Arnold Schwarzenegger taking part in a brutal, against-the-odds fight to prevent planetary catastrophe sounds like the epic blockbuster everyone should be talking about this summer.
But wait! It turns out he’s actually talking about real life.
Arnie has been chosen by the French government to join Nobel prizewinners, spiritual leaders and members of the UN in trying to save the world from climate change and a gruesome end.
“I’ve starred in a lot of science fiction movies and, let me tell you something, climate change is not science fiction,” he explained. “This is a battle in the real world, it is impacting us right now.”
Even though it would probably make a great movie, Arnie made it explicitly clear that he’s actually talking about something that is happening in the real world and is therefore very dangerous.
“This is bigger than any movie, this is the challenge of our time,” he continued, in an inspiring, rousing speech. “And it is our responsibility to leave this world a better place than we found it, but right now we are failing future generations.
“This year alone we will dump 40 billion tonnes of carbon emissions into our atmosphere. The World Health Organization says that air pollution causes over seven million premature deaths every year and all over the world we can see flooding, monster storms, droughts and wild-fires that are completely out of control.”
Former UN secretary general Kofi Annan, chair of the Elders group of former world leaders, said “climate change would leave the living envying the dead”.
“If action is not taken immediately my grandson will live in a world suffering heat waves, severe droughts and floods. Cities like new York and Venice will drown. We are on the brink of catastrophe.”
If the conference sounds like things are a bit bleak, well, that’s because they are. Speakers at the summit were in agreement that action needed to be taken.
“I am very worried,” said 86-year-old writer and politician Albert Teveodjré. “I think I will leave the world with many worries.”
