Climate Change Monologue Project

Thiago, a young boy from the favelas of Rio de Janeiro

"Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time, and we need to meet this challenge together." "Climate change is a fact. Its consequences, damages and costs are already being felt around the globe." -- Heinz Fischer, federal president of Austria

Davi can’t help you, Mr. Silva… My brother is tried, he has worked on the World Cup stadiums, nonstop. He’s worked long days and usually would not return home until dinnertime, once I had returned home from school… Because I enjoy school! I get an education that I can’t get anywhere else… I don’t learn anything from these streets… All there is are drugs and prostitutes, Mr. Silva…  I dream of being an engineer, sir…  Someone that changes the world by creating things… Well yes cars are an example but I want to be a environmental engineer.

Ok. How can I explain this?... Well you have seen the stadiums right?... Well, even though most have solar panels or a form of solar and renewable energy, these stadiums have taken billions of dollars to build just so they can play four games… Yes, our government spent over ten billion dollars on stadiums that won’t even be used anytime in the future! Plus, we had to input all this equipment which were flown in from all over the world, just so games could be played… Exactly what everyone thinks. Fifa made us build all those big stadiums instead of using one’s we already have… I know Mr. Silva, you don’t like President Rousseff at all, little do.

"Brazil is a major food producer. We are aware that low-carbon farming practices both reduce emissions and increase productivity in the agricultural sector. Similarly, agroecological practices in smallholder farming help reduce rural poverty in the countryside. " -- Dilma Rousseff, president of Brazil.

Now discussing climate summit in class

I didn’t know what to think of the climate summit Mrs. Santos… It was important to have these people come together and discuss but that’s all the do, discuss. They talked for a whole day in all different types of meetings but never came to a plan or any sort of commence of a plan to embark on our challenge to fight climate change… President Obama did go to the summit, as did Prime Minister Cameron, President Hollande, and many other important head leaders. But, Putin wasn’t there, Xi Jiping wasn’t there, Chancellor Merkel,  Australia, Canada or India head leader representatives weren’t there either. Developing countries barely had a say on what their country needed help with on the topic or contribute any plan for the UN to combat climate change. It was just a bunch of talking, no action.

"Climate change is the defining issue of our age. It is defining our present. Our response will define our future. To ride this storm we need all hands on deck. That is why we are here today. We need a clear vision. The human, environmental and financial cost of climate change is fast becoming unbearable. We have never faced such a challenge. Nor have we encountered such great opportunity. A low-carbon, climate resilient future will be a better future. Cleaner. Healthier. Fairer. More stable. Not for some, but for all."  Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki Moon.

How can I explain it to you Marcelo?... The climate change summit was almost like the world cup. Leaders from all over world came together and discussed global warming. They talked about how bad it was and very few gave points to stick with to battle it… During the world cup, there were countries that everyone paid attention to; Germany, England, Brazil, US, France, as examples. There were countries that very few thought even had a slight chance to win; Ghana, Cameroon, Bosnia, Costa Rica, Iran, as examples. It was similar during the summit. Sure some leaders didn’t appear but the people with the largest speeches and most speaking time were those from the US, France, Germany, England, Brazil but countries such as Democratic Republic of Congo, Lebanon, Guatemala, Gabon, as examples barely did.

During the summit there were certain people that held the power. Obama, Hollande, Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, Leonardo DiCaprio, David Cameron. They were the Neymar, Ronaldo, Messi of the day. Sure they had a thing to say but it didn’t mean they were the only important ones.  

"Climate change serves as a threat multiplier and contributes to escalate conflicts over natural resources, hinder the economic development and increases pressures on international governance. The cost of not addressing climate change consists a serious threat to the stability of impacted states, as well as undermining progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals." -- Bujar Nishani, president of Albania

The whole point of the summit was to get a picture for the UN in order to fight the global warming right now. Our leaders failed to do that. It was just a field day for them, a chance for them to take photos with one another and shake hands, act as though the world is perfect but we know better Marcelo… We, the normal people, the poverty struggling people in places like the favelas around the world who don’t have a form of leadership titled to their name are the Costa Rica of the world. We have a small amount of cash but once our skills are heard and seen, the story of our world may just be heard.  

“But let me be honest.  None of this is without controversy. In each of our countries, there are interests that will be resistant to action.  And in each country, there is a suspicion that if we act and other countries don't that we will be at an economic disadvantage.  But we have to lead.  That is what the United Nations and this General Assembly is about.” President Barack Obama.

We can come together as a world to combat global warming. We saw the world come together for the world cup only two months ago. Football can connect the world, why can’t climate change? As Pele says, Brazil eats, sleeps and drinks football. It lives football! But we also live through climate change.

Angela Merkel is about to make a speech to the UN General Assembly in the 2014 Climate Summit, she is thinking to herself.

Never have I ever witnessed a world so distraught over one simple fact. Climate change. At the height of my life, I am chancellor of Germany. I go here to the UN, I talk to other leaders and still view people that conclude that climate change isn’t real. As a former physicist and environmental minister of Germany, I know beyond a doubt with the help of the ever flowing data from more than 97% of scientist stating that global warming is completely real.

Since taking my seat as a politician in Germany, I have been a person to uphold a lot of responsibility in the environment sense. I was part of the group of selected officials and key leaders drafting Kyoto Protocol in 1997. During and after my work as environmental minister in 1994 to 1998, Germany has become a leader, if not the most impactful nation, to combat climate change. One of the largest elders in renewable energy and reductions of emissions over the past two decades.

Germany has the ability to guide the world, including developing countries and largely  industrialized countries, to take in a role to thwart global warming by creating jobs, improving the environment, polish education especially in STEM areas, promote women’s rights in STEM fields and meliorate our nation’s communication. I know for certain that now is the time to agitate global warming. We have time to modify our story before climate change takes it from us. Regulation of simply things like CO2, will bring jobs but also care for our earth.

Angela goes up to speak at the united nations climate summit

Ladies and gentleman, leaders of the world, normal human beings, it’s time to act. Our world is calling for us. We must come together and take action. We are called here to come up with plans to react. We are the terrorist in this situation, lets obey our call to action before we are all gone.