this is my 4 year old cousin Nathaniel
he’s a silly guy who loves to play and
wrestle he’s happiest when he’s running
around outside usually in his pajamas he
hasn’t learned about climate change yet
he doesn’t know that the future of this
amazing planet is uncertain I’m hopeful
that when Nathaniel is my age which
isn’t that long from now there will be a
different story to tell about how we’re
caring for the earth all the news about
extreme weather is scary right I’m
scared
when I ask people about it the reactions
are usually somewhere between feeling
depressed and even hoping that it’s not
really happening but climate researchers
at Yale University did a study recently
showing that people are much more likely
to take action when they feel hopeful
when we’re scared or overwhelmed we are
not motivated to action hope leads to
action my passion for action on climate
change
started with an armored leopard when I
was 6 years old
I fell in love with this cat Ussuri who
lived at the Franklin Park Zoo and I
learned that 99% of endangered species
are at risk because of climate change
and other human impacts 99% so I decided
to get involved by starting a hot
chocolate stand and giving all of my
profits to saving animals this is me and
that was just the beginning what I’ve
learned in 10 years of climate activism
is that this is an exciting time to be
alive and that we have to be hopeful
about the future so now as a 16 year old
with my whole life in front of me here
are four reasons why I’m hopeful first
I’m hopeful because change happens when
we’re connected
when I was in Paris as a youth
representative at cop21 the United
Nations NGO climate conference I met
people from all over the world Prime
Minister’s from small island nations
indigenous leaders who taught us about
honoring and respecting the earth and
climate activists who had ridden their
bikes to Paris all the way from Vietnam
yeah that’s possible the energy and
power of this gathering and others I’ve
been a part of give me hope
like when almost half a million of us
marched in New York City for climate
justice the course of history changes
when we’re connected and when we come
together second I’m hopeful because the
change we need is possible the
International Energy Agency estimates
that governments are granting more than
500 billion dollars a year in subsidies
to fossil fuel companies like ExxonMobil
and BP that means your tax money is
paying for pollution can you imagine
putting that money to work to stop
climate change instead listen to what
can happen China just installed this
floating solar array the size of 160
football fields at a price of only forty
five million dollars you could build
more than 11,000 solar arrays that size
for the same 500 billion dollars every
year think about that with enough
sunlight hitting the earth every 15
minutes to meet global energy demand for
a year the solution is right up in the
sky there’s a green revolution happening
around the world Costa Rica got 99
percent of its energy from renewables
last year Denmark will soon be getting
half its energy from wind guess who
doesn’t want you to know about this
Green Revolution the fossil fuel
industry for them it’s all about profit
they only make money if we keep burning
coal oil and gas instead of using clean
energy like solar and wind
the truth is we have the money and the
technology to solve this problem and
solve it now
third I’m hopeful because we are
powerful we can all take action and I’ve
found that when we act we feel hopeful I
work on this issue all the time I
started an organization and I’ve trained
more than 2,000 young people on how to
make a difference in their communities
and I still sometimes get caught up in
the day-to-day pressure of life and
forget how important this work really is
but when I’m doing something like
testifying at a City Council hearing on
green energy or volunteering at the zoo
I remember so don’t let anyone tell you
that you can’t make a difference
everything we do to reduce our carbon
footprint planting a garden or a tree
hanging your clothes instead of using
the dryer taking public transportation
it all makes a difference because it all
reminds us that we are powerful I made a
choice to become a vegetarian when I was
seven because it was something I could
do I learned about the resources it
takes to produce meat did you know that
just skipping one burger saves as much
water as you would drink in three years
anything you can figure out to do that
gets you out of the dread and inertia
and moves you into action is worth doing
and if you can get others at your school
at your workplace or in your community
to join you you’ll make an even bigger
difference that’s how change happens
when we act we feel hopeful and finally
I’m hopeful because I have no other
choice we’re already seeing serious
effects of climate change
think about the devastating hurricanes
and horrific wildfires we’ve seen just
this fall these disasters are reminders
that we don’t have time to wait we’ve
never faced a challenge quite like this
but we have faced big challenges in the
past I want to say to my peers we have
the opportunity to be a new Greatest
Generation
like the one that defeated fascism and
rebuilt Europe after World War two or
like those of you who took a stand for
civil rights or for nuclear disarmament
or who realized there was a dangerous
hole in the ozone layer and figured out
how to heal it I want to take a moment
to thank all of you who are part of
those movements all of our lives are
better because you fought for us
everything you accomplished was only
possible because you had hope you
believed change could happen and you
were willing to do whatever it took we
need to do it again all of us together
this is an exciting time to be alive
with all of the challenges and
opportunities we can do this and when my
cousin Nathaniel and I are laughing
around a campfire with our mouths
stuffed full of marshmallows that’s when
I know we have to work together for a
healthy future for our planet so where
do you find hope who would you do
anything for an armored leopard a child
you love what can motivate you to get
involved in this movement hope inspires
our work our creativity and our
connection to each other so find your
source of hope and let’s fight together
for our future
[Applause]
you
