crucial need for better protection of our nature’s resources. I had the honour of meeting the new President of France, along with many other heads of state. Speaking on behalf of the oceans, my message to the attendees was an urgent call to action: we need more protection for the open ocean to allow nature to replenish itself and recover from our overuse of its resources.
Time for Action
Now, more than ever, we must make important decisions and take significant action. We are at one of the most exciting times in human history. Although it has taken a while to get here, we are finally in a place where the public has more access to information than ever before. We now understand the greatest threats that face humankind: the increasing impact of climate change and our continued use of unsustainable energy.
The upcoming United Nations Climate Conference in Paris is a critical moment. The leaders and decision makers of the world have the opportunity to make significant changes that can allow us to create a better future. We inadvertently caused the acceleration of climate change through our emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, but we know how to fix it. We must reduce our emissions of carbon dioxide, we must create tangible goals for reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, and we must pave the way for countries, industries, and businesses to transition into a clean energy economy.
For too long, we have continued on a path of destructive development and exploitation of nature’s resources. There has been huge opposition by decision- makers to accept the inevitable result of climate change and make real changes to protect our environment. But now, human populations around the world are suffering. We are already feeling the impacts of our changing climate and we are suffering the consequences from the lack of action.
It’s Not Too Late
The good news? There has been a major ‘kick in the butt’ that is having severe economic impact and finally forcing even the deniers to take the climate discussions seriously. It is heartening that many economists and the insurance industry are calling for action because climate change is affecting every aspect of our economic well-being. Major storms and hurricanes such as Hurricane Sandy, for example, have shown us that without stabilizing our global temperature, we will experience stronger and more frequent storms, costing us billions
of dollars in damages. Droughts are increasing around the world, threatening freshwater and food security for billions. And as the oceans warm and expand, sea levels will rise and coastal communities will face uncertain futures, many will be forced to move. All of these and many more realities will affect our economic security as well as our environmental well-being.
It is not too late to move our world to a path for a more sustainable future, but the longer we wait, the more difficult and more expensive it will become. Borders are irrelevant: there is only one ocean, one land, one global system, upon which we all depend for survival. Although we cannot stop the climate from changing, we can reduce the human contribution to its acceleration. We must learn from nature – nearly all energy on Earth comes from the sun. The sun powers the winds, the waves and the currents. We must harness that energy just as nature has for millennia. The face of our planet is the ocean. It is the largest ecosystem on our Earth. But the face of climate change is not the whale, the polar bear, the glacier, the rainforest or the desert. The face of climate change is us. We are the ones who will feel the consequences most harshly if we do not take action now. Climate change is about saving ourselves. Along with that, everything else gets saved, too.
We have the opportunity to do that now. In Paris in 2015, we need to support a binding global climate agreement that reduces man-made greenhouse gases. Talk to your family, your friends and your neighbours. The quality of our lives depends on the quality of our environment. Our children, grandchildren and generations to come deserve to have the same privileges as we have had: to see the beauty of the colourful coral reefs, witness the majesty of the polar bears and benefit from the living, breathing rainforests, among all of nature. A prosperous economy will only be sustained by a healthy, clean-energy future. The cost of doing nothing is far greater than the cost of doing something. The time is now, and the opportunity is here. Let’s take actions now! If you support this initiative and would like to have your voice heard, please sign the on-line petition at www.oceanfutures. org/action/climate-change/take-action to make your voice heard. I am going to attend the UN Climate Conference in Paris, and will hand deliver these signatures to leaders around the world. With your support, we can tell these decision-makers and heads of state across the globe that the world demands real climate action.
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