ICYMI: The Weather Channel’s "The Climate 25"

Despite the consensus among climate scientists that human activity causes global warming, some people insist that the jury is still out.  

In response, The Weather Channel has weighed in with its position on climate change: “We report the science, and the science consistently says climate change is real, humans are causing it, and we must prepare for its effects.”

As a follow up to its position statement, they produced a series featuring “The Climate 25,” a diverse group of thought leaders who discuss their perspectives on global climate change and solutions for mitigating it. 

The presentation is simple – participants speak for less than two minutes and the footage is in black and white – but their commentary is illuminating. Their reflections are a stark reminder that inaction on climate change will have wide-reaching and interconnected effects on resource availability, national security, and the global economy. 

Below are just a few quotes that indicate the range of perspectives included in the Weather Channel’s series: 

“You can’t say that environmental regulation automatically causes the economy to stop. It doesn’t. It’s the wrong way to frame the issue.”
--Christine Todd Whitman, Former New Jersey Governor, EPA Administrator (2001-03)

 “Many conflicts throughout our history have been based on resource competition. Increasingly, in the future, we’ll be defining some of our national security interests in those resource contests. And so, availability of energy [is] at the top of the list; availability of fresh water, [is] right up there with energy. You can predict that that drives human activity in a way that can create conflict.”
--General Charles H. Jacoby (Ret.), Commander, U.S. North Command

“Let us change our ways of living because we depend on agriculture and agriculture is now not dependable. Everyone will suffer if it continues like this.”
--Constance Okollet, Community Leader, Uganda

As an organization, we’re excited to advocate for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan -- the first ever standard on carbon pollution – along with grassroots leaders in Pennsylvania who want to facilitate the transition to a clean energy economy. Like the Climate 25, we know that we don’t have time to debate the facts – we must act. 

Katie Bartolotta is PennFuture's southeastern Pennsylvania outreach coordinator and is based in Philadelphia. She tweets @KatieBartolotta.