Transactional Writing Formats

Contents TIPS FOR TRANSACTIONAL WRITING ................................................................................................................ 2 FORMAL LETTERS: ............................................................................................................................................. 3 LETTER OF COMPLAINT ................................................................................................................................. 3 LETTER TO ASK FOR A DONATION................................................................................................................. 4 LETTER TO THE PRESS ................................................................................................................................... 5 LETTER OF APPLICATION ............................................................................................................................... 6 EULOGY ............................................................................................................................................................. 7 Example of a Eulogy (1) ................................................................................................................................. 7 Example of a Eulogy (2) ................................................................................................................................. 8 EDITORIAL ......................................................................................................................................................... 9 Example of an editorial ............................................................................................................................... 10 E-MAIL ............................................................................................................................................................. 11 BLOG................................................................................................................................................................ 12 Example of a blog post (2)........................................................................................................................... 13 OPEN LETTER ................................................................................................................................................... 14 Example of an open letter........................................................................................................................... 14 SPEECHES ........................................................................................................................................................ 15 Example of a speech ................................................................................................................................... 15 TIPS FOR TRANSACTIONAL WRITING You must learn the formats for transactional writing. Unless otherwise stated, you do not have to be yourself. Remember that transactional writing is creative, so you are allowed to embellish your experiences or adopt a different persona. When adopting a different persona, write it into your piece so that the marker is aware of it. E.g. • …as a Springbok netball player… • …when I travelled to the Middle East with the UN Youth Envoy… • …my experiences in science labs allowed me to… Reference specific events (personal or current affairs) to lend your writing credibility. Specific details add purpose to your writing, make it relatable and add sincerity. E.g. • I went to my local Checkers to buy bread and milk when… • When we are facing the impact of the war between Russia and Ukraine, and the rising fuel price… • …unlike Will Smith, I don’t wake up and choose violence… • Standing in the crowd and seeing the captain of Banyana Banyana lift the WAFCON trophy… You do not have to provide a word count for transactional writing, and counting words takes time, so use block spacing to figure out how much space you need to fill in order to reach the word count. How this works: • Write the first three or four lines of your transactional writing piece. • Calculate the average number of words you write per line. • Divide the required number of words for the transactional writing piece by the number of words you write per line to know how many lines you will need to fill to reach the word count. • Count the number of lines (adding in a few extra for paragraphing purposes) and make a pencil mark as your target. Do this for both transactional writing pieces. Note: it’s best not to work out the average number of words you write in a line when you are not in an exam circumstance, as handwriting does tend to change when you are under pressure. If you know that your handwriting is quite consistent, then you can calculate the number of lines needed before you go into the exam. Remember that the register and tone of your writing will be determined by the purpose, the relationship between the writer and reader/recipient, and the format in which the piece must be written. Something to think about for exams: Transactional writing is creative writing (which counts 40% of the paper!), and you might not feel particularly creative after writing two literature essays. As you can answer the questions in any order, consider starting with the transactional writing pieces, and aiming to finish them in an hour. If you use your reading time wisely, then this is more than doable. 