Biden, Prince Charles, Kerry, Gore and Others Warn Climate Change Is Urgent Global Threat With Calls for Carbon Pricing

Prominent political leaders and public figures have consistently emphasized climate change as a critical and urgent threat facing humanity. President Joe Biden has described climate change as the 'number one issue facing humanity.' Prince Charles has repeatedly highlighted the severity of the crisis, calling it the greatest threat to future generations and warning that failure to act by 2030 could render the planet largely uninhabitable. Former President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have underscored the threat climate change poses to the economy, national security, and children's health. John Kerry has referred to climate change as a 'weapon of mass destruction' and a threat to global stability and American security. Al Gore, speaking at the World Health Organization's 77th World Health Assembly, identified the climate crisis as the biggest health threat to humanity, warning of unsafe living conditions for billions if pollution continues unchecked. Other notable voices include Bill Gates, who called climate change the hardest problem humanity has faced due to its economic implications, and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, who advocates for pricing carbon pollution as a necessary measure. Cultural figures such as Jane Fonda and Bruce Springsteen have framed the crisis as a moral emergency, with Fonda condemning new fossil fuel infrastructure as a 'death sentence for the planet.' The discourse spans decades, with Bill Clinton noting the challenge and opportunity climate change presents in 1997, and more recent statements from Elizabeth Warren and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez emphasizing the immediacy of the threat. The collective message stresses the need for urgent and comprehensive action to mitigate climate change's impacts on health, security, and the environment. Additionally, at the Outside Lands festival, Gracie Abrams highlighted the political climate of the country, reflecting the broader societal concern about climate issues.