PARIS (AP) — Britain’s Prince Charles has issued a rallying cry to world leaders to address climate change, describing it as the greatest threat faced by humanity.
Delivering the keynote to the U.N. climate conference, Charles urged world leaders to think of their grandchildren in seeking a deal.
Echoing the sentiment offered by Winston Churchill to Battle of Britain pilots during World War II he argued that “rarely in human history have so many people around the world placed their trust in so few.”
The heir to Britain’s throne and champion of green causes told delegates: “I urge you to consider the needs of the youngest generation, because none of us has the right to assume that for our today they should give up their tomorrow.”
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President Barack Obama is calling the Paris climate talks an “act of defiance” by the world community following the Islamic State-linked attacks two weeks ago.
Obama says world leaders gathered near Paris for global climate talks have come to the French capital to show resolve. He’s saluting Parisians for insisting the conference go on despite the attacks.
Obama says it proves that nothing will deter the world from building a future for its children. He says there’s no greater rejection to those who want to tear down the world than to mount best efforts to save it.
Obama was also painting a dire picture of the future without aggressive action to curb carbon emissions. He was describing submerged countries, abandoned cities and fields that won’t grow. He was also drawing a link to the refugee crisis and saying climate effects will lead desperate peoples to seek sanctuaries outside their home nations.