2|Page FORMAL LETTERS: LETTER OF COMPLAINT Your address. Remember to include the date. Luthuli Cottage Mokgaotsi Road Delft 7102 11 January 2009 Their address. NB! Note that you must include who The Manager you are addressing. E.g. “The Manager” The Complaints Department Gellington’s Shoes P. O. Box 1479 CAPE TOWN Address the letter appropriately. If the person’s 8000 name is provided in the question, use it! Dear Sir/Madam Subject line to indicate focus. Underline it. Complaint about a pair of shoes I bought a pair of shoes from the LUX Shoe Shop, in St George’s Mall on 27 December 2007. After wearing them once, the heel broke off and I was left looking foolish on a dance floor. Give all the necessary, relevant details. Explain the inconvenience, nuisance-value, embarrassment etc. Ask for improved service, ratification etc. Show that you will not accept shoddy workmanship, poor products or service. Explain clearly that it was not irresponsibility on your behalf that caused the heel to break. Register: Reasonable but firm. I should be grateful if you would attend to this matter as soon as possible and let me know what you advise me to do. At the very least, I expect a refund. Yours sincerely, Formal greeting. ______________ (signature) Ms K. P. Garies Signature AND name below it. TIPS: • You must write to position person (The Manager/ The Liaison Officer / The Personnel Officer / The Accountant / The Supervisor, etc.) so that you can even phone and ask to speak to a specific person. Otherwise, nobody will accept responsibility. • Give a subject line (underlined), so that the reader immediately knows what the letter is about. • Give full details to make it easier for the company to trace your complaint and give all the important details. • I ‘should’ ... if you ‘would’ ... [SOURCE: adapted from WCED] 3|Page OR I ‘would’… if you ‘could’… LETTER TO ASK FOR A DONATION 26 Protea Road Maydonkaai 4057 1 July 2009 The Manager Special Store Pty Ltd Merrivale Road Merweville 6940 Dear Mr Mpho Request for donation Maydon Secondary School is holding a Music Festival to celebrate the opening of their new school building in September this year. We know that this is an important occasion and that we shall have many important guests at the event, including the new Director of Education. We are approaching you for a donation because we know you have always been involved in the affairs of the education in this area. Please know that we really appreciate all the efforts you have made on our behalf over the years. We would really be grateful if you could assist us with some percussion instruments or let us know where we can acquire them. We also desperately need some material to use for making attractive costumes for the dancers and singers. We look forward to hearing from you. Please let us know whether you will be able to assist us. Yours sincerely, _________________ (signature) Bongani Mgijama Chairman: Fund-raising Committee) TIPS: • There should be NO errors in this letter! So, edit! • ‘Pty’ and ‘Ltd’ do not have a full-stop after them! • Road is written out in full, as is the date. • The register should be polite, tactful and rhetorical. • Explain what the occasion is, who will be there, why there is an occasion, how you will be celebrating, where and when you will be holding the event. • Explain why you are approaching this prospective donor. • State exactly what it is you require and give the recipient of this letter a chance to get the donation or products elsewhere, if at all possible. [SOURCE: adapted from WCED] 4|Page LETTER TO THE PRESS 2119 Zwelitsha Street Zweletemba 6852 29 December 2009 The Editor The People’s Voice Box 222 Tshwane 0001 Dear Mrs Haffajee Right, you are wrong! ‘Unfulfilled’ (Durban Times, 23 December 2007), has made a valid point that life is difficult, disappointing and stressful. However, I believe there is a flip-side to this kind of attitude. State the issue immediately and clearly. Criticise another writer’s points, logically and calmly. You may criticise, but be constructive. Give your point of view rationally. Let your letter be of value. Let it make a difference. Clearly explain your reason / purpose for writing. Be rational, calm and relevant to win the arguments. Use relevant examples to support your viewpoint. End with a challenge / question / memorable statement. Your language and register should be acceptable. Check the format. Life happens moment to moment, but is fleeting. Surely we should all make a special effort to ensure that the time we have on earth is well-spent, serving others, keeping our equilibrium and contributing to peace on earth. Despite the attitude of ‘Unfulfilled’, I still admire her for expressing her views. It is the direction she has chosen which I find disappointing. Yours sincerely, _________________ (signature) Mrs C. L. High TIPS: • You send the letter to the editor, but not for him/her to react, advise, correct or promote particularly. • Therefore, you use only the name of the editor, as you are not writing to the editor, but to the public. • Your subject line should get to the heart of the matter. It should be crisp and striking. • Briefly repeat what someone else has expressed and then offer your viewpoint. • You can use a pseudonym, (nom-de-plume) at the end if you do not wish to have your name used BUT must still supply your name. You should have the courage of your convictions to provide your name to your views! • Make sure that your words make a difference. Satire, used well, works wonders. [SOURCE: adapted from WCED] 5|Page LETTER OF APPLICATION 4 Primrose Street Lwandle 7140 11 September 2009 The Manager Peoples’ Project P. O. Box 236 Katlehong 1431 Dear Sir Application for the position of Educational Liaison Officer I am applying for the position of Educational Liaison Officer as advertised in the Gauteng Gazette on 12 August 2008. In support of my application, I include my CV and the names of two referees. I am interested in this position as I have an educational background and feel that I can contribute to alleviating the present problem in