Letter From The President
Climate change is a deeply personal issue for me. Looking at the mounting scientific evidence, looking at the trajectory the planet is on, looking at the events looming ahead on the path of our civilization - extreme weather, water shortage, rising sea level, mass migration - it pains me to visualize the future in the worst possible light.
There’s no doubt in my mind that human will survive as a species. We are, after all, the tough descendants of a small group of humans in prehistoric Africa. Our ancestors made it against all odds, and we will make it too. However, the unimaginable turmoil that we must go through to adapt to a new climate and a new world map is just, unimaginable. The Syrian crisis, in its relatively small scale, is already threatening to unravel the peace and stability in Europe. I shudder to imagine a looming crisis that’s potentially 10x, 100x, 1000x in scale, which continues on relentlessly for years, decades, or even centuries to come. That’s the dark place that my mind refuses to go to.
At this point in time, we live at a peak of the civilization. There are still a lot of issues, but most of us enjoy our lives in a larger context of peace and prosperity. We get to witness the incredible advances in technology and improvements in living standards. We get to see millions of people lifted out of poverty in China where cities rose out of nowhere like a mirage; we get to see a rocket lift off and land itself on a tiny floating platform like a miracle; we get to see the human ingenuous mind, adventurous spirit, and unfailing aspirations demonstrated in every corner of the world. We are truly blessed.
I can’t help thinking that it’s therefore our duty and obligation to help heal the earth and alleviate the pain our future generations would have to suffer. We owe it to our children and to all our future generations. We have the technologies and the means to charge forward into a world powered by solar, wind, geothermal, and other forms of renewable energy. We have the opportunity to heal the planet, stabilize the climate, and lift millions more out of poverty at the same time.
I am eternally grateful to the extraordinary people I have worked with in the past years on this mission. It's a mission larger than any one of us and it's a mission deserving every last breath of us. Join us, we can do this together.