Environmental Writing

Climate Change Speech

By activistforever

On Thursday, August 29, 2019, I heard a news article about Greta Thunberg, who inspired me to take action regarding climate change. She is a young girl from Sweden, who would boycott school to sit in front of government buildings in peaceful protest. This action led others to want change, too. It is estimated that more than a million students worldwide are participating in boycotts, demanding that world leaders prepare now for our future.

Why? Because the best scientists in the world are saying that our very existence is under threat. They estimate that 150-200 plant, insect, bird, and mammal species become extinct every day. This rapid extinction is caused unequivocally by human activity, including overpopulation and the release of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide or methane.

The glaciers in Greenland and the polar ice caps are melting much faster than anticipated. Ocean temperatures are rising faster than expected the same way average global temperatures are. Permafrost in Alaska, and other places as well, is melting. This is causing death to many of the species that make up our ecosystem, and our world. There is no Planet B.

On September 21-23 of 2019, there was a Climate Summit at the United Nations (UN). But it is not the United Nations that is lagging so much against climate change, it is the choices of our leaders, and even the choices families make in their own homes, or that schools make about how they power their school.

Some schools have solar panels, charging stations for electric cars, and many other ways to help the environment. But is that enough? And what about our homes? And the choices we make ourselves?The planet is warming up, and it's our fault, we're sure of it. Even though it's really bad, if we work hard enough, we'll still be able to fix it.

I conclude with a quote from Greta Thunberg:

I don't want you to hope

I don't want you to be hopeful

I want you to panic...

And act as if the house were on fire.