Importance of Washington, DC

Washington, DC is the first place Ken travels to at the end of his hike. In Washington, Ken attends a major climate change rally and reconnects with some of his friends from Nebraska, who continue to treat him like a local celebrity. As a major city and the location of a big rally, Washington, DC is an abrupt immersion into urban society after Ken has spent so many months primarily alone on the road in very rural areas. Washington, DC also represents the fact that, for climate change to be fought in a truly meaningful way, governments, politicians, and large corporations need to get involved and start taking significant action.