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UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon joins People’s Climate March in NY

September 22, 2014

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, from left, primatologist Jane Goodall, former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, and U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon participate in the People’s Climate March in New York, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2014. Thousands of demonstrators filled the streets of Manhattan on Sunday, accompanied by drumbeats, wearing costumes and carrying signs as they urged policy makers to take global action on climate change. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

The Korea Times Los Angeles staff

UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon joined hundreds of thousands of environmental activists in the streets of Manhattan on Sunday with the hopes of demonstrating the public’s growing urgency towards climate change.

In the early afternoon, Moon entered the march with notable figures from the ongoing global warming debate including Al Gore, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, Leonardo DiCaprio and renowned scientist Jane Goodall. The result of their presence brought a thunderous cheer and revitalized the already-energetic march.

With the UN climate change summit coming to New York city on Sept. 23, the timely actions of concerned citizens brings global warming back to the forefront of political discourse.

On numerous occasions, Moon has urged President Barack Obama and other world leaders to redirect focus from military and financial issues towards environmental ones due to the belief that global warming will be “major driver of war and conflict,” according the Washington Post.

Although controversial, leaders such as President Obama have taken significant financial initiative to help spur growth in the clean energy industry.

He continues to lead and show support for this cause both on an administrative and social level and will be a key influence in the aforementioned UN summit.