Climate Change Monologue Project

(A environmental scientist looks onto the construction of the of the Keystone XL Pipeline. He is devastated and slightly angry to see his homeland become industrialized by the line. He decides to approach the pipeline and talks to one of the workers).

The pipeline

Hey, you… yes, you! Who else would I be talking to? Now get your lazy self over here, now! Could you tell me what this is?... Keystone XL Pipeline… okay. Being an enviromental scientist, I could write a novels on why that’s terrible but, ways of getting power are scarce so continue please… I see. And who might be . Ugh, I’m sorry but, how are your lungs not rotting right now. That oil is so freaking crude! I feel like my lungs are decaying right now!... Oh you’re sorry for the inconvenience? You treat this like you just stepped on my foot. Do you not know the gravity of this situation?! I live about two or three miles away from here. I know families of people who live in this area, families with children mind you. If this is built and begins to be operated, then they could be killed by the carbon intake in a few years at least. The only possible way to apologize is to get this sh-(interrupted) do NOT interrupt me, I hate it when people interrupt me! Ugh. Where is the oil coming from anyway? The Canadian Tar Sands... It’s going up to Canada all the way down to Houston?! Okay that’s all I can take thank you for your time sir… Where am I going? Going to spread the word about this mess… The Tar Sands don’t contain just any oil. I did a study up there one time. Tar sands oil is heavier, more carbon-intensive, and more corrosive than any other oil. If I had to describe it one thought, then I would say it would be like pumping spider venom throughout all of the U.S.. I would have let this be but, between that poison that your going to be pumping through this rig and the fact that it’s spanning across the entire nation is just ludicrously terrible. Climate change is bad enough as it is but, if this thing is built then we might as well hang ourselves now. And I guarantee you right now, when I come back I won’t be alone. More people who share my opinion will join me and we’ll tear this thing down… Not your problem hunh? How about when I spread the word about this mess, people begin to act and speak out against this thing and the outrage grows like a wildfire. Will it then be your problem.

Agent of Change

(A boy decides to walk through a park after returning home from school. He sits down on a bench and reflects on the previous events of the day)

    Well, that went unbelievably bad. Went to school, discussed the horrible crisis of climate change, and then I am blessed with the knowledge that I can lend a helping hand to preserve the Earth so I do not have to see it go to hell when I grow up. This chance being the gigantic climate change march that takes place a few days before the United Nations’ climate change summit. Then I bring this up to my father so I can seek his approval and what do I get? A whole half an hour lecture about how climate change is just ¨propaganda for the media stations to feed off of¨. He then says ¨Stop worrying about problems that have nothing to do with you!¨ I cannot believe what he said at that moment. All of the morale and excitement inside of me was flickering uncontrollably like a candle’s flame but, then immediately extinguished like one. Stop worrying about problems that have nothing to do ewith me? Is he dense? I had discussed today that the carbon dioxide we put in the air covers the Earth in a very thick and invisible blanket that traps heat inside of the atmosphere along with us. This creates problems that can be catastrophic and even apocalyptic. Ice caps melting, sea levels rising, massive human displacement, extinctions, and possibly an Ice Age. This can lead everything on this planet into a dramatically ironic end of our world. Humans killing the very thing that they inhabit and the Earth paying it back with the same deed.(He stands up) You know what, I just go anyway. I would have asked him to come with me but, since it seems as if he does not care for the future of our home, our family, and more insulting, me I won’t bother. All of those changes are going to happen when I reach 40 or 50 years old and if I have children, then they will see the slow and drawn-out desolation of their own planet. I will not stand by and allow myself to be subjected to that fate. I will stand up along with the tens of thousands in New York in 10 days time and become an agent of change and save our Earth and only then will I rest easily.

Saño

(November 8th, 2013; The Filipino Climate Change Negotiator, Nadarev ¨Yeb¨ Saño, sits in his office one week after Typhoon Haiyan passed over the Philippines).