The surprising truth about Climate change.
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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
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you