Center for Biological Diversity


For Immediate Release, September 22, 2014

Contact:  Kierán Suckling, (520) 275-5960  
Clayton Norman, (520) 444-6603

Environmental Leaders Arrested in New York as People Around World Call for Climate Action

NEW YORK— Leaders of the Center for Biological Diversity were among those arrested tonight in an act of civil disobedience at a climate protest in Manhattan. The arrests come a day after more than 300,000 people marched in New York, joining rallies around the world in the largest demonstration ever in the history of the climate movement.

“World leaders have failed all of us on the climate crisis, and frustration has hit a tipping point — not just for the environmental movement but for people around the globe,” said Kieran Suckling, executive director of the Center. “There have never been so many people from so many parts of the world speaking in a united voice for climate action. What happened this week will only build on itself until world leaders finally act.”

Suckling was arrested at a civil disobedience action Monday evening along with Center cofounder Peter Galvin. The arrests took place at the Flood Wall Street protest.

“Global warming is putting people, wildlife and indeed the entire planet on the path toward disaster. President Obama and other world leaders have an indisputable moral obligation to take action, but nothing they’ve done so far comes close to matching the magnitude of the crisis we face,” said Suckling.

Scientists say that, in order to avoid climate catastrophe, carbon in the atmosphere must be reduced to at least 350 parts per million, which means drastic cuts in carbon pollution that must be implemented soon.

“The window for avoiding this catastrophe is closing quickly, so the decisions we make now will have a profound impact on the planet for hundreds or even thousands of years,” said Suckling. “And make no mistake, failing to act is a conscious decision and one that’s unacceptable to people around the world.”

Hundreds of people affiliated with the Center were part of Sunday’s march, including 170 who rode the People’s Climate Train last week from San Francisco to New York. The train included ministers, Buddhist nuns, tribal leaders, teachers, students and activists from around the country.


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