Climate Change: "The World's Most Fearsome Weapon of Mass Destruction"

Secretary of State John Kerry delivered a speech in Jakarta, Indonesia on the topic of climate change in hopes of stimulating an international response on the subject. He mentioned deniers of climate change in the same breath as supporters of the "Flat Earth Society."

Kerry's 45-minute speech focused on the potential humanitarian and economic consequences of climate change. This has been the first urge to signal a major push on climate change policy since President Obama's State of the Union Address last month. Kerry hopes that his tone of urgency will spark some action on behalf of Congress.

The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs met last week to discuss national security implications in the face of extreme weather events. Kerry hopes that this is a step towards a more active stance on the climate change issue. Thomas Carper, the chairman of the committee and Democratic Senator from Delaware, displayed a similar assertion on the subject.

"Put simply, the increase in frequency and intensity of these extreme weather events are costing our country a lot--not just in lives impacted--but in economic costs, as well," he said in this MSNBC article.

Despite steep projections in the rise of average U.S. temperature (4 degrees Fahrenheit to 11 degrees Fahrenheit), only 29% of Congress said that global warming was a salient priority for the legislation leaders. Only 14% of Republicans cited it as a top priority compared to 42% of Democrats. Statistics are provided by the Pew Research Center and can be found in the previously mentioned article.

Secretary Kerry cited climate change as "the world's most fearsome weapon of mass destruction" and told the crowd in Jakarta that if the problem is not addressed in a timely manner, hundred of millions of people would be threatened by the rising sea level by the end of this century.

Independent groups have already come to the support of Secretary Kerry. Jamie Henn is a spokesperson for 350.org, an environmental advocacy group. He expressed his concern to MSNBC.

"The recent string of extreme weather events have shifted the political landscape on climate change," Henn said. "The climate crisis has gone from a problem for our children to a clear and present danger."

Climate change advocates can only hope that the recent attention in the media can help spur some action on Capitol Hill.