On 17 September, tens of thousands of people marched through the streets of Manhattan in New York demanding that the government abandon fossil fuels. According to organisers' estimates, between 50,000 and 75,000 people took part in the event.

The burning of fossil fuels is a major factor driving the climate crisis, with increasingly drastic consequences for people around the world. As reported by euronews.com: "Over the past few months, Earth broke its daily average heat record several times according to one metric, July was the hottest month ever on record, and the Northern Hemisphere summer was declared the hottest on record".

Actress and climate activist Susan Sarandon reminded during the march that the US is now responsible for a third of new fossil fuel extraction projects worldwide. President Joe Biden, on one hand, passed the historic $369 billion climate bill in 2022, and on the other, issued permits for oil drilling and the expansion of gas installations in the Gulf of Mexico.

At the beginning of 2023, the Biden administration's decision to allow the Willow Project - drilling on pristine Alaskan land - was widely criticised. On 20 September, in New York, as part of the UN assembly, the Climate Ambition Summit will be held, where world leaders are expected to agree on decisive steps to combat the climate catastrophe. President Biden will not attend this event.

The climate march in New York was one of hundreds that took place over the weekend of 15-17 September in 65 countries on all continents. Protests under the slogan #EndFossilFuels were held in most European countries, including Poland, as well as in Australia, the Philippines, Nigeria, Pakistan and even on the North Pole, among others.

Source: Euronews.com