Over 300,000 persons rallied in New York City Sunday demanding world governments do more to stem the mounting damage caused by unfettered climate change.

New Yorkers and other concerned citizens joined the rally called the People's Climate March that wound its way through New York's streets in advance of a major United Nations' summit that will deal with efforts to stop the climate crisis.

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In the U.S., about 1,400 organizations supported this rally, which includes non-government organizations, grassroots movements, labor unions, faith organizations and celebrities. Rallyists marched for two to three miles from Manhattan to Columbus Circle.

The People's Climate March in New York was a massive event for a city known used to big things. The march drew so many people it came to a halt because the entire 2.2 mile route was full. Such was the enthusiasm among rallyists that two hours into the procession, people were still setting out from the starting point near Columbus Circle.

The climax of the march came in the afternoon. All along the route, crowds quieted down for a moment of silence. There was an eerie silence at Avenue of the Americas at 57th Street as marchers raised their arms and looked down.

This climate change march in New York coincided with other rallies in major cities around the world. Some 2,700 climate events took place in 158 other countries and in cities such as Berlin, London, Melbourne and New Delhi.

According to Eddie Bautista from the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance, mass mobilization is an effective way to jolt the system into action that can be as powerful in a historical sense, hoping this event will have the same effect as the 1963 march in Washington that led to the Civil Rights Act.

The goal of this climate change march is to goad politicians to relinquish their support of major industrial corporations that are also the polluters and champion the rights of the people and the environment.

Following this climate change march is the U.N.'s Climate Summit 2014 this week where world leaders are to discuss the state of the planet's climate crisis and decide and commit to necessary actions needed to mobilize political systems.

A global agreement by 2015 should hopefully stop the steady rise in global temperatures that have increased by 2 degrees Celsius.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, former Vice President and climate activist Al Gore and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio were among the many notables at the New York rally.

"Climate change is a defining issue of our time, and there is no time to lose," de Blasio said. "There is no Plan B because we do not have Planet B. We have to work and galvanize our action."

In London, 40,000 marchers took to the streets, while a small gathering in Cairo, Egypt had a huge art piece representing wind and solar energy. In Rio de Janeiro, marchers had green hearts painted on their faces.

In Australia, the largest rally was in Melbourne, where 10,000 people rallied with banners and placards and called on their government to do more to combat global warming.

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