no Nation however large or small wealthy or poor can escape the impact of climate change rising sea levels threaten every Coastline more powerful storms and floods threaten every continent more frequent droughts and crop failures breed hunger and conflict in places where hunger and conflict already thrive on shrinking Islands families are already being forced to flee their homes as climate refugees the security and stability of each nation and All Peoples our prosperity our health and our safety are in Jeopardy and the time we have to reverse this tide is running out and yet we can reverse
it John F Kennedy once observed that our problems are man-made therefore they may be solved by man it is true that for too many years mankind has been slow to respond or even recognize the magnitude of the climate threat it is true of my own country as well we recognize that but this is a new day it is a new era and I am proud to say that the United States has done more to promote clean energy and reduce carbon pollution in the last eight months than at any other time in our history but though
many of our Nations have taken bold action and share in this determination we did not come here to celebrate progress today we came because there's so much more progress to be made we came because there's so much more work to be done it is work that will not be easy as we head towards Copenhagen there should be no illusions that the hardest part of our journey is in front of us we seek sweeping but necessary change in the midst of a global recession where every nation's most immediate priority is Reviving their economy and putting their
people back to work and so all of us will face doubts and difficulties in our own capitals as we try to reach a lasting solution to the climate challenge but I'm here today to say that difficulty is no excuse for complacency unease is no excuse for inaction and we must not allow the perfect to become the enemy of progress each of us must do what we can when we can to grow our economies without endangering our planet and we must all do it together we must seize the opportunity to make Copenhagen a significant step forward
in the global fight against climate change Mr secretary as we meet here today the good news is that after too many years of inaction and denial there's finally widespread recognition of the urgency of the challenge before us we know what needs to be done we know that our planet's future depends on a global commitment to permanently reduce greenhouse gas pollution we know that if we put the right rules and incentives in place we will unleash the creative power of our best scientists and engineers and entrepreneurs to Build a Better World and so many nations have
already taken the first step on the journey towards that goal but the journey is long and the journey is hard and we don't have much time left to make that Journey it's a journey that will require each of us to persevere through setbacks and fight for every inch of progress even when it comes in fits and starts so let us begin for if we are flexible and pragmatic if we can resolve to work tirelessly in common effort then we will achieve our common purpose a world that is safer cleaner and healthier than the one we
found and a future that is worthy of our children thank you very much
