7-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/09\/climate-atd-092119-2-7.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | Students march across the Castle Creek Bridge for the Global Climate Strike event in Aspen on Friday, September 20, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"10\">\n<p><strong>Students march across the Castle Creek Bridge for the Global Climate Strike event in Aspen on Friday, September 20, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/09\/climate-atd-092119-2-7.jpg\" alt=\"Students march across the Castle Creek Bridge for the Global Climate Strike event in Aspen on Friday, September 20, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"caption-toggle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/hundreds-of-aspen-students-join-in-global-climate-strike-march-to-city-hall\/#\" class=\"show-captions\">Show Captions<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/hundreds-of-aspen-students-join-in-global-climate-strike-march-to-city-hall\/#\" class=\"hide-captions\">Hide Captions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">At first, there were about 50 students.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">It was 8:30 a.m. A dozen Aspen High School kids had walked out of class Friday morning and toward the middle school. There, they met a few dozen younger teens and their parents, all ready to participate in the Aspen counterpart of the Global Climate Strike.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Most of the students held cardboard or paper signs with statements including \u201cVote for the Future,\u201d \u201cWe are skipping our lesson to teach you one,\u201d and \u201cIf U Don\u2019t Act like Adults We Will\u201d written on them. It was a decent sized group, and as the clock ticked just past 8:45 a.m. it started to line up for the march into the city of Aspen.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Then, the rest of the high school showed up.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Flooding down the hill with signs and shouts, the climate strike quickly tripled in size and energy as freshman through seniors strode to join the younger students.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cNo more coal, no more oil, keep that carbon in the soil!\u201d chanted Tullis Burrows, 17, from a megaphone at the front of the student-led march.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">As the horde of students made their way along the bike path from the Aspen school district campus into the city, Burrows led several more chants, demanding things like a Green New Deal and for people driving by to get out of their cars and march.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Aspen students march in Global Climate Strike\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"about:blank\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-rocket-lazyload=\"fitvidscompatible\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/44elJR9BSzA?feature=oembed\">[embedded content]<\/iframe><noscript><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Aspen students march in Global Climate Strike\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/44elJR9BSzA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\">[embedded content]<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><\/noscript><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cEssentially, we have 10 years to reach a net-zero economy,\u201d Burrows said. \u201cAnd the implications if we do not is far reaching. \u2026 I\u2019ve known this (climate change) was a crisis my entire life and have grown up listening to people say for a decade we need to do something about it, but nothing has happened.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">That\u2019s why Burrows and many of his Aspen peers skipped class Friday and marched to Aspen City Hall to demand more local and county action against climate change.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">According to Aspen school district officials, 321 students from the high school took part in the march Friday, along with 80 middle school students.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">That\u2019s about 16 percent of the entire middle school and nearly 60 percent of the high school. The middle school students had to be signed out by their parents to participate. High school students walked out of the building on their own accord and were be marked with unexcused absences if their parents did not call in to excuse them.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">But the 401 Aspen students who skipped school Friday were part of a larger movement. Thousands of kids in more than 100 countries took part in Friday\u2019s Global Climate Strike. The international, student-led strike was spearheaded by Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old Swedish environmental activist, and aimed to urge adults to do more to reduce carbon consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThis is ridiculous. Teenagers striking from school to march and protest against climate change. Why? Because the adults we are supposed to be looking up to and learning from are too scared or busy to stand up for the next generation\u2019s future?\u201d an Aspen teenager shouted from the Paepcke Park gazebo to the strikers gathered below. Several students shouted \u201cAmen\u201d in response.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cTo me, it seems like the real world is just like middle school. The popular people such as presidents, corporations and business people, try to ignore what is happening to our climate, or worse, treat it like homework, procrastinating and leaving it for later. But I have news for you. We\u2019re running out of time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">After making a few stops to speak, chant and buy snacks, the Aspen climate strikers made it to Aspen City Hall around 10:30 a.m., where Mayor Torre was waiting for them.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Instead of meeting in the council chambers, as planned, Torre led the students to the park behind the city building where they sat and listened to more student speeches, along with responses from Torre and City Councilman Ward Hauenstein to the strike.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">In their short speeches, students asked city and county government officials to declare a climate emergency; support the federal Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act, which encourages a market-driven push toward clean energy by taxing carbon at the point of extraction; ban single-use plastics; and ensure solar and renewable energy is incorporated into all new buildings.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cI\u2019m speechless,\u201d said Mayor Torre after the students spoke behind City Hall. \u201cWhen I was over in Paepcke Park listening this morning, I was in tears. Your sentiments are heard, I promise you that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Torre made a commitment to the climate strikers that he would discuss a climate crisis declaration plan with city council and the Board of Pitkin County Commissioners that didn\u2019t just make a statement, but laid out stronger, attainable action in line with what the city and county are already doing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cWe\u2019re very conscientious about not just passing something that could be hollow in meaning. We want to do something that\u2019s got some teeth,\u201d Torre said. \u201cThe City of Aspen is an amazing organization and place. We\u2019ve done a lot to address climate change, but we could do more.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The city is approaching its 2020 goal of a 30 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, which Torre said Aspen is close to meeting but falling short of.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Torre emphasized that while government can do more, locals can do their part in helping decrease the city\u2019s carbon footprint.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Nearly 60 percent of Aspen\u2019s carbon footprint stems from residential and transportation habits, Torre said, noting that everyone needs to take action to change their habits to help meet the city\u2019s 2020 emissions reduction goal and in turn address climate change.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cWe all have a shared responsibility. \u2026 Be conscientious in your own lives,\u201d Torre said. \u201cThat will go a long way.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\"><a href=\"mailto:mvincent@aspentimes.com\">mvincent@aspentimes.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/hundreds-of-aspen-students-join-in-global-climate-strike-march-to-city-hall\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: The Aspen Times<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Aspen Country Day School 4th graders Sofia Abbaszadeh, 9, left, Bailey McDonough, 9, center, and Nell Lieb, 9, hold their signs in Paepcke Park as students give speeches during the Global Climate Strike event in Aspen on Friday, September 20, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times Aspen Mayor Torre, left, waits to direct [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-2448974","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-local-news"},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-27 02:19:04","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSPN The Valley&#039;s Quality Rock","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2448974","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2448974"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2448974\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2449037,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2448974\/revisions\/2449037"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2448974"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2448974"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2448974"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}