Minnesotans participate in New York climate march

More than 300 Minnesotans are participating in the People's Climate March Sunday in New York.

The Minnesotans traveled by bus, van and train for the march to raise awareness about climate change and urge world leaders to act.

The United Nations Climate Summit will take place on Monday.

Related: Large protests in hundreds of cities vent ire at climate change

Organizer Andy Pearson of Minnesota 350 said thousands of young people are participating in the march.

"For young people climate change is one of their top issues, and it's because we're going to have to live through it. We're the generation that's going to see the 2 degrees of temperature rise or more," Pearson said.

Many of the Minnesota marchers will be part of a bloc opposed to oil extraction in Alberta, Canada referred to as tar sands. Some of the crude oil being extracted flows through pipelines that cross Minnesota.

Dozens of college students are among the Minnesota marchers, including Gustavus Adolphus senior Nicole Ektnitphong.

"We're seeing the connections between the past -- what's happened that got us to this present, and looking at the future and what that's going to be like for us. And I think that's something that's really unprecedented that's ever happened," Ektnitphong said.

The impacts of climate change will be felt differently around the world and by different generations, and she hopes the march will raise awareness about those injustices, she said.

Ektnitphong recruited 12 high school students from her hometown of Worthington who will also make the trip.

Climate activists not traveling to New York are holding local events in cities across the state, including St. Paul, Duluth, Rochester, Moorhead and Winona.