consecutive interpreting practice

Jihad Sleiman

12 Jul 201708:35

Summary

TLDRThe speaker, addressing a global audience, emphasizes the urgent reality of climate change, beyond individual choices, requiring large-scale action from industries and governments. He calls for a price on carbon emissions, an end to subsidies for fossil fuels, and a transition to renewable energy as a viable economic policy. The message is clear: solving the climate crisis is not political but a matter of human survival and rights to a liveable climate.

Takeaways

🌏 The speaker, an actor and concerned citizen, emphasizes the urgency of addressing the climate crisis, highlighting the global participation in marches and the collective desire for action.
🎭 The speaker criticizes the attitude of treating climate change as a fictional problem, stressing that it is a tangible and pressing issue with real-world consequences.
🔥 Climate change is causing severe environmental impacts, such as intensifying droughts, ocean acidification, and extreme weather events, which are supported by scientific evidence and recognized by various sectors, including the military.
❄️ The melting of the West Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets is occurring at alarming rates, surpassing scientific projections and indicating the severity of the situation.
🏢 The speaker calls for industry and governments to take decisive large-scale action, moving beyond individual choices and addressing the systemic issues contributing to climate change.
💰 A key proposal is to put a price on carbon emissions and eliminate government subsidies for fossil fuel industries, which are seen as outdated and environmentally harmful.
🌱 Renewable energy is presented as a viable and economically beneficial alternative to traditional energy sources, dispelling the notion that addressing climate change is economically detrimental.
🌿 The debate over climate change is framed as a human issue rather than a partisan one, with clean air and a livable climate being recognized as fundamental human rights.
🌍 The speaker addresses the assembled leaders, urging them to take responsibility for the momentum generated by global marches and to act courageously and honestly in the face of humanity's greatest challenge.
📢 The script concludes with a plea for leaders to listen to the voices of the people and to act with the gravity that the climate crisis demands, emphasizing the importance of their role in shaping the future.
👏 The speech is met with applause, indicating a positive reception and support for the call to action against climate change.

Q & A

Who is the speaker addressing in the script?
-The speaker is addressing Mr. Secretary-General, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, and the global audience concerned about the climate crisis.
What significant event did the speaker participate in prior to this speech?
-The speaker participated in a march in New York, which was attended by 400,000 people, showing solidarity and concern for the climate crisis.
How does the speaker describe the general attitude towards climate change before the speech?
-The speaker describes the general attitude as one of denial and avoidance, comparing it to pretending that climate change is a fiction.
What are some of the current climate change impacts mentioned in the script?
-The script mentions intensifying droughts, ocean acidification, extreme weather events, and the melting of the West Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets at unprecedented rates.
What does the speaker believe the scientific community, industry, governments, and the military know about climate change?
-The speaker believes that all these groups are aware of the reality and severity of climate change, and its impacts on the environment and security.
What does the speaker consider the role of this gathering in human history?
-The speaker considers this gathering as potentially the most important in human history, as it faces the challenge of addressing the climate crisis and has the power to make a difference.
What is the speaker's view on individual actions versus large-scale actions in addressing climate change?
-The speaker believes that while individual actions are important, the crisis has grown beyond individual choices and now requires decisive large-scale actions by industries and governments.
What specific actions does the speaker suggest to combat climate change?
-The speaker suggests putting a price on carbon emissions, eliminating government subsidies for old oil, coal, and gas companies, and ending the free ride for industrial polluters.
How does the speaker frame the renewable energy solution in terms of economic policy?
-The speaker frames renewable energy as not only achievable but also as good economic policy, emphasizing that it is not a partisan debate but a human necessity.
What does the speaker consider as 'inalienable human rights' in the context of the speech?
-The speaker considers clean air and a liveable climate as inalienable human rights, highlighting the fundamental nature of these aspects for human survival.
What is the speaker's final message to the delegates and leaders of the world?
-The speaker urges the delegates and leaders to face the challenge of climate change with courage and honesty, emphasizing that it is their responsibility to answer the call of the people and solve this crisis.

Outlines

00:00

🌍 Climate Change: A Call to Action

The speaker, identifying as a concerned citizen and actor, addresses the audience with the urgency of the climate crisis. Emphasizing the real and present dangers of climate change, such as intensifying droughts, ocean acidification, extreme weather events, and the rapid melting of polar ice caps, the speaker calls for immediate action. The summary of scientific, industrial, and governmental consensus on the issue is provided, highlighting the US Navy's view of climate change as the greatest security threat. The speaker implores the audience, possibly a global assembly, to take decisive large-scale action, moving beyond individual choices to industry and government-led solutions.

