Global Warming – A persuasive speech

Glaciers are melting. The sea is rising. The highest CO2 levels in 650,000 years. The outlook is bleak. Climate Change, the most worrying environmental threat of our time is starting to unfold. Predictions of fiercer droughts, more severe cyclones, and more frequent floods invade our media and perhaps our consciousness. The future will see polar icecaps melt due to the increasing temperatures. The warmer waters may cause the death of the Great Barrier Reef, placing thousands of species of plants and animals in danger, and many may become extinct.

Then there’s the economic costs of climate change – loss of tourism, loss of jobs, loss of fish, farmers battling, food prices through the roof, astronomical costs from more frequent natural disasters, the list goes on.

It almost sounds like a mad max scenario, but the sad fact is, it’s far from fiction. I’m Matt Hindmarsh from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology and I believe that as the caretakers of this planet we must strive together to reduce our carbon emissions and… save the planetBACKGROUND:We’ve all heard about Climate Change and you’ve now heard me list some of its disastrous effects, but what exactly causes it? And what can we do about it?In a nutshell, global warming, known as climate change, is the heating up of our world. It is the result of huge amounts of CO2 being pumped into the atmosphere, via the burning fossil fuels such as coal and oil to produce power and electricity and thousands and thousands of products, from plastic to makeup to the clothes that we wear.

Ever since the industrial revolution in the early 19th century, man has been progressively burning more and more fossil fuels. In fact, in recent times the burning of fossil fuels has been releasing more than a shocking 3 billion metric tonnes of CO2 per year, which has been effectively increasing the global temperature of the world and disrupting vital climate systems.

We are all global citizens. We all have access to information, facts, figures and statistics that undeniably prove climate change exists. We all depend on our earth – for clean air, for food and water, for resources, for our livelihoods. We are all consumers. We are all contributing to climate change. We are all responsible for our actions. We are all obligated to do something about it.

If not to save our own skins, think about our children, and our children’s children. Do you want them to inherit a devastated world, knowing full well that we contributed to its destruction? Do we want to be the generation that could have done something real, but instead chose to continue down this selfish road of pollution, alarming consumption and total disregard for the world we live in. Lets be the people that change the course of history.

The three biggest contributors to climate change are man-made, but all three of them can, and will be solved with your efforts.

PROBLEM 1: Massive carbon emittersPowerful corporations like the oil-producing BHP Biliton, aluminium giant Alcoa, and of course the coal burning mega factories that supply our electricity rely on the burning of fossil fuels, and are contributing huge amounts of emissions each year. They are literally pumping tonnes of the toxic gasses into the atmosphere that are slowly poisoning our planet.

These powerful companies have a vested interest in keeping things the way they are, they don’t want to see change because their profit depends on it. Some oil-mining companies even try and deny the existence of global warming whatsoever, just so they don’t have to take responsibility for the huge part they play. I wonder what their grandchildren will think of them when they realise that they chose profit over keeping our world healthy. But things need to change, and with your help they can. As individuals we have the power to help solve every one of them. Every individual can play an important part.

PROBLEM 2. Energy consumptionAlthough we are not the ones creating the energy, we are the ones consuming it. The amount of energy produced is merely the amount we demand. The average Australian household uses 8,900 kWh per year, which equates to roughly two and a half tonnes of carbon emissions per household a year. The amount of energy we are using is incredible and reducing it is a vital step towards stopping the onslaught of climate change.

PROBLEM 3. Transportation18% of the world’s carbon emissions is directly created by you and me.

How many of you own more than two cars? How many of you live on a bus route, but have never caught it before? How many of you drive to the shops if it’s only a five-minute walk away? The car has become such an integral part of society that we’ve not realised the harm it is creating. There are many alternative options of transport that can significantly reduce carbon emissions and it is up to us, humanity to reduce it. But if we do not use these alternatives, we can only expect the worst for the futureSOLUTION 1: For halting the massive carbon emissionsIt is our responsibility to put pressure on the government to enforce legislation to limit the amount of CO2 emissions produced by industries that produce raw goods, electricity and consumer products. And to commit to formal reduced emissions targets like Kyoto protocol. Let leaders know that polar bears living in the dwindling ice sheets of the arctic aren’t the only ones skating on thin ice.

People power, such as petitions to local member of parliaments can elevate the topic to become an important election issue, which will create awareness in the community and put pressure on leaders to act. Also, by not investing in, or purchasing products made by irresponsible corporations that recklessly pollute you CAN make a difference.

We can also make a difference by encouraging the research into alternative, renewable and ecologically sustainable fuel sources. You can do this by investing in green energy companies, which not only means that you’ll be helping the environment, but making financial gains from what’s expected to be a 50 billion dollar market by 2008.

How to reduce energy consumption at home.

If we are to make a serious attempt at reversing the severe harm caused by climate change we must not only change the way energy is produced, but also severely reduce the amount of energy we consume. I’m not trying to say that we need to make huge sacrifices for the cause of lowering emissions, for I believe that when every single small reduction in energy consumption is put to process on a global scale, the decrease in carbon emissions is dramatic.

For instance, if 1 million households replaced four traditional light bulbs with the much more energy efficient fluorescent variety, we could eliminate approximately 500,000 tonnes of carbon emissions per year. If we work together, results like these can be achieved, but we must be unified in our fight to save this planet. Or how about when you’re not using your computer? If 1 million people turned off their PC’s every night, we could eliminate more than 50,000 tonnes of carbon emissions per year.

Also, the increasing market in solar energy means that solar panels for either hot water heating or electricity generation are dropping in price, and purchasing these can significantly lower our dependence on energy grids, thus lowering your carbon output.

How to travel, cleanly One method of significantly reducing transport emissions is carpooling. The average commuter creates 3.5 tonnes of CO2 per year and sharing your car with one other person will effectively halve this figure and create another step towards creating a stable climate. But it is up to you to take these actions. Using public transport instead of driving will also significantly reduce emissions and it is your duty as an inhabitant of this planet to do so.

The most effective and efficient method of cutting down carbon emissions involves two wheels, and no carbon emissions. I’m talking about the bike, and if 1 million people replaced an eight-kilometre car trip with cycling we could reduce carbon emissions by an incredible 100,000 tonnes per year.

If driving a car is unavoidable however, buying cars with high fuel efficiency, cars that run on clean diesel as well as petrol electric hybrids will still significantly reduce carbon emissions. Also, you may be wondering, what about flying overseas – there’s no alternative mode of
transport for that! Well, by purchasing slightly more expensive tickets from environmentally aware carriers they will offset your emissions by either investing in green energy or using carbon credit trading.

These are perfect examples of how individual actions can make huge differences when we work together.

VISUALISATION:Imagine a future, in which carbon emissions have been near eliminated. A world where there is no longer thick smog over the horizon. A world where we are safe to know that our children, and our children’s children will grow up in an environmentally and economically stable world. Is the future that you want? If so, you must act. The facts are undeniable, but a bleak future is NOT inevitable. You can prevent it, but in order to, you must act. We must all act, in the name of the future, and in the name of the earth we live on.