G20 Activists: Why Am I Here Today?

by Michelle Frey

The banner has come down. Greenpeace activists are safe. And, after two hours hanging from the West End Bridge, the 80×30-foot banner spoke to world leaders meeting in Pittsburgh at the G20 summit.

“Why am I here today?”

It’s not easy to change the way the world operates. There is no “easy button” to turn off all the pollution and resource destruction. But, the reality is—burning fossil fuels for energy is destroying our planet. We need a fundamental switch to clean, renewable energy in order for future generations to have, well, a future.

I realize that’s not easy. It will take all of us working together, building “green” infrastructure. But, I believe that fighting for a clean healthy future for my son is worth it. I want to be able to look him in the eyes and tell him I did everything I could to make sure he could touch a 1,000 year old tree, swim in pollutant-free rivers, breath fresh air and see glaciers.

I’m not a climber, but I was able to hang my very own Greenpeace banner—on Facebook! There is a really neat new app, try it out.

And, if you haven’t taken action yet, please do. President Obama needs to hear from all of us that we are ready for a strong world climate treaty. Together, we can do great things. © 2009 Greenpeace