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Statement by Mr. Leonardo DiCaprio, United Nations Messenger of Peace, at
the Opening of the High-level Signature Ceremony for the Paris Agreement
22 April 2016
Thank you, Mr. Secretary General, for the honor to address this body once
more. And thanks to the distinguished climate leaders assembled here today who
are ready to take action.
President Abraham Lincoln was also thinking of bold action 150 years ago
when he said:
“The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present…As our
case is new, so we must think anew and act anew. We must disenthrall ourselves,
and then we shall save our country.”
He was speaking before the U.S. Congress to confront the defining issue of
his time – slavery.
Everyone knew it had to end, but no one had the political will to stop it.
Remarkably, his words ring as true today when applied to the defining crisis of
our time – climate change.
As a UN Messenger of Peace, I have traveled all over the world for the last
two years, documenting how this crisis is changing the natural balance of our
planet. I’ve seen cities like Beijing choked by industrial pollution, ancient
Boreal forests in Canada that have been clear cut and rainforests in Indonesia
that have been incinerated. In India, I met farmers whose crops have literally
been washed away by historic flooding. In America, I have witnessed
unprecedented droughts in California and sea level rise flooding the streets of
Miami. In Greenland and in the Arctic, I was astonished to see that ancient
glaciers are rapidly disappearing, well ahead of scientific predictions. All
that I have seen and learned on my journey has absolutely terrified me.
There is no doubt in the world’s scientific community that this a direct
result of human activity and the effects of climate change will become
astronomically worse in the future.
I do not need to tell you these statistics. You know them better than I do,
but more importantly, you know what’ll happen if this scourge is left unchecked.
You know that climate change is happening faster than even the most pessimistic
of scientists warned us decades ago. It’s become a runaway freight train
bringing with it an impending disaster for all living things.
Now, think about the shame that each of us will carry when our children and
grandchildren look back and realize that we had the means of stopping this
devastation, but simply lacked the political will to do so.
Yes, we have achieved the Paris Agreement. More countries have come
together here to sign this Agreement today than for any other cause in the
history of humankind – and that is a reason for hope – but unfortunately, the
evidence shows us that it will not be enough.
Our planet cannot be saved unless we leave fossil fuels in the ground where
they belong. An upheaval and massive change is required right now – one that
leads to a new collective consciousness, a new collective evolution of the human
race, inspired and enabled by a sense of urgency from all of you.
We all know that reversing the course of climate change will not be easy,
but the tools are in our hands, if we apply them before it is too late.
Renewable energy, fossil fuels and putting a price on carbon pollution are
beginning to turn the tide. This transition is not only the right thing for our
world, but it also makes clear economic sense, and is possible within our
lifetime.
But it is now upon you to do what great leaders have always done: to lead,
to inspire and empower as President Lincoln did in his time.
We can congratulate each other today, but it will mean absolutely nothing
if you return to your countries and fail to push beyond the promises of this
historic agreement. Now is the time for bold, unprecedented action.
My friends, look at the delegates around you. It is time to ask each other
– which side of history will you be on?
As a citizen of our planet who has witnessed so much on this journey, I
thank you all for everything you have done to lay the foundation of a solution
to this crisis, but after 21 years of debates and conferences, it is time to
declare: no more talk, no more excuses, no more 10-year studies, no more
allowing the fossil fuel companies to manipulate and dictate the science and
policies that affect our future. This is the only body that can do what is
needed.
All of you sitting in this very hall, the world is now watching. You’ll
either be lauded by future generations, or vilified by them.
Lincoln’s words still resonate to all of us here today:
“We will be remembered in spite of ourselves…The fiery trial through which
we pass will light us down, in honor or dishonor, to the last generation…We
shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best hope of Earth.”
That is our charge now – you are the last, best hope of Earth. We ask you
to protect it, or we and all living things we cherish are history.
Thank you very much. |
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发表于 2016-7-12 21:29:56