05:10

💼 Economic and Political Solutions to Climate Change

In the second paragraph, the speaker focuses on the need for economic and political strategies to combat climate change. Proposing the pricing of carbon emissions and the elimination of subsidies for fossil fuel industries, the speaker argues against the free ride given to industrial polluters. The benefits of renewable energy as an economically viable policy are underscored, transcending partisan lines and framing clean air and a habitable climate as fundamental human rights. The speaker concludes with a direct appeal to the world's leaders, urging them to respond to the global call for action initiated by the people, emphasizing that the challenge of climate change is not a matter of politics but of human survival.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Climate Crisis

The term 'Climate Crisis' refers to the critical situation of global warming and climate change that poses a significant threat to the environment, human societies, and ecosystems. In the video, the speaker emphasizes the urgency of this crisis, citing observable phenomena such as intensifying droughts, acidifying oceans, and the melting of ice sheets. The climate crisis is the central theme of the video, highlighting the need for immediate and large-scale action.

💡Fictitious

The word 'Fictitious' means not based on fact or reality; invented or imaginary. The speaker uses this term to describe their profession as an actor, where they often solve fictitious problems. It contrasts with the real and urgent problems of climate change that the speaker is addressing, emphasizing the difference between the pretend world of acting and the real-world challenges of the climate crisis.

💡Methane Plumes

Methane plumes refer to the release of methane gas from the ocean floor, which is a potent greenhouse gas contributing to global warming. In the script, the speaker mentions methane plumes as one of the alarming signs of the climate crisis, illustrating the impact of human activities on the natural world and the urgency of addressing climate change.

💡West Antarctic and Greenland Ice Sheets

The 'West Antarctic and Greenland Ice Sheets' are vast ice formations that are melting at unprecedented rates, as mentioned in the script. This melting contributes to rising sea levels and is a significant indicator of the severity of the climate crisis. The mention of these ice sheets underscores the global scale and the tangible effects of climate change.

💡Scientific Projections

Scientific projections are predictions made based on scientific data and models. The speaker refers to these projections to highlight that the current rate of climate change is outpacing what scientists had predicted, indicating that the situation is more dire than previously thought and necessitating swift action.

💡Security Threat

A 'Security Threat' is a situation that poses a significant risk to the safety and stability of a society or nation. The speaker quotes Admiral Samuel Locklear, who identifies climate change as the single greatest security threat, emphasizing that the impacts of climate change extend beyond environmental concerns to include geopolitical and societal stability.

💡Renewable Energy

Renewable energy refers to energy sources that are replenished naturally and sustainably, such as wind, solar, and hydroelectric power. The speaker advocates for renewable energy as a viable and economically beneficial solution to the climate crisis, highlighting that addressing climate change can also lead to positive economic outcomes.

💡Carbon Emissions

Carbon emissions are the release of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere, primarily from the burning of fossil fuels. The speaker calls for putting a price on carbon emissions, suggesting that economic incentives can drive the reduction of these emissions, which are a major contributor to climate change.

💡Government Subsidies

Government subsidies are financial assistance provided by governments to support certain industries or sectors. The script criticizes subsidies for old oil, coal, and gas companies, arguing that they should not receive public funds due to their contribution to pollution and climate change, and that these funds should instead support sustainable alternatives.

💡Free-Market Economy

A 'Free-Market Economy' is an economic system where supply and demand determine prices with minimal government intervention. The speaker argues that the free ride given to industrial polluters in the name of a free-market economy is unjustified, as their actions have negative externalities that harm the environment and society.

💡Human Rights

Human rights are the basic rights and freedoms to which all individuals are entitled. The speaker asserts that clean air and a liveable climate are inalienable human rights, framing the fight against climate change not just as an environmental issue but also as a moral and ethical imperative.

💡Survival

Survival refers to the continued existence of a species or group. The speaker emphasizes that solving the climate crisis is a matter of survival for humankind, not just a political or economic issue, highlighting the existential threat posed by climate change and the necessity for immediate action.

Highlights

The speaker stands before the audience as a concerned citizen, one of the 400,000 people who marched in New York, calling for action on the climate crisis.

The speaker, an actor, points out that mankind has treated climate change as if it were a fiction, pretending it isn't real in the hope that it would go away.

Climate change is a reality with intensifying droughts, acidifying oceans, methane plumes, and extreme weather events.

The West Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets are melting at unprecedented rates, decades ahead of scientific projections.

The speaker emphasizes that the situation is not rhetoric or hysteria, but a fact recognized by the scientific community, industry, governments, and even the US military.

Admiral Samuel Locklear of the US Navy's Pacific Command identifies climate change as the single greatest security threat.

The audience is challenged to make history by taking decisive action on climate change, or risk being vilified by history.

The speaker clarifies that the solution is not just about individual choices, but requires large-scale action from industries and governments worldwide.

A call to put a price on carbon emissions and eliminate government subsidies for old oil, coal, and gas companies is made.

Industrial polluters should face scrutiny, not receive tax dollars, as the economy will suffer if ecosystems collapse.

Renewable energy is presented as not only achievable but also a good economic policy.

The debate on climate change is not partisan but human, with clean air and a liveable climate being inalienable human rights.

Solving the climate crisis is a matter of survival, not politics.

The speaker urges the world leaders to listen to the voices of the people who marched and to act with courage and honesty.

The momentum from the marches must not stop, and it is now the leaders' turn to answer the call to address humanity's greatest challenge.

The speech concludes with a plea for world leaders to face the climate crisis with the urgency it deserves.