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              Tens of Thousands March for Action on Climate Change

   by Reuters

   An international day of action on climate change brought tens of
   thousands onto the streets of New York City on Sunday, with organizers
   predicting the biggest protest on the issue in five years.

   About 100,000 people, including United Nations Secretary-General Ban
   Ki-moon, former U.S. vice president Al Gore, actor Leonardo DiCaprio
   and elected officials from the United States and abroad joined the
   People's Climate March, ahead of Tuesday's United Nations hosted summit
   in the city to discuss reducing carbon emissions that threaten the
   environment.

   Organizers said some 550 busloads of people had arrived for the rally,
   which followed similar events in 166 countries including Britain,
   France, Afghanistan and Bulgaria.

   Thousands more came by public transportation, walked or traveled in
   private cars.

   "Today I am marching for my children. I am marching so they can live in
   a world without worrying about the next big storm destroying their
   community," said Bill Aristovolus, the superintendent of an apartment
   building in New York City's working-class Bronx borough.

   Moment of silence

   A crowd including U.S. Senators Bernard Sanders of Vermont and Sheldon
   Whitehouse of Rhode Island marched along the city's Central Park,
   through midtown Manhattan to Times Square, where they stopped for a
   moment of silence at 12:58 p.m. (1658 GMT).

   Ban, wearing a T-shirt that read "I'm for climate action" marched
   arm-in-arm with primatologist Jane Goodall and French Ecology Minister
   Segolene Royal.

   "This is the planet where our subsequent generations will live," Ban
   told reporters. "There is no 'Plan B,' because we do not have 'Planet
   B.' "

   The drums, horns and chants that had echoed off skyscrapers halted and
   the bulk of the marchers stood still at 12:58 p.m. ET (1658 GMT) for a
   moment of silence.

   Organizers billed the event as the largest gathering focused on climate
   change since 2009, when tens of thousands gathered  in Copenhagen in a
   sometime raucous demonstration that resulted in the detention of 2,000
   protesters.

   Warmest August on record

   The march comes days after the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric
   Administration reported that August 2014 was the warmest on record,
   some 1.35 degrees Fahrenheit (0.75 C) above the 20th century global
   average of 60.1 F (15.6 C).

   New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on Sunday unveiled a new plan for
   the city to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent from 2005
   levels by 2050.

   All 3,000 major city-owned buildings would be retrofitted with energy
   saving heating, cooling and light systems by then, he said, though
   meeting the commitment will also require significant investments by
   private landlords.

   DiCaprio marched towards the front of the group, with members of an
   Ecuadorean tribe who have fought a years-long legal battle with Chevron
   Corp. over Amazon pollution.

   "This is the most important issue of our time," DiCaprio said. "I'm
   incredibly proud to be here."
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References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/climate-united-nations-thousands-march/2457453.html