Area high school students rally for climate change action

Hundreds of Chicago-area high school students skipped class Friday to attend a youth-led rally for action on climate change in Chicago.

The students marched from Grant Park to the Kluczynski Federal Building to hear speeches, including one from U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin.

"It is time for your generation to stand up and say 'enough.' We're going to come together in the United States and demonstrate that we believe we have a responsibility this day, this week, this month, this year in this life to do something to make a better climate in the future," Durbin, a Springfield Democrat, told the crowd of about 500.

Amid the applause, several people chanted "Green New Deal" in reference to a resolution calling for the country to switch to only renewable energy sources and eliminate pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from transportation as much as possible, among other goals.

Durbin told reporters that he spoke with Green New Deal co-sponsor Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts, who told him the resolution was aspirational.

"I have many aspirations, but I want something legislational," Durbin said.

The event was organized by the Chicago chapter of the United States Youth Climate Strike.

One organizer, Liz Kuzmina, 17, from Elgin, worked with suburban schools to allow their students attend the rally. Kuzmina said many young people are passionate about solving climate change because they are going to have to deal with the worst of the fallout.

Before the speeches, the students formed a ring around the Federal building and were silent for 11 minutes, one for each year before the top climate scientists believe the damage to the planet will be irreversible.

The students carried signs including one reading "There is no planet B".

Gwen Casten, 14, of Downers Grove, said people need to understand this should be a bipartisan issue.

"There shouldn't be just one side fighting for it," said Casten, whose father is U.S. Rep. Sean Casten, a freshman Democrat.

Claire Gorey, 15, of Downer Grove, said she thinks the climate change issue is more nonpartisan the younger children are.

"I think the kids are coming together and realizing like, hey, we need to talk. This won't be solved until both parties come together and fix it," Gorey said.