Yesterday was an historic day for achieving a sustainable planet for the environment, people and world economies including South Carolina’s. 195 nations came together over 13 days in a Paris suburb to sign a climate accord to reduce carbon emissions that are driving accelerated climate change with the goal of fending off the most dire scientific projections of catastrophic weather events and up to a 6 foot sea level rise by the end of the century.
We are already witnessing the growing impact of global warming—severe storms, droughts, erratic weather patterns, and rising seas. We have a moral obligation to future generations to avoid the consequences of unrestrained climate change.
I encourage you to take 7 ½ minutes to watch President Obama’s address yesterday in which he points out the leadership of the United States in reaching this climate accord. He also presents the facts that counter critics’ assertions that reducing our carbon pollution will hurt jobs (it won’t) and that major carbon polluter like China won’t cooperate (they are).
Now our task is to make sure that this accord is carried out both here at home and abroad. This is the world’s best and last chance to protect the planet from environmental disasters we can’t even imagine and frankly don’t want to think about.
As the United Nations secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, said prior to the accord’s approval, there is “no Plan B”.