The nation that leads the clean energy economy will be the nation that leads the global economy.
Combating climate change requires collaboration with many levels of government.
To make a smooth transition to a low carbon future the Government,
business and we as individuals need to immediately begin
to implement a major programme of action to significantly reduce our carbon emissions.
It is increasingly apparent that we must act now, as climate
change is accelerating. Climate change threatens both our security and our economic
development. Failure to take decisive action will have a dramatic impact.
Climate change
is our generation's greatest environmental challenge. It threatens our
economy, our Western way of life and our future. It will change every
facet of our existence, and unless we adapt to it, the results will be
catastrophic for years to come.
Change your leaders, not your light bulbs.
Global warming is too serious for the world any longer to ignore its danger or split into
opposing factions on it.
We have many advantages in the fight against global warming, but time is not one of them.
Instead of idly debating the precise extent of global warming, or the precise timeline of
global warming, we need to deal with the central facts of rising temperatures, rising waters,
and all the endless troubles that global warming will bring. We stand warned by serious and
credible scientists across the world that time is short and the dangers are great.
The most relevant question now is whether our own government is equal to the challenge.
An old American patriot described today’s situation very well.
As America fought for its independence, Benjamin Franklin said,
"we must all hang together, or assuredly, we shall all hang separately."
We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories.
A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land,
purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people.
The impact of climate change is a tremendous risk to the security and well-being of our countries.
The conservation
of our natural resources and their proper use constitute the
fundamental problem which underlies almost every other problem of our
national life.
Climate Change is a national security issue. We found that climate instability will lead to instability in geopolitics
and impact American military operations around the world. People are saying they want to be perfectly convinced
about climate science projections. But speaking as a soldier, we never have 100 percent certainty.
If you wait until you have 100 percent certainty, something bad is going to happen on the battlefield.
Our task is tough, and our time is limited.
Party organizations and governments at all levels must give priority to emission reduction and bring the idea deep into people's hearts.
The European nations take climate change very seriously.
Politicians think that if matters look difficult, compromise is a good
approach.
Unfortunately, nature and the laws of physics cannot
compromise — they are what they are.
And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty,
we say we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders;
nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect.
For the world has changed, and we must change with it.
Climate change is real. The science is compelling. And the longer we wait, the harder the problem will be to solve.
The most important thing about global warming is this. Whether humans are responsible for the bulk of climate change is going to be left to the scientists, but it's all of our responsibility to leave this planet in better shape for the future generations than we found it.
Policy decisions on climate change are being deliberated every
day by those without full knowledge of the science, and often with
intentional misinformation spawned by special interests.
The earth is warming at an alarming rate, we are running out of fossil fuels,
and it is long past time for us to take action to correct these problems.
They used to ask: "How will this decision that we make today affect our people in the future?"
Now we make decisions based on: "How does it affect me, now?
How does it affect the next shareholders meeting, three months ahead?
How does it affect my next political campaign?"
Climate change is such a huge issue that it requires strong, concerted, consistent and enduring action by governments.
It's not a choice between our environment and our economy; it's a choice between prosperity and decline.
Carbon emissions need to be dealt with now,
or the nation will pay more to do it later.
In Australia, average temperatures have risen almost one degree since 1910,
and each decade since the 1940s has been warmer than the one before.
That warming is real. Its consequences are real. And it will change our lives in real and practical ways.
Our nation is well equipped to make the transition.
We have an abundance of natural resources like wind, natural gas, solar and geothermal.
In the quest for comparative advantage, investment will flow towards those countries
that can offer more output for fewer emissions.
Inaction will cost jobs. Action will support jobs.
Sustainable development is the peace policy of the future.
This is the new politics. Personal responsibility. Not leaving it to others. I am my planet’s keeper.
The market is ecologically blind, just like it is in social and ethical terms.
Responsible policy should correct what the market alone is unable to regulate.
I hope we can all agree that, instead of continuing to subsidize yesterday's energy sources. We need to invest in tomorrow's.