he’s a silly guy who loves to play and
wrestle he’s happiest when he’s running
around outside usually in his pajamas he
hasn’t learned about climate change yet
he doesn’t know that the future of this
amazing planet is uncertain I’m hopeful
that when Nathaniel is my age which
isn’t that long from now there will be a
different story to tell about how we’re
caring for the earth all the news about
extreme weather is scary right I’m
scared
when I ask people about it the reactions
are usually somewhere between feeling
depressed and even hoping that it’s not
really happening but climate researchers
at Yale University did a study recently
showing that people are much more likely
to take action when they feel hopeful
when we’re scared or overwhelmed we are
not motivated to action hope leads to
action my passion for action on climate
change
started with an armored leopard when I
was 6 years old
I fell in love with this cat Ussuri who
lived at the Franklin Park Zoo and I
learned that 99% of endangered species
are at risk because of climate change
and other human impacts 99% so I decided
to get involved by starting a hot
chocolate stand and giving all of my
profits to saving animals this is me and
that was just the beginning what I’ve
learned in 10 years of climate activism
is that this is an exciting time to be
alive and that we have to be hopeful
about the future so now as a 16 year old
with my whole life in front of me here
are four reasons why I’m hopeful first
I’m hopeful because change happens when
we’re connected
when I was in Paris as a youth
representative at cop21 the United
Nations NGO climate conference I met
people from all over the world Prime
Minister’s from small island nations
indigenous leaders who taught us about
honoring and respecting the earth and
climate activists who had ridden their
bikes to Paris all the way from Vietnam
yeah that’s possible the energy and
power of this gathering and others I’ve
been a part of give me hope
like when almost half a million of us
marched in New York City for climate
justice the course of history changes
when we’re connected and when we come
together second I’m hopeful because the
change we need is possible the
International Energy Agency estimates
that governments are granting more than
500 billion dollars a year in subsidies
to fossil fuel companies like ExxonMobil
and BP that means your tax money is
paying for pollution can you imagine
putting that money to work to stop
climate change instead listen to what
can happen China just installed this
floating solar array the size of 160
football fields at a price of only forty
five million dollars you could build
more than 11,000 solar arrays that size
for the same 500 billion dollars every
year think about that with enough
sunlight hitting the earth every 15
minutes to meet global energy demand for
a year the solution is right up in the
sky there’s a green revolution happening
around the world Costa Rica got 99
percent of its energy from renewables
last year Denmark will soon be getting
half its energy from wind guess who
doesn’t want you to know about this
Green Revolution the fossil fuel
industry for them it’s all about profit
they only make money if we keep burning
coal oil and gas instead of using clean
energy like solar and wind
the truth is we have the money and the
technology to solve this problem and
solve it now
third I’m hopeful because we are
powerful we can all take action and I’ve
found that when we act we feel hopeful I
work on this issue all the time I
started an organization and I’ve trained
more than 2,000 young people on how to
make a difference in their communities
and I still sometimes get caught up in
the day-to-day pressure of life and
forget how important this work really is
but when I’m doing something like
testifying at a City Council hearing on
green energy or volunteering at the zoo
I remember so don’t let anyone tell you
that you can’t make a difference
everything we do to reduce our carbon
footprint planting a garden or a tree
hanging your clothes instead of using
the dryer taking public transportation
it all makes a difference because it all
reminds us that we are powerful I made a
choice to become a vegetarian when I was
seven because it was something I could
do I learned about the resources it
takes to produce meat did you know that
just skipping one burger saves as much
water as you would drink in three years
anything you can figure out to do that
gets you out of the dread and inertia
and moves you into action is worth doing
and if you can get others at your school
at your workplace or in your community
to join you you’ll make an even bigger
difference that’s how change happens
when we act we feel hopeful and finally
I’m hopeful because I have no other
choice we’re already seeing serious
effects of climate change
think about the devastating hurricanes
and horrific wildfires we’ve seen just
this fall these disasters are reminders
that we don’t have time to wait we’ve
never faced a challenge quite like this
but we have faced big challenges in the
past I want to say to my peers we have
the opportunity to be a new Greatest
Generation
like the one that defeated fascism and
rebuilt Europe after World War two or
like those of you who took a stand for
civil rights or for nuclear disarmament
or who realized there was a dangerous
hole in the ozone layer and figured out
how to heal it I want to take a moment
to thank all of you who are part of
those movements all of our lives are
better because you fought for us
everything you accomplished was only
possible because you had hope you
believed change could happen and you
were willing to do whatever it took we
need to do it again all of us together
this is an exciting time to be alive
with all of the challenges and
opportunities we can do this and when my
cousin Nathaniel and I are laughing
around a campfire with our mouths
stuffed full of marshmallows that’s when
I know we have to work together for a
healthy future for our planet so where
do you find hope who would you do
anything for an armored leopard a child
you love what can motivate you to get
involved in this movement hope inspires
our work our creativity and our
connection to each other so find your
source of hope and let’s fight together
for our future
[Applause]
you
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