Kerry: ‘Mother Nature is screaming at us’

Secretary of State John Kerry said on Monday that Mother Nature “is screaming” at humanity to act on climate change.

Ahead of a United Nations climate summit, Kerry said the administration could make “a powerful argument [climate change] is the most serious challenge we face on the planet since it is about the planet itself.”

{mosads}”You don’t have to take my word, or Al Gore’s word on it,” Kerry said of the need to act now on global warming.

“You can wake up pretty much every day and listen to Mother Nature, who is screaming at us about [it],” he said.

Kerry announced that the U.S. will contribute $15 million to “kick start” the World Bank auction facility aimed at cutting methane emissions across the globe in an effort to mitigate global warming.

He stressed that the U.S. and other countries are “not meeting the challenges” head on, but added that he is “personally committed to making sure [climate change] is front and center in all [U.S.] diplomatic talks.”

“It doesn’t cost more to deal with climate change, it costs more to ignore it … and we need to make that clear to people in this country,” Kerry said, taking a jab at climate skeptics, who he said have their head in the sand.

Republicans argue the administration’s efforts internationally to urge climate action are a waste, and force the U.S. to go out on a limb when other emitters take less action. The GOP says President Obama’s climate agenda will hurt the economy, and drive up energy prices.