Katlehong. I can bring compassion, knowledge and insight to the project. I would really appreciate being granted an interview. You can contact me on 021 845 9992 or 083 8642 3589. I look forward to hearing from you. Yours faithfully __________________ (signature) Lungiswo Sandile TIPS: • Note the difference between: I am applying for the Secretary (X) AND I am applying for the position of Secretary. (√) • This is a short letter – you merely want to be granted an interview so that you can persuade the company to hire YOU, without being too forceful. • There should definitely be NO errors in THIS letter! • Give details of where you saw the advertisement. This helps the company to gauge the success of their advertising. • Provide an indication of why you would be a suitable candidate for the job. [SOURCE: adapted from WCED] 6|Page EULOGY Definition: a speech or piece of writing that praises someone or something highly, especially a tribute to someone who has just died WHAT TO INCLUDE IN A EULOGY: • Significant dates in the person’s life • Important places in their life, such as where they were born, went to school, lived, served in the military or beloved places they travelled to. • Names of significant people in their life, such as spouses, children, grandchildren, siblings, parents and close friends or co-workers. • Highlights in their life that were meaningful to them and those who knew them. This could be when they achieved an important work-related goal, or did something that made them particularly happy or proud, such a sports, charity or hobby-related awards. • If the person had any favourite sayings, you might want to include those if they are short. [SOURCE: https://dying.lovetoknow.com/examples-tributes-given-at-funerals/what-information-should-be-included-eulogy] Example of a Eulogy (1) At the age of 85, Mr William (Billy) Buckland, was still at his shop selling toys. He retired two years ago, and died yesterday after a short illness. He began his life in business as an assistant in Brookes Toys as a messenger boy. His eldest son, John (60), told that in between making tea and delivering post, he sold toys. The manager was so impressed that he was promoted within two weeks to salesman, and a year later to floor manager. “He loved children and he loved toys,” said Marion, his wife of 55 years. “I think he never really grew up!” she quipped. This was how he was perceived as a child – someone with a good sense of humour and a mischievous spirit, always smiling and helpful. At the age of thirty he bought the shop he had started at as a messenger and built it into the thriving business it now is. This sense of dedication and diligence was a shining example to all those around him. Generations of children will miss his cheerfulness and understanding. He had a magical ability to match the right toy to the right child. His own children looked after him well as he taught them how to look after a parent, looking after his own parents until they died in his home. Marion, our warmest wishes go with you. We know that Bill is at peace now and that you will be supported by your wonderful family: three sons and their wives and six grandchildren! TIPS: • Included should be incidents and anecdotes about the deceased, and personal memories of family and friends. The reader must be able to form a clear mental picture of the deceased. • Avoid sentimentality and euphemism. ‘Dying’ is acceptable. • Offer some comfort to the family that are present. [SOURCE: adapted from WCED] 7|Page NB! Eulogies are not always serious. They can be satirical too, in order to provide insight and commentary into current affairs. Example of a Eulogy (2) Eulogy for America By Megan AmramMay 25, 2017 Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to say our goodbyes to our dear friend America, who died recently after a brief, intense battle with fascism and a long, slow battle with carbs. Thank you all for coming out to help say farewell. It's not easy. But at least America died doing what it loved most: deep-frying Halloween candy while white men tried to explain to women what jazz is. America was sick for a really long time. In the early stages, I think we were all in denial. You could tell that America was unwell—public displays of brutality, deeply internalized prejudice, "Entourage"—but it seemed curable. Just a case of plain old electile dysfunction. We thought that we'd caught the fascism early, but, as we now know, it had metastasized. America was more Florida than country by the end. America was born right here, in America, and lived here its entire life. America was always about family. It is survived by its similarly ill father, Britain, and its large brood of children: baseball, Google, fireworks, losing your fingers to fireworks, giving your Uber driver only four stars because he talked to you, thinking granola is healthy, Chicago (the place), "Chicago" (the musical), "Chicago" (the movie adaptation of the musical), Chicago (the band), "Chicago Fire," "Chicago Med," "Chicago P.D.," "Chicago Justice," "Chicago 'Chicago' " (a show about the Chicago production of the musical "Chicago," coming to NBC this fall), and a bunch of wars. I'd personally be nowhere without America. America was there when I was born, when I got married, when I saw Janet Jackson's nipple at the Super Bowl. Remember that? After that happened, none of us slept for days, because we had never seen the pointy part of a boob on our TVs before, and it really upset us. America was really cool that way. It would always get mad when you'd see the pointy part of a boob on a TV. I'm gonna miss that. However, we should not dwell on the loss of our dear country, friend, and place where all the Cheesecake Factories and Lids stores are. Today, let's celebrate