Arnold Schwarzenegger and a host of other famous names have announced a new initiative to fight against climate change.
The actor and former governor is spearheading the ‘World War Zero’ initiative along with former presidential hopeful John Kerry.
Alongside them are a roster of famous names including Emma Watson, Richard Branson and Leonardo DiCaprio – all of whom have signed up to be a part of it.
We’re not exactly sure what the World War Zero initiative will be doing as the details are a little sketchy at this point. According to the group, they will be holding ‘climate conversations’ in 2020. The star-studded collective is also trying to urge as many people to sign up to it as possible.
‘Our fossil fuel addiction is killing us,’ Schwarzenegger said in statement to mark the launch of the project.
‘World War Zero has brought together leaders from different backgrounds with different viewpoints to find the way forward and inspire every citizen to act.’
Meanwhile, John Kerry – the former US Secretary of State – compared the need to respond to climate change to fighting the Second World War.
‘When America was attacked in World War II we set aside our differences, united and mobilized to face down our common enemy,’ he said in a statement.
‘We are launching World War Zero to bring that spirit of unity, common purpose, and urgency back to the world today to fight the great threat of our time.’
Scientists are almost completely united in their opinion that climate change is a clear and present danger that needs to be addressed immediately.
Earlier this week, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, suggested we’re approaching the moment when it’s too late to halt the progress of global warming.
Speaking before the start of a two-week international climate conference in Madrid, the UN chief said rising temperatures are already causing chaos around the world.
He suggested the world has the scientific knowledge and the technical ability to tackle global warming, but ‘what is lacking is political will.’
‘The point of no return is no longer over the horizon,’ Guterres told reporters in the Spanish capital.
‘It is in sight and hurtling toward us.’
Guterres said there was mounting scientific evidence showing the impact man-made emissions of greenhouse gases are already having on the planet, including record temperatures and melting polar ice.
But he insisted that his message was ‘one of hope, not of despair’.
He added: ‘Our war against nature must stop and we know that that is possible.’
‘What is still lacking is political will,’ he added. ‘Political will to put a price on carbon. Political will to stop subsidies on fossil fuels. Political will to stop building coal power plants from 2020 onwards. Political will to shift taxation from income to carbon. Taxing pollution instead of people.’
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