# Forward on Climate > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Forward_on_Climate > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Forward_on_Climate.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forward_on_Climate > Source revision: 1316370866 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|2013 climate change protest in Washington, DC, USA}} [[Image:2013_0217_142720AA.JPG|thumb|300px|Protester seeks a decision against the [Keystone XL](/source/Keystone_XL) Pipeline at the Forward on Climate Rally and March, February 17, 2013, in Washington, DC.]] The '''Forward on Climate''' rally was held at the [National Mall](/source/National_Mall) in [Washington, D.C.](/source/Washington%2C_D.C.) on February 17, 2013.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/thousands-rally-on-mall-over-climate/2013/02/17/7fb86be6-794a-11e2-9a75-dab0201670da_gallery.html |title=Thousands rally on Mall over climate |work=The Washington Post |access-date=2013-03-10}} The goal of the demonstration was to spur President [Barack Obama](/source/Barack_Obama) and Congress to take more action to address [global warming](/source/global_warming). Opposition to the proposed expansion of the [Keystone XL Pipeline](/source/Keystone_Pipeline), that was still pending at the time, was a particular focus of the rally. The event featured a range of speakers, including indigenous leaders, youth activists, and political figures such as Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and Van Jones, who emphasized the need for action to address climate change and called for the rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline.{{Cite web |title=A Reporter’s Notebook from Forward on Climate Rally |url=https://www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/articles/entry/a_reporters_notebook_from_forward_on_climate_rally/ |access-date=2023-03-11 |website=Earth Island Journal}} Among the speakers were [Sierra Club](/source/Sierra_Club) Director [Michael Brune](/source/Michael_Brune), U.S. Senator [Sheldon Whitehouse](/source/Sheldon_Whitehouse), actress and activist [Rosario Dawson](/source/Rosario_Dawson), [350.org](/source/350.org) founder [Bill McKibben](/source/Bill_McKibben),{{cite web|author=Lee-Anne Goodman, The Canadian Press |url=https://montrealgazette.com/business/Canadian+pipeline+Keystone+project+draws+climate+change/7977984/story.html |title=Thousands protest Keystone XL pipeline in Washington |publisher=Montrealgazette.com |date=2013-02-17 |access-date=2013-03-10}} and Obama's former Special Advisor for Green Jobs [Van Jones](/source/Van_Jones).{{cite web|url=http://www.democracynow.org/2013/2/18/tens_of_thousands_rally_to_stop |title=Tens of Thousands Rally to Stop Keystone XL Pipeline & Urge Obama to Move "Forward on Climate" |publisher=Democracy Now! |access-date=2013-03-10}} Participants marched from the [National Mall](/source/National_Mall) to the [White House](/source/White_House). Attendance was estimated at 35,000 (estimates ranged from 10,000 by a police officer to 50,000 by 350.org{{cite web|url=http://ens-newswire.com/2013/02/17/forward-on-climate-rally-draws-nearly-50000/ |title='Forward on Climate' Rally Draws Nearly 50,000 | Environment News Service |date=2013-02-17 |access-date=2013-03-10}}{{cite news|last=Simons |first=Marlise |url=http://rendezvous.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/18/holding-obamas-feet-to-the-climate-change-fire/ |title=Holding Obama's Feet to the Climate-Change Fire - NYTimes.com |publisher=Rendezvous.blogs.nytimes.com |date= 2013-02-18|access-date=2013-03-10}}), and was thought to have been the largest climate rally in American history.{{cite web|url=http://www.thenation.com/blog/172964/forward-climate-rally-sends-message-obama-no-keystone# |publisher=The Nation|title='Forward on Climate' Rally Sends a Message to Obama: No Keystone|author=Zornick, George |date=2013-02-17}}{{cite web|last=Lennard |first=Natasha |url=http://www.salon.com/2013/02/18/the_largest_climate_rally_in_u_s_history/ |title=The largest climate rally in U.S. history |work=Salon.com |date=2013-02-18 |access-date=2013-03-10}} The rally was arranged by the [Sierra Club](/source/Sierra_Club), the [Hip Hop Caucus](/source/Hip_Hop_Caucus), [350.org](/source/350.org),{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/17/us/climate-change-rally/ |title=Environmentalists fill National Mall to fight climate change |publisher=CNN.com |date= 2013-02-18|access-date=2013-03-10}} and other organizations.{{cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2013/02/thousands-rally-in-washington-to-protest-keystone-pipeline-87745.html?hp=l2 |publisher=Politico|title= Thousands Rally in Washington to protest Keystone Pipeline |author=Buford, Talia |date=2013-02-17}} ==Reception== [Patrick Michaels](/source/Patrick_Michaels) of the [Cato Institute](/source/Cato_Institute) said that if the Keystone XL pipeline were constructed, people would be employed to maintain it. He dismissed fears over the project, saying {{quote|It reminds me of the [TransCanada pipeline](/source/TransCanada_pipeline) that was supposed to cause all these problems and wreak all this havoc. It never did. All it did was supply oil.}} He praised [hydrofracturing](/source/hydrofracturing) for making a greater supply of natural gas available, and urged less governmental involvement in the energy sector. In his [State of the Union address](/source/2013_State_of_the_Union_Address) the following week, President Obama said{{cite web|url=https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/02/22/obama-administration-moves-forward-on-climate-change-without-congress |title=Obama Administration Moves Forward on Climate Change Without Congress – ''U.S. News & World Report'' |publisher=Usnews.com |date=2013-02-22 |access-date=2013-03-10}}{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/17/forward-on-climate-rally_n_2702575.html |title='Forward On Climate' Rally Brings Climate Change Activists To National Mall In Washington, D.C. (VIDEO) |publisher=Huffingtonpost.com |date=2013-02-17 |access-date=2013-03-10 |first=James |last=Gerken}} {{quote|We can choose to believe that [Superstorm Sandy](/source/Superstorm_Sandy), and the most severe [drought](/source/Droughts_in_the_United_States) in decades, and the worst [wildfire](/source/Wildfires_in_the_United_States)s some states have ever seen were all just a freak coincidence. Or we can choose to believe in the overwhelming judgment of science—and act before it's too late.}} The utterance was mentioned in several news stories about the rally. ==See also== * [List of protest marches on Washington, D.C.](/source/List_of_protest_marches_on_Washington%2C_D.C.) ==External links== * [http://www.taterenner.com/nokxl.php Photos of February 17, 2013 Forward on Climate Rally and March] ==References== {{Reflist}} Category:2013 protests Category:February 2013 in the United States Category:Protest marches in Washington, D.C. Category:2013 in Washington, D.C. Category:Environmental protests in the United States Category:Climate change protests --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Forward on Climate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forward_on_Climate) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forward_on_Climate?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.