Political Quotes

“I would like to take some time now to rise to talk about something that I have talked about--some would say too much--on this floor. To yet, again, discuss the grave threat and the massive opportunity that is the climate crisis. Even as we talk right now about the necessity of limiting global warming to less than 1\1/2\ degrees Celsius, let's follow the math; the planet has already warmed by 1 degree, we only have \1/2\ degree to go. The last 7 years were the hottest ever on record. Even in spite of the pandemic, global levels of carbon dioxide have hit record levels. In fact, the last time CO<INF>2</INF> levels were as high as they are right now was 4 million years ago. Sea levels were 50 feet higher. That is the reality of what happens when heat melts ice, ice dumps water. This is the reality we have made. If we are to be judged by our works and we do nothing more in this moment, that judgment will not be pretty. That is our challenge and it is our opportunity. But this change in CO<INF>2</INF> levels didn't happen over a million years, it didn't happen over a thousand years, it didn't even happen over a hundred years. Half of all the CO<INF>2</INF> we have ever emitted as a species since that first fire that some upright hominid built in a cave a million years ago, half of all the CO<INF>2</INF> we have ever emitted was since 1990. That is within my lifetime. It is within the lifetime of almost all of the Members of this body.…”