I am attending my first SXSW right now, and one of this morning’s speakers was Al Gore. He, of course, was speaking about climate change and what can be done about it, if anything.

Gore highlighted the extreme weather patterns that have been increasing in frequency over the past few years and the impact this is having on our lives. Punctuated with startling videos of sea level rise, flooding, landslides, and fires, Gore illustrated how extreme weather is taking a huge toll on human life and destroying worldwide ecosystems and infrastructure as well as disrupting the global supply chain.

Admitting that he’s not a scientist, Gore gave a high-level overview of the mechanisms of extreme climate and proposed solutions to curbing it. Citing wind and solar energy, Gore stated that these renewable energies will be key to slowing–and perhaps reversing–climate change.