On Thursday, October 8th, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and former Vice President Al Gore met at Columbia University to address climate change and environmental issues. Cuomo signed the pledge for state action that addresses climate change, which Al Gore fully endorses and supports. This commitment will help keep the earth’s average temperature from increasing two degrees Celsius by year 2100.
According to Cuomo, and the United Nations panel he attended, this is to, “Avert a catastrophic impact of climate change including sea level rise that would create extreme weather, cause many droughts and lead to food scarcity.” New York is joining 42 other jurisdictions in 19 countries on five continents that have made this commitment as well. Cuomo explained, “In the case of climate change, denial is not a survival strategy.”
Cuomo was elected Governor in 2010, following in his father, Mario Cuomo’s footsteps, who served as Governor of New York from 1983-1994. Cuomo is currently dating Food Network star Sandra Lee. Cuomo believes that the increase in our weather storms and how hard Hurricane Sandy hit is related to our climate change and environmental issues. Al Gore’s (the former Vice President of the United States) film on climate change, ‘An Inconvenient Truth’won an Oscar. Cuomo and Gore worked together during the Clinton administration, as Cuomo was President Clinton’s housing secretary.
Gore encouraged us to, “Remember that political will is also a renewable resource.” With every citizen doing their part and awareness being raised, things are sure to change for the better. As Cuomo summed up, “Climate change is a reality and not to address it is gross negligence by government and irresponsible as citizens.”