Speech about Global Warming and Sollution

Today, I am here to discuss global warming…

The single greatest environmental challenge facing this planet. The earth is warming up faster than anyone expected. The first seven months of this year, and the last three decades, were the warmest since 1895. And the Earth’s temperature has climbed to the highest point it has been in the past 15,000 years. If we act now and further temperature increases are kept to 1 to 2 degrees Fahrenheit, the damages – though significant – will be manageable. But if we don’t act, and warming increases by 5 to 9 degrees, the damage will be catastrophic and irreversible. The Earth has warmed 1 degree in the past century, and we are now seeing the dramatic effects: Oceans are rising; coral reefs are dying; species are disappearing; glaciers are melting. Greenland is now losing 20% more mass than it receives from new snowfall each year. And it will shrink further as the planet warms. Heat waves, droughts, hurricanes and floods are occurring with greater frequency and greater intensity. In 2003, heat waves caused 20,000 deaths in Europe and the number of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes has doubled since the 1970’s. If nothing is done…if the Earth warms 5 to 9 degrees Fahrenheit, the face of our planet will change forever.

The Greenland and Western Antarctic ice sheets would melt completely. These two ice sheets currently hold 20 percent of the Earth’s fresh water. Sea levels could well rise by 20 feet. Think about the damage that would cause to coastal areas around the world. Additionally, hurricanes, tornadoes and other severe weather would become more volatile than ever. Catastrophic wildfires would more than double as temperatures spike to well above 100 degrees. The Earth may be much closer to a tipping point than science has shown thus far. And if we move beyond that tipping point, catastrophe becomes a certainty. You can’t go back, because the carbon dioxide doesn’t dissipate. It stays in the atmosphere for five decades or more. That means the carbon dioxide produced today will still be in the atmosphere in 2050 and beyond – causing the Earth’s temperature to rise. To stabilize the planet’s climate, we need a 70 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.

That’s why we must act soon and decisively. We must act now. Our decision will impact not only our future, but the futures of our children and grandchildren. The question is: what should we do? The largest contributor to global warming is electricity generation which makes up 33 percent of the problem. Globally, coal produces 9.3 billion tons of carbon dioxide every year – or one-third of all global greenhouse gas emissions. So it’s critical that we find ways to clean up coal. The second largest contributor is transportation which represents 28 percent of carbon dioxide emissions.
Fundamentally, there are two ways to reduce these emissions.

1. Improve the fuel efficiency of vehicles.
2. Move away from oil and gasoline-based fuels and toward alternatives.

We also need to develop new, clean technologies and alternative fuels. This includes the electric plug-in hybrid, bio-fuels, E-85 using cellulose ethanol, and fuel cells. A 4 inch by 4 inch fuel cell can power a 30 watt light bulb for 5 years. Thus clean fuel cells can be used to produce electricity and hydrogen to fuel our vehicles with no carbon dioxide emissions. We also need to become much more energy efficient. We, as individuals can also make a difference. Inexpensive solar panels, carpooling, using energy efficient light bulbs and appliances, windmills that can be built in your backyard, and geothermal energy are other simple solutions. These are easy to do, and they can really make a major difference.

Now is the time to act. The choice is clear. It is time to stop talking and to begin acting.

Thank you.