Ocasio-Cortez believes 'the world is gonna end in 12 years because of natural disaster'

Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made waves during a Martin Luther King Jr. event in which she spoke about climate change.

On Monday, Ocasio-Cortez sat down with journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates. The event took place at Manhattan's Riverside Church in Manhattan. There, the youngest congresswoman expressed her controversial views.

Ocasio-Cortez, 29, described the impending effects of climate change as our "World War 2," which was an instant point of criticism for those who opposed her.

Still, the democratic socialist received support when she made strong comments about the issue.

She said:

"Millennials, and Gen Z, and all these folks that come after us, are looking up and we're like, 'The world will end in 12 years if we don't address climate change, and your biggest issue is how are we gonna pay for it?'"

Ocasio-Cortez' 12-year prediction likely stems from the 1,600-page report released by the federal government last year. The report outlined the climate situation, describing it as the fastest-changing than any other point in history.

The report said that changes might be irreversible in 12 years. However, users online found it absurd to suggest that the "world will end in 12 years."

Meanwhile, Ocasio-Cortez is sticking to her guns. She said that not enough is being done by the current administration.

She explained:

“Right now, with the current administration, with the current circumstances, with the abdication of responsibility that we’ve seen from so many powerful people, even people who abdicate that responsibility by calling themselves liberal or a Democrat, or whatever it is, I feel a need for all of us to breathe fire."

Ocasio-Cortez went on to voice her controversial stance on the matter of taxing rich persons a 70% marginal tax. She said it was "immoral" the way America "allows billionaires to exist."

She explained:

"I don’t think that necessarily means that all billionaires are immoral. It is not to say that someone like Bill Gates, for example, or Warren Buffett are immoral people. I do not believe that... but I do think a system that allows billionaires to exist when there are parts of Alabama where people are still getting ringworm because they don’t have access to public health is wrong."

She continued:

"I think that it’s wrong that a vast majority of the country does not make a living great wage. I think it’s wrong that you can work 100 hours and not feed your kids."

The congresswoman has a solution. A new policy would tax earnings beyond an annual figure of $10 million at a rate of 70%.

She clarified the proposal just hours after the MLK interview in her appearance on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." There, she also reiterated the immorality that some could "have a helipad while [New York City] is experiencing the highest rates of people experiencing homelessness since the Great Depression."

Last Wednesday, Ocasio-Cortez put the blame for the country's current crisis on President Donald Trump. His administration has kept the government under shutdown for upwards of 30 days now.

The shutdown is America's longest in its entire history. And so far, 800,000 federal employees have been left without pay. Many are struggling to make ends meet due to being furloughed.

Additionally, a number of departments are operating way below optimal capacity. This is affecting regular citizens who are unable to receive services such as housing assistance.

In her speech, Ocasio-Cortez said:

“The truth of this shutdown is that it's actually not about a wall...The truth is, this shutdown is about the erosion of American democracy and the subversion of our most basic governmental norms."

She continued:

"It is not normal to hold 800,000 workers' paychecks hostage. It is not normal to shut down the government when we don't get what we want. And it is certainly not normal to starve the people we serve for a proposal that is wildly unpopular among the American people."

She was referring to Trump's request for $5.7 billion from the Democrats in order to fund the border wall. The speech went viral, gaining over a million views in under 12 hours.