Former President Barack Obama, who helped to seal the Paris climate agreement six years ago, returned to an international climate summit here to rally nations to heal the planet, acknowledging the enormous complexity of the crisis but arguing that humanity has the capacity to create a safer, healthier world. Mr. Obama noted that the Paris agreement, signed by 197 countries in 2015, created a framework for climate action, but nations, including the United States, failed to follow through on their commitments to keep global warming within relatively safe margins. At each of several events, Mr. Obama emphasized the power of activism, particularly from young people, in pushing countries and companies to address the climate crisis. During the summit, young people have filled the streets of Glasgow and around the world to demand more ambitious action on climate change from their leaders. Mr. Obama urged them to keep up the pressure and to “stay angry.” “Our planet has been wounded by our actions,” he said. “Those wounds won’t be healed today or tomorrow or the next. But they can be healed by degrees. If we start with that spirit, if each of us can fight through the occasional frustration and the dread, if we do our part and follow through our commitment, I believe we can secure our future. We have to. And what a profound and noble task we have set for ourselves.”
By Somini Sengupta. New York Times. November 8, 2021.
Read article here:
