Al Gore is on fire.
The environmental activist and former vice president appeared on stage Wednesday night in Washington, D.C., speaking to youth activists from Georgetown University about the youth-led climate movement and criticizing the lack of political will around the world to address the growing crisis.
“We can’t continue to use the sky as an open sewer in a way that completely destroys the future,” Gore told an audience at the Kennedy Center.
Talking is part of Exhibition entitled “COAL + ICE” Which uses immersive video and photography to show the consequences of climate change, comes just days before young leaders prepare for a global day of protest on Friday against climate inaction.
Speaking across the generation gap, Gore said young people have helped drive cultural shifts throughout history.
“Young people have always been at the forefront of these social movements based on ethics and demanding change,” he said.
Anya Wahal, a student at Georgetown University, said many of her peers are frustrated about climate change, especially because young people are bearing the brunt of a global emergency that they have not caused.
“I think the anger and frustration is that sometimes we feel like the burden has been shifted to us,” Wael said. “But not only that, we want to move, and we’re frustrated that we can’t move now, given the urgency of the situation.”
Gore agreed that lawmakers around the world are not doing enough to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and shift away from harmful fossil fuels. He blamed the “shattered” political system in the United States for slowing the country’s climate action, saying the fossil fuel industry has too much power over government.
“What they are trying to prevent is the immediate deployment of safe, clean alternatives that are really cheaper because it harms their business models,” Gore said of the fossil fuel companies.
Growing excited, he added, “I’m sorry if it hurts their business models, but I want my grandchildren and your great-grandchildren to live and thrive in a world that hasn’t been degraded or destroyed,” he said, before apologizing for “getting” everything. caught here.”
The desire to shoot people is at the heart of the “COAL + ICE” exhibition, which is organized by the Asia Society and will be on display at the Kennedy Center through April 22.
Orville Schell, Arthur Ross director of the US-China Center, said an accompanying six-week festival that includes music and theater performances, workshops, panel discussions and other educational programs is designed to raise awareness of climate change beyond scientific and academic debates. Relationships at the Asia Society, which is leading the project.
Schell said, “I am a writer and believe in the written word, but it has its limitations. And one of the great resources that is not moved is the arts. As much as we can, we have to expand into other areas of life to motivate people to wake up.”
At Wednesday’s event, several Georgetown students engaged directly with Gore, including Mia Smith, who said tackling climate change and the dangers of capitalism requires a shift to a new lifestyle that prioritizes the health of people and their communities.
“When you talk about capital, you are talking about a system that was created and was never intended to value human bodies,” Smith said.
Carson Ramirez, another student at Georgetown University, spoke about the need to involve Indigenous tribes and consider Indigenous rights in crafting solutions to climate change. Mr. Irfan Nabizadeh, a student whose family immigrated to the United States from Afghanistan, also emphasized the importance of climate justice.
“Afghanistan is one of those countries that are least responsible for carbon emissions but most affected by carbon emissions,” Nabezada said.
A report released last month by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said that while no one on earth is immune to the effects of climate change, the people and places most affected are the least able to cope.
The assessment found that the poorest countries that contributed the least to human-caused climate change are already disproportionately affected by global warming, with low-income and indigenous communities, women and children bearing the brunt.
Gore said that while a global problem needs a global solution, the countries that have contributed the most to climate change need to take responsibility for their actions.
“Rich and developed countries have to bear the brunt, they have to take the lead, cut emissions, help low-income countries make the transition, end subsidies to fossil fuels and rapidly spread new technologies here and around the world.”
Gore encouraged young people to continue speaking out about the climate crisis and to hold lawmakers accountable for their policy decisions.
“Political will itself is a renewable resource,” Gore said. And our job is to renew the political will to get it done.”
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