Political Quotes

“I wish to speak about the importance of recognizing the reality of climate change. The truth is that manmade climate change is real. This past May was the planet's warmest May in the 136-year history of weather records. In fact, the last 13 months in a row all set world records for hottest average temperatures. Last year was the planet's hottest recorded year, and the last two decades include the 19 hottest years on record. Sea levels rose 7 inches in the last century. And, since the beginning of the industrial era, the acidity of the oceans has increased by 26 percent, which could destabilize the food chain. My own home State of California is seeing firsthand the effects of higher temperatures and changing precipitation patterns. We are in the midst of an epic drought, which scientists say has been made 15-20 percent worse due to human-induced changes in the climate. This has made a drought into a disaster. The wildfires in California are made even more terrifying by the hot, dry conditions. And the fire season now lasts 75 days longer than just 10 years ago, resulting in more and larger fires. As urgent as this issue is, it is not a surprise. We have seen these changes coming from a long way off.…”