America's life, and remember all of the remarkable things it accomplished and how many actors playing Spider-Man who keep getting cuter and younger were inside of it. America gave us so much. And, boy, did it look good for its age. America was two hundred and forty-one years old when it died, but it didn't look a day over a hundred and sixty-four! It looked so young, it could've been the very same America that put its own citizens in internment camps! America got a bunch of things really right. Mostly how to put food inside other food. Anyone can just eat a chicken. But in a duck?! In a turkey?! In a gun?! No one is going to forget the Turduckenun any time soon. America was so inventive that way. And, I mean, everyone does silly stuff when they're young. America was beautiful, too. Sure, it was a little lumpy, and you could always see its Florida through its pants, but it just got hotter with age. So hot. It was so, so hot by the time it died. Almost too hot to live in. If there's anything we should take away from this tragedy, it's that you should always check yourself for fascism, especially around your midsection. It's easy enough to do in the shower. If you catch it early, it can be cleared up with a rigorous regimen of local elections and books and yoga. But America was cocky. Nothing bad had ever happened to it before! It assumed this fascism would pass, just like the Second World War and "Entourage" had. What a shame. America was just the best damn country in the whole U.S.A. I'm sorry that I'm getting choked up. I get really emotional when I think of America, and also I took too big of a bite of Turduckenun and it got lodged in my windpipe. We will all miss America greatly. Every time I see an American flag or a gun, I'll think of America. But we can all rest easy knowing America is in a better place now: Russia. [SOURCE: https://www.newyorker.com/humor/daily-shouts/eulogy-for-america] 8|Page EDITORIAL An editorial is an article written by or under the direction of the editor of a newspaper or magazine, or a statement broadcast on radio or television. Editorials give opinions on important social, political, economic, or legal issues of the day and intend to persuade readers to agree to a particular point of view. Editorials reflect the views of the owners, managers or board of directors of media companies. Editorials of major papers are often viewed by readers in terms of their positioning as right (conservative), centre (liberal), or left (socialist) on the political spectrum. Furthermore, editorials usually do not shy from controversy, in the hope of not only presenting the issues to the reading public, but also of drawing response from the public and attracting new readership in the competitive marketplace. Editorial Structure An editorial is similar to an essay in that it focuses on a specific issue or topic, offers a thesis, and provides evidence and supporting arguments to convince its readers. The title clearly identifies the topic; the introductory statement includes the writer’s view on the issue; the body provides supporting evidence and examples; and the conclusion restates the writer’s view and provides a final appeal for the reader to agree to that view. Suggestions for Students Planning the Editorial: • Decide what issue you will write about and clearly define the issue. • Consider who your intended audience will be (for example, it may be the general readership, or it may be directed at those who hold a particular view that may or may not already have been expressed in the media or other public forum). • Brainstorm a variety of strategies you can use to gain reader support for your view on the issue. These might include acknowledgement of the reader’s current viewpoint, listing benefits of the view you are promoting, providing reliable evidence, and using of sound reasoning. • Develop logical and ethical arguments; avoid purely emotional rhetoric. • Conduct necessary research both to gather information about the audience you are writing for, and to collect evidence, examples, and support for the view you are promoting. • Develop an outline to follow before you begin writing. [SOURCE: http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/cur/socstud/frame_found_sr2/tns/tn-26.pdf] An editorial has a powerful, eye-catching headline. The introductory paragraph introduces and summarises the editor's standpoint on the issue. The body consists of strong arguments or evidence that supports this point of view. The level of language depends on the audience, but it is generally formal. Sentence structures may vary. Qualifying words are used to clarify the argument e.g. firstly, lastly, thus, in conjunction with and consequently. The conclusion sums up the argument and may make recommendations. NB! Newspaper editorials and magazine editorials differ significantly. A newspaper editorial will always address what is newsworthy, current and controversial. A magazine editorial will often be the editor’s personal response to the focus of that particular issue of the magazine. A magazine also includes references to articles which appear in the magazine, along with page numbers. 