Young, old urge action on global warming
From Maine to Boston, hundreds rally on dangers of climate change
 Rigby Knox, 9, of Dedham; Ike Okerekwu, 11, of Boston; and Mac Perry, 9, of Dedham scream in front of the bandstand, as children in the crowd were asked to show their support for environmental awareness. (John Tlumacki/ Globe Staff) |
In Portland, Maine, marchers wearing masks and snorkels wanted to make a serious point: The country must stem global warming, or rising sea levels will submerge coastal cities.
The march was part of a day of nationwide demonstrations calling attention to climate change. In Brookline, parents pushed strollers to warn that the next generation will suffer from a warmer Earth.
In Framingham, car enthusiasts extolled the frugal gas consumption of a Honda Civic Hybrid. In Maine, hikers sang a tune about carbon emissions from the snowy summit of Cadillac Mountain.
In Harvard, residents flew handmade kites, harnessing, they said, the winds of change. And on Boston Common, hundreds chanted, "Step it up today!" and "Climate change -- no way!"
"It took 100 years to abolish slavery; it took 70 years for women to earn the right to vote," declared Kevin Knobloch, president of the Union of Concerned Scientists. "We have a much shorter horizon, but we can do this."
MICHAEL LEVENSON 
