Prince William to Star in TED Talks on Climate Change

SAN FRANCISCO, KOMPAS.com – Prince William will join a slew of prominent figures calling for action on climate change for the prestigious TED talks.

The non-profit behind TED will hold its first-ever live event next month bringing together an impressive line-up of speakers including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, teenage climate activist Xiye Bastida, actor Chris Hemsworth, and former US vice president Al Gore.

Known for thought-provoking speeches recorded at exclusive events, TED will stream the five-hour special called "Countdown" on its YouTube channel on October 10 that will feature the British royal, Prince William.

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"The moment to act on climate change has been upon us for too long, and now is the time to unite all levels of society — business leaders, courageous political actors, scientists and individuals — to get to net-zero emissions before 2050," said TED head Chris Anderson.

Since starting as an intimate gathering in California 36 years ago, TED has grown into a global media platform with a stated devotion to "ideas worth spreading".

TED has a massive following for its trademark presentations in which speakers strive to give "the talk of their lives" in 18 minutes.

Hundreds of smaller "TEDx" events are planned around the world to encourage local action on climate change.

Read also: Greta Thunberg and Young Activists Talk Climate Action with Angela Merkel

Prince William has been open in expressing the urgency to act in saving the planet.

The senior member of the British Royal Family last week launched the Earthshot Prize that will present five £1 million ($1.3-million, 1.1-million-euro) awards each year for the next 10 years, to "incentivize change and help to repair our planet", said the Prince's office in London.

US President Donald Trump triggered outrage on Monday by suggesting global warming will reverse itself and dismissing climate change as a cause of ferocious fires engulfing swaths of the US West.

Read also: This Year's Extreme Weather Consistent with Worsening Climate Change

Google chief Sundar Pichai also announced Monday that the internet colossus is ramping up efforts to cut down carbon emissions by aiming to run its entire business on renewable energy by the end of this decade.

The California-based company is already offsetting its emissions with carbon credits.

"This is our biggest sustainability moonshot yet, with enormous practical and technical complexity," Sundar Pichai said in a blog.

"The science is clear: The world must act now if we’re going to avert the worst consequences of climate change." 

(Writer & Editor: GC/BGS, Agence France-Presse)

Source: http://u.afp.com/3a5a