9|Page Example of an editorial In the United States they call it “disaster capitalism”: profiting when things fall apart, especially when the victims are poor and can’t sue. Big companies — which have paid to get politicians their seats — call in those favours and get contracts to fix things when natural disasters strike. Think New Orleans and Puerto Rico after their hurricanes. In South Africa, we love a good metaphor. Corruption is people thinking with their stomachs, so we call it “chowing”. Anyone who works around government uses this metaphor. Regarding sewage treatment, the model at play looks exactly like disaster capitalism. It starts with a wastewater treatment plant, which takes waste from baths and toilets and treats it. The water that is released into rivers should be clean enough to drink. We have 824 of these plants, mostly run by municipalities. They aren’t maintained; that budget is taken up by corrupt officials and huge salaries. There are no engineers at municipalities outside the big metros, so the plants grind to a halt — literally: faeces solidify in the plant and the pipes that supply it. We know this because we have seen it at dozens of plants across the country. The sewage bypasses more than 700 plants and eventually runs into the rivers. People protest. They know that sewage is flowing past their homes on the way to the rivers because of corruption. Sometimes that gets media attention. A minister or local bigwig calls in contractors to do emergency fixes. Friends and supporters get contracts. Sometimes they do a good job. Often they don’t. The last information from the water and sanitation department noted 16 emergency interventions in 2016, at a cost of nearly R200-million. As a source put it: “If you can chow when things are burning, why fix them?” This is a vicious cycle that benefits politicians and those to whom they give patronage. It ignores everyone else. This must change. Sewage is infrastructure. Infrastructure requires a lot of planning and takes a long time to build. When things go wrong it isn’t an accident. Someone has decided to let that happen. We only seem to display righteous rage when people die in numbers, such as when children keep dying from diarrhoea in Bloemhof. But sewage flowing into rivers kills people, all the time. It just isn’t recorded as a death from sewage. We need to change the language we use. Allowing a wastewater treatment plant to break down — because of negligence or direct action — must be treated as murder. Delaying the construction of a water treatment plant or water scheme to profit friends is murder. Each one of these actions kills people. The motto of the department of water and sanitation is, “Water is life. Sanitation is dignity.” They must act to make this true. [SOURCE: https://mg.co.za/article/2018-08-24-00-call-corruption-by-its-name-murder] 10 | P a g e E-MAIL Person to whom the email is addressed. TO: barbarajp@inafrica.co.za CC: benjie@ppp.cp.za; petersjp@danie.com; 14865@hotmail.co.uk; SUBJECT: Reunion MESSAGE: Dear Barbara Indicates other interested or relevant parties who will receive the email. Subject line indicates the topic of the email. Address the person directly. Just to remind you about our reunion on 23 March 2008 in Windhoek, Namibia. I definitely need numbers now as the Safari Company needs to finalise the contract. So, please send the signed form by the end of today! Looking forward to seeing you all. Incidentally, I found Cecile – she has been in the deserts of Saudi Arabia and will be back in time for the big bash! Love, Carla Formality of the ending depends on the content of the email. TIPS: • • • • Emails should be practised on the computer to ensure that the user has a clear idea of the different icons used for sending and receiving an email. CC: Here you fill in the email addresses of other people to whom you are sending the same message. The date will automatically appear on the email when it goes through to the addressee. The way you end off an email will depend on who you are sending it to. Be more formal if the email is for business purposes. [SOURCE: adapted from WCED] 11 | P a g e BLOG Name of blog. Date of blog post. Title of blog post. • • • A blog entry must include the NAME of the blog (“Genius”) and the name of the post (“Drake and why rappers fall off after 5 years”) and the date of the post. Blogs are highly opinionated, but the opinions are supported by facts. As bloggers write to their followers, there is often an open-line of communication as there is a chance for followers to respond by posting on the blog. (It is a good idea to include some responses when writing a blog). See below: [SOURCE: http://genius.com/a/drake-why-rappers-fall-off-after-5-years] 12 | P a g e Example of a blog post (2) [SOURCE: https://mashable.com/article/meghan-markle-car-door/?utm_cid=hp-r-1#DJEdORdS8aqS] 13 | P a g e OPEN LETTER • • • • • An open letter is written to a specific individual, group of individuals or company, but is posted in a public space, such as in a newspaper or online. The letters are published for the public to read as the information contained within the letter is a declaration by the person writing it – they also often want the world to know what their views and opinions are (and they are more likely to get a response if the public is involved). When you are writing an open letter, remember that everyone will be able to read it in spite of to whom it is addressed. NB! Because an open letter is published in a public space, it does not use an address or any specific formatting other than the traditional greeting and closing in a letter: Dear Mr X, Dear employees of Apple, Dear Curro Holdings Yours sincerely, Ms Y The publication in which the open letter is published, will impact on your chosen tone and register. If you would like the marker to know in which publication the open letter appears, add a disclaimer before the start of your letter, e.g. *This open letter does not express the views of the editor or employees of Rolling Stone Magazine. Example of an open letter Dear “Positive Vibes Only” Look at you, you’re everywhere. You’re really having a minute. Inscribed on the moisture-wicking tank tops of upperclass yoga practitioners; cropping up in the captions of Instagram wellness models; peppered into the mission statements of for-profit organizations. You’re like the “I VOTED” sticker for people