400,000 marched for climate, but who cares?

Did you hear that on Sept. 21 nearly 400,000 people jammed NYC streets? For more than two miles - from Columbus Circle to the United Nations, past Central Park, through Times Square and down Broadway - they marched for climate change.

That's the combined population equivalent of Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and Des Moines - to demand serious and immediate steps to tackle the climate crisis. To my knowledge, there were four from Iowa City:

' Miriam Kashia - one of the climate activists who walked across the country;

' Dianne Dillon-Ridgley - an environmentalist and climate campaigner;

' Myself and my husband, John - ordinary folks who care about the future.

All three women are members of 100Grannies.org for a Liveable Future, an advocacy group working toward a fossil fuel-free future.

Afterward, John and I continued down the East Coast and across the South to visit with friends and relatives and to view scenic and historic sites. To our consternation, few were aware of the People's Climate March in which we had just participated. If we tried to talk about the march, eyes glazed over and the subject was changed.

As Miriam said on her blog, 'People don't want to hear the truth about what we are allowing the fossil fuel industry to do and what is happening to our planet.”

Media coverage across the country was minimal. Even in Iowa City, where a number of groups came together for a 'companion demonstration,” there was precious little in the media explaining or connecting local actions to the broader national picture. Companion demonstrations were also held all over the world - Berlin, Rio, Mumbai, Melbourne, Seoul, London and dozens more. Who knew?

New York City's mayor and council marched. In the absence of leadership from D.C., it's up to cities, counties and states to do the job. When will all elected to office become true, committed climate leaders? Somehow, the seriousness of the issue is not getting through.

Recently, online publisher Vox Media ranked nine actual threats to Americans as opposed to media hype. Climate change ranked fourth, after guns, traffic accidents and heart attacks/cancer. Ninth on the list? Ebola. Eighth? ISIS. Yet which are getting the most coverage?

' Ann Christenson of Iowa City is a member of 100Grannies.org. Comments: annfchris@gmail.com