--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We will respond to the threat of climate…" description: "\"We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations\" — Barack Obama" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aea/barack-obama-17_betray_we-will-respond-to-the-threat-of-climate_1845312.jpg" --- # We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing… ![“We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aea/barack-obama-17_betray_we-will-respond-to-the-threat-of-climate_1845312.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aea/barack-obama-17_betray_we-will-respond-to-the-threat-of-climate_1845312.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aea/barack-obama-17_betray_we-will-respond-to-the-threat-of-climate_1845312.jpg) > “We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations” [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Addressing climate change is a moral duty to future generations; inaction betrays them. **In simple terms:** Act on climate for our children. Key Takeaway Take climate action now. Themes environment ethics future generations Mood urgent hopeful Type inspirational call‑to‑action When to use this quote - policy making - community projects - educational programs Key Concepts climate responsibility intergenerational justice Questions to Reflect On - What steps can you take personally? - How can societies prioritize climate justice? A Different Perspective Political constraints may delay action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Climate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/climate/) [Climate change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/climate-change/) [Environment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/environment/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Future generation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future-generation/) [Future generations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future-generations/) [Generations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generations/) [Threat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/threat/) ## Related quotes > [We, the people, still believe that our obligations as Americans are not just to ourselves, but to all posterity. 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The quality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince-philip/it-is-an-old-cliche-to-say-that-the-future-is-in-the-hands-of-the/) [Prince Philip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince-philip/) > [Parents and children seldom act in concert: each child endeavors to appropriate the esteem or fondness of the parents, and the parents, with yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/parents-and-children-seldom-act-in-concert-each-child-endeavors-to/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [It may be something that future generations are more open to, but I am pretty confident that for the foreseeable future, using the argument…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-may-be-something-that-future-generations-are-more-open-to-but-i-am/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Unless we free ourselves from a dependence on these fossil fuels... we are condemning future generations to global catastrophe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/unless-we-free-ourselves-from-a-dependence-on-these-fossil-fuels-we/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I refuse to condemn your generation and future generations to a planet that's beyond fixing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-refuse-to-condemn-your-generation-and-future-generations-to-a/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ \[American Citizenship\] captures the enduring idea that this country only works when we accept certain obligations to one another and to future generations ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/american-citizenship-captures-the-enduring-idea-that-this-country/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [No challenge poses a greater threat to future generations than climate change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/no-challenge-poses-a-greater-threat-to-future-generations-than/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We will respond to the threat of climate change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-will-respond-to-the-threat-of-climate-change/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [With our parents we bury our past, with our children our future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/with-our-parents-we-bury-our-past-with-our-children-our-future/) [Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/) > [I believe that children are our future. Unless we stop them now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-believe-that-children-are-our-future-unless-we-stop-them-now/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For the sake of our children and our future, we must do more to combat climate change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/for-the-sake-of-our-children-and-our-future-we-must-do-more-to-combat-2/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We know that education is everything to our children's future. We know that they will no longer just compete for good jobs with children…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-know-that-education-is-everything-to-our-children-s-future-we-know/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We cannot tire or give up. We owe it to the present and future generations of all species to rise up and walk!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/we-cannot-tire-or-give-up-we-owe-it-to-the-present-and-future/) [Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/) ## More by Barack Obama > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-peaceful-transition-of-power-is-one-of-the-hallmarks-of-our/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [As opposed to getting into arguments about, well, these folks have been treated fairly so now we're going to be doing things that, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/as-opposed-to-getting-into-arguments-about-well-these-folks-have-been/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Donald Trump is temperamentally unfit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/donald-trump-is-temperamentally-unfit/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [What we've said to the girls is: 'If you guys ever decide that you're going to get a tattoo, then mommy and me will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-we-ve-said-to-the-girls-is-if-you-guys-ever-decide-that-you-re/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Nobody is listening to your telephone calls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/nobody-is-listening-to-your-telephone-calls/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [All of us take offense to anyone who reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on the responsibilities of living in America.