story and photos by Caitlin Grey, first-year in the College

Although it may not be as exciting as November 11th of next year for most people, this Sunday, October 10, (10-10-10) was a big day for environmentalism. 10-10-10 was an international day of climate action organized by 350.org. along with over 7000 registered in 188 countries, the University of Chicago was part of this global call against climate change. 

Around twenty students from the University of Chicago, primarily members of the Green Campus Initiative and Students for a Just and Stable Future, met at 11:30 in front of the Regenstein Library on Sunday to bike and bus to Pilsen, a historically immigrant neighborhood of Chicago. There we rallied against the Fisk and Crawford Power Plants.

Students bussed and biked around the various blockades and detours in place for the Chicago Marathon that day to join around one hundred other environmentally concerned Chicago residents in front of the Alivio Medical Center, a block from the coal-fired power plant that causes health problems and pollution in the area.

At the rally we heard speakers from various organizations including Green Peace, Physicians for Social Responsibility, the Sierra Club, and the Huffington Post, made calls to our local aldermen asking them to close down the polluting power plant, signed petitions, and added to a live art installation. We also took a picture to be featured on 350.org along with photos of thousands of other actions across the globe.

As a first year I was thoroughly impressed by this event as my first environmental action in Chicago, and found it very valuable to learn about one of the environmental problems in this city. It was inspiring to see people of all ages, races, and genders with a common interest in the health and future of communities that suffer from environmental degradation.