One aspect of climate change that is hard for people to grasp is how to counteract the process. A major point that has become clear during our delegation's first week at COP 19 is that there truly is not just a single answer to the perplexing problem of a changing climate. This is not simply a matter of renewable energy or mitigation or adaptation. There is not one overarching answer to be found that will magically solve everything. We must realize that we will need to use an array of strategies to combat climate change, because every strategy that is available to us has positives and negatives, advantages and drawbacks.
Attending COP 19 this past week, I have realized that we must not only use all the strategies of mitigation and adaptation at our disposal, but also integrate the strengths of previous, current, and future generations. It is necessary for the youth of today to gain a technical understanding of the problems embedded in climate change and, with the help of older generations, come together to build a better understanding and strategy plan for years to come.
Past generations may have contributed more to the climate change problem than the youth of today, but there is no point in moping over the past. We must remember what has been done and move forward with a better adapted society, living and acting based on the knowledge of today while continuing to develop technologies that will make the future better. George Santayana once said, "Those who forget history, are doomed to repeat it." Let's take the advice of this great philosopher and realize, while we have done the earth wrong, we can all have a part in making it better. For the future and beyond.
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