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/all-of-us-take-offense-to-anyone-who-reaps-the-rewards-of-living-in/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The world is complicated and full of grays, but there's still truth there to be found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-world-is-complicated-and-full-of-grays-but-there-s-still-truth/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ That is another theme in the book \[Dreams from My Father\]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams-from-my-father-how-do-we/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I can say across Europe that many principles that have been taken for granted here around free speech, and around civil liberties and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-can-say-across-europe-that-many-principles-that-have-been-taken-for/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I want to thank the Greek people publicly for their humanitarian response to the crisis of so many migrants and refugees seeking safety in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-want-to-thank-the-greek-people-publicly-for-their-humanitarian/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We had a farewell dinner for some of my senior staff, and generally everybody likes to talk about how cool I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-had-a-farewell-dinner-for-some-of-my-senior-staff-and-generally/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ It's good to get fresh legs in \[the White house\]. I think that it refreshes our democracy. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-s-good-to-get-fresh-legs-in-the-white-house-i-think-that-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Believe it or not, entertainment is part of our American diplomacy, it is part of what makes us exceptional, part of what makes us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/believe-it-or-not-entertainment-is-part-of-our-american-diplomacy-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Explore all 3,624 Barack Obama quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More Betray quotes > [Ye youths and virgins, when your generous blood Has drunk the warmth of fifteen summers, now The loves invite; now to new rapture wakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-armstrong/ye-youths-and-virgins-when-your-generous-blood-has-drunk-the-warmth/) [John Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-armstrong/) > [“Ash,” Mab crooned as he drew near. “My poor boy. Rowan told me what happened between the two of you, but I know you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-kagawa/ash-mab-crooned-as-he-drew-near-my-poor-boy-rowan-told-me-what/) [Julie Kagawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-kagawa/) > [“79. A soul which knows that it is loved, but does not itself love, betrays its sediment: its dregs come up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/79-a-soul-which-knows-that-it-is-loved-but-does-not-itself-love/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Joy doesn't betray but sustains activism. And when you face a politics that aspires to make you fearful, alienated and isolated, joy is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/joy-doesn-t-betray-but-sustains-activism-and-when-you-face-a-politics/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [Even if we have to go without bread, we Albanians do not violate principles. We do not betray Marxism - Leninism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enver-hoxha/even-if-we-have-to-go-without-bread-we-albanians-do-not-violate/) [Enver Hoxha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enver-hoxha/) > [Stop holding onto people that treat you like crap. They might be nice sometimes, but the rest of the time they disrespect you and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/stop-holding-onto-people-that-treat-you-like-crap-they-might-be-nice/) [Sonya Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bible/now-the-brother-shall-betray-the-brother-to-death-and-the-father-the/) [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bible/) > [One day you and I will have to have a little talk about this business called love. I still don't understand what it's all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oriana-fallaci/one-day-you-and-i-will-have-to-have-a-little-talk-about-this-business/) [Oriana Fallaci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oriana-fallaci/) > [“Sarai, you never know who might betray you until it’s too late.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-a-redmerski/sarai-you-never-know-who-might-betray-you-until-it-s-too-late/) [J.A. Redmerski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-a-redmerski/) > [Waking up every day and loving someone who may or may not love us back, whose safety we can't ensure, who may stay in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/waking-up-every-day-and-loving-someone-who-may-or-may-not-love-us/) [Brene Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [Indifference must be a crime in us, to be ranked but one degree below treachery; for deserting the commonwealth is next to betraying it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-st-john-1st-viscount-bolingbroke/indifference-must-be-a-crime-in-us-to-be-ranked-but-one-degree-below/) [Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-st-john-1st-viscount-bolingbroke/) > [The zombie is in a lot of ways the perfect horror movie bad guy. It plays on so many fears all at once. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gunn/the-zombie-is-in-a-lot-of-ways-the-perfect-horror-movie-bad-guy-it/) [James Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gunn/) > [Books should confuse. Literature abhors the typical. Literature flows to the particular, the mundane, the greasiness of paper, the taste of warm beer, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rodriguez/books-should-confuse-literature-abhors-the-typical-literature-flows/) [Richard Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rodriguez/) > [It is up to us to take care of this planet, it is our only home. To betray nature is to betray us. To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince-ea/it-is-up-to-us-to-take-care-of-this-planet-it-is-our-only-home-to/) [Prince Ea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince-ea/) > [In his bleak mercy, Death forever strips The soul of light and memory, rendering blind Our vision, lest surmounted deeps appal, As when on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clark-ashton-smith/in-his-bleak-mercy-death-forever-strips-the-soul-of-light-and-memory/) [Clark Ashton Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clark-ashton-smith/) Browse all 966 Betray quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barack Obama" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-will-respond-to-the-threat-of-climate-change-knowing-that-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Betray" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-will-respond-to-the-threat-of-climate-change-knowing-that-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aea/barack-obama-17_betray_we-will-respond-to-the-threat-of-climate_1845312.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aea/barack-obama-17_betray_we-will-respond-to-the-threat-of-climate_1845312.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aea/barack-obama-17_betray_we-will-respond-to-the-threat-of-climate_1845312.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children…” — Barack Obama", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Barack Obama", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We will respond to the threat...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-will-respond-to-the-threat-of-climate-change-knowing-that-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-will-respond-to-the-threat-of-climate-change-knowing-that-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```