Climate activist Greta Thunberg admonished those who do not believe in the apocalyptic predictions about climate change during a House Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on Environment.
Noting she wasn't speaking at the hearing to represent any financial or political interests, and adding to the fact she is not a scientist, she urged U.S. lawmakers "to listen to and act on the science and to use your common sense."
HAPPENING NOW: Watch @OversightDems Subcommittee on the Environment #EarthDay hearing on actions we can take on the climate crisis.
— Jim Cooper (@repjimcooper) April 22, 2021
I agree with witness and activist @GretaThunberg, we need to "listen and act on the science."
Watch here: https://t.co/JEHitGwaGI pic.twitter.com/yu0WDTJKCR
"And I’m not even going to explain why we need to make real drastic changes and dramatically lower our emissions in line with the overall current best available science. It is the year 2021. The fact that we are still having this discussion, and even more, that we are still subsidizing fossil fuels directly or indirectly using taxpayer money is a disgrace," she said.
"It is a clear proof that we have not understood the climate emergency at all. If you compare the current so-called climate policies to the overall context of the best available science, you clearly see that there is a huge gap. The gap between what we are doing and what actually needs to be done in order to stay below the 1.5-degree celsius target is widening by the second," Thunberg continued. "And the simple fact and uncomfortable fact is that if we are to live up to our promises and commitments in the Paris Agreements, we have to end fossil fuel subsidies, stop new exploration and extraction, completely divest from fossil fuels, and keep the carbon in the ground. Now, especially the U.S., taking into account the fact that it is the biggest emitter in history."
Thunberg was wrong to say the United States is the biggest carbon emitter, as China is currently number one in carbon emissions, with the United States being number two.
