The surprising truth about Climate change.

[Music]

a friend of mine told me a story once

about what happened the last time a king

tide

affected his tiny island of palau

his twin brother and his brother’s wife

and child were caught in a struggle

for survival as the tidal waters

rushed in and swallowed up the land all

around them

they ran for their lives his brother was

able to secure his wife

and child in an area away from the

rising waters

but he could not go with them there

simply wasn’t enough room

and so not knowing whether he would ever

see them again he left them there

and stayed outside to struggle for his

own life

luckily they were all able to survive

but this story stuck with me because it

demonstrated so graphically

that is those who are least responsible

for the climate crisis

that are suffering the most from its

impacts

i am a climate change negotiator for

island countries

and i’m here to ask you the fundamental

question

why aren’t you afraid

as global emissions increase sea levels

rise

glaciers melt oceans warm we wake

up to news about super storms hitting

the same coastline

two at a time we wake up

to news about drought happening

everywhere we wake up to news

about millions of acres of forests

going up in flames releasing so much

smoke and ash into the atmosphere that

it blocks out the sun

why aren’t you afraid because it seems

as though

the crisis that is fueling all of these

events

is nothing but a footnote in our

collective

consciousness make

no mistake this is not about saving the

planet

this is first and foremost about saving

ourselves

i am certainly afraid i entered the

global climate negotiation process

as a young black woman i would walk into

rooms knowing full well that because i

spoke for the small

the vulnerable the marginalized

most in those rooms were not interested

in anything i had to see

but i had the conviction that i would

have to see it

anyway every single time i opened

my mouth i was afraid 10 years later

and not much has changed there’s an

african proverb

that goes your greatest hope is your

greatest fear

my greatest hope is that i can use

my voice to encourage others to care

about the climate crisis but this is all

wrapped up in my fear of phora like

these

where i have to stand before you and

show you

just how afraid i am

yet here i am climate change is here

and it will be with all of us for the

rest of

all of our lives but in this moment

right now

there are still things that we can do

and i would like to share three of them

with you

first of all get in the know about this

crisis

we cannot act on what we do not

understand

second of all we need to eat

less meat coupled with the emissions

that these animals emit

themselves the emissions from land

clearing for animal production

produces more greenhouse gas emissions

than the entire global transportation

sector combined

planes trains automobiles you name it

and lastly we need to hold our elected

officials accountable the regulations

they

make and do not make matter

they impact the air we breathe the

quality of water we drink

the energy available to us and the cost

of that energy and more importantly

the likelihood that our children or

grandchildren generations that are here

generations to come will inherit

a livable planet the late chadwick

boseman said

purpose is the essential element

of you it is the reason why

you were here on this planet at this

particular time

in history at this particular time

in history human civilization is facing

its

greatest threat i invite you

to embrace the fear and find your

purpose

in helping to address it

[Music]

you