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Why act now?

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The best time to act was yesterday.

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The second best time is today.

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Every year that we don't reduce emissions

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represents another 55 gigatons
of greenhouse gases

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that future generations
will have to scrub out of the air.

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That would cost 8 trillion dollars a year,

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almost half the entire US economy today.

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And that price doesn't include
the cost of people forced to move,

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the natural world transformed
and lives lost.

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It's much cheaper
to develop new technologies

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that don't emit carbon dioxide

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than to capture carbon dioxide
that we've already emitted.

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Every ton of carbon dioxide we emit now
imposes a burden on us and the planet,

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but also a debt that would
have to be paid by our children

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and untold generations to come.

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The sooner we start fixing this,
the easier it'll be.

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So do what you can where you can.

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Vote, change your diet and your commute,

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organize, plant trees, advocate for ideas,

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advocate for science

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and most importantly,
advocate for action today.

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[Countdown

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Take action on climate
at Countdown.ted.com]