with privilege and unwavering levels of serotonin, and here’s why I’m going to need you to die: There are many things that the power of positive thought can’t band-aid let alone fix right now. Things like pervasive social structural injustice, economic disparity, stagnant job markets, the prohibitive cost of healthcare, sexism, Nazism, global warming, shuttering libraries, disappearing bees, diminished attention spans, endemic loneliness, the opioid crisis, the misogyny of the president, recklessly armed citizens, the Kardashians, Oreo Thins, pre-teens eating Tide Pods etc. And YOU, a cognitive bias posturing as a catchphrase that’s screen-printed on every viable surface, aren’t doing jack to solve any of it. You’re a passive little phrase engineered to move merch and you’re missing the dang point. At best “Positive Vibes Only” sounds like a poorly branded free clinic. At worse, it makes disengaging from reality in favour of wishful thinking a lifestyle aspiration, which in 2018 is just mother-effing dangerous. The semantics of “PVO” doesn’t just pollute more tinder bios than I can swipe a thumb at, but far worse it rejects diversity of opinion and experience from the Rightfully Sad. Depressed Folk. Marginalized Folk. Trying Folk. Folk who are navigating tremendous amounts of suffering and trauma by grieving, raging, organizing and healing — and who require space and conversations to do so. What you do, “Positive Vibes Only,” is shame and exclude people who cannot happy-think their way out of their realities. People who can’t hashtag their way out of systemic oppression, sexual assault, defaulting mortgages, familial displacement, serious mood disorders, terminal illness and the like. What the world needs now is not positive thinking — what the world needs now is disruptive, revolutionary thinking. And action. And that requires getting sad, mad and organized. So peace out, “Positive Vibes Only.” It ain’t all good and those of us seeking justice are not going to pretend otherwise. You’re not welcome. — Ali O’Reilly [SOURCE: https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/an-open-letter-to-the-phrase-positive-vibes-only] 14 | P a g e SPEECHES • • • • • The most important thing to consider before writing your speech, is who you will be addressing and why. Read the instructions carefully to ensure you use the correct register and tone. Your speech must have an effective introduction, in which you greet your audience E.g. Good evening, Class of 2023 Your speech must be logically structured, so be sure to link your ideas effectively. In a speech, your aim is to engage the audience, so it is best to make sure that you use persuasive language techniques. Your speech must have a focused and clear conclusion. Example of a speech Climate activist Greta Thunberg, 16, addressed the U.N.'s Climate Action Summit in New York City on Monday. Here's the full transcript of Thunberg's speech, beginning with her response to a question about the message she has for world leaders. My message is that we'll be watching you. This is all wrong. I shouldn't be up here. I should be back in school on the other side of the ocean. Yet you all come to us young people for hope. How dare you! You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words. And yet I'm one of the lucky ones. People are suffering. People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction, and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth. How dare you! For more than 30 years, the science has been crystal clear. How dare you continue to look away and come here saying that you're doing enough, when the politics and solutions needed are still nowhere in sight. You say you hear us and that you understand the urgency. But no matter how sad and angry I am, I do not want to believe that. Because if you really understood the situation and still kept on failing to act, then you would be evil. And that I refuse to believe. The popular idea of cutting our emissions in half in 10 years only gives us a 50% chance of staying below 1.5 degrees [Celsius], and the risk of setting off irreversible chain reactions beyond human control. Fifty percent may be acceptable to you. But those numbers do not include tipping points, most feedback loops, additional warming hidden by toxic air pollution or the aspects of equity and climate justice. They also rely on my generation sucking hundreds of billions of tons of your CO2 out of the air with technologies that barely exist. So a 50% risk is simply not acceptable to us — we who have to live with the consequences. To have a 67% chance of staying below a 1.5 degrees global temperature rise – the best odds given by the [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change] – the world had 420 gigatons of CO2 left to emit back on Jan. 1st, 2018. Today that figure is already down to less than 350 gigatons. How dare you pretend that this can be solved with just 'business as usual' and some technical solutions? With today's emissions levels, that remaining CO2 budget will be entirely gone within less than 8 1/2 years. There will not be any solutions or plans presented in line with these figures here today, because these numbers are too uncomfortable. And you are still not mature enough to tell it like it is. You are failing us. But the young people are starting to understand your betrayal. The eyes of all future generations are upon you. And if you choose to fail us, I say: We will never forgive you. We will not let you get away with this. Right here, right now is where we draw the line. The world is waking up. And change is coming, whether you like it or not. Thank you. [SOURCE: https://www.npr.org/2019/09/23/763452863/transcript-greta-thunbergs-speech-at-the-u-n-climate-action-summit] 15 | P a g e