for 352 straight months, the planet's temperature has been above the 20th century average which means if you are 29 years old or younger, you have never known a month without hotter than average temperatures. rising, storms are getting stronger, the drought is longer, heat waves are more intense. in may, i have the honor to meet

and discuss climate change with pope francis and his top advisers in the vatican. he understands that regardless of faith or party, we are all called to respond to this arsenal and monetary challenge. epa thes will allowse united states to respond and benefit to all of creation. global warming is a moral issue. it is a security issue. it is an economic issue. it is the challenge of our times and we must rise to meet it, thank you. >> each week, american history tv's "reel america" brings archival films to help tell the story of the 20th century. the national archive was established by congress in 1934 to preserve and care for the united states government. -- the records of the u.s. government.

this is a 10 minute short called "the archives." to see how government records it takes us inside are preserved. >> in washington, the archives building stands a living memorial to the patriots who made and preserved our democracy. it contains the living records of their great work. two prime statues guard the approach. americans of the past might well have nodded their heads in solemn approval of these words in the living rock. eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. a warning that our heritage of freedom and liberty must be

preserved area at a gesture from the guard the largest bronzed , doors in the world swing slowly. some idea of their size can be ingged by the tower corinthian columns. this magnificent entrance leads directly to the exhibition hall where two great works by the american mural painter mark milestones. a new america strikes its first united blow for freedom. the declaration of independence was a great plan on which this nation was founded. the constitution is a supporting pillar of our democracy. james madison offers the constitution to george washington. and the members of the historic constitutional convention. within the exhibition hall, schoolbook history comes to life as the visitors see documents which marks steps in the forward march of america. among the important treaties preserved is the first treaty which handed the war of 1812 and reaffirmed the nation's right to

live in peace and freedom. another represents a battle fought and won. in the field of diplomacy. yellowed and it is preserved as a vital link in our democracy when america took its place in the congress of nations. this seemingly unimportant document is the knowledge meant by great britain that her colonies are now the united states of america. this treaty of paris bears the signature of john adams, benjamin franklin, and john jay. the historian seeking facts of plane citizens seeking knowledge of his government heads for this nerve center of the archive, documents are cross catalogued for easy access. rdw connor is in direct control of the entire building and supervises a wide variety of activities of the 400 members of the archives staff.

for years, the vital papers and documents were scattered throughout the city of washington in basements and dead files of various buildings. under this haphazard system, no one knew for certain where anything was. finally congress stepped in and in 1934 passed legislation grading the national archives. -- creating the national archives. the archives building became the consolidating force to bring order out of chaos. here in the division of repair and preservation the historical , records shed the dust of their years and are preserved as a precious heritage. trundled on special trucks our , vital state papers take the first steps from obscurity. in these large fumigated and tanks, all papers and during the custody of the national archives are placed for more than three hours science making sure all , organic life is destroyed. the documents are carefully removed from the fumigated

tanks, checked as to their condition, and passed on to the next step. experts remove every particle