More than 50 people gathered outside the federal building in Rochester Friday afternoon for a rally in response to President Trump’s decision to pull out of the Paris climate accord.
The rally was organized by the Rochester People’s Climate Coalition and one of the leaders of that group, Linda Isaacson Fedele, says even with the withdrawal from that agreement, there are still a number of people and organizations around the U.S. who will continue to push for those standards.
“I think we’re going to nationally and statewide and locally still meet a standard set forth by the Paris agreement and maybe this was even a good thing to make sure that it happens, so we’re going to draw attention to that and get people involved,” she told WXXI News.
She also says that in general, Rochester has been quite environmentally-minded, with a march held in December of 2015, encouraging then-president Obama to support the Paris climate talks.
“Back then, before the current administration was in, over 400 people in the streets in December was a really big deal. I’m also heartened by the mayor and city council’s positive endorsement of the climate action plan that will hopefully get passed within the next month.
Isaacson-Fedele points to the fact that a number of mayors around the U.S. have signed a pledge to uphold the climate agreement and Governor Cuomo is forming a climate alliance with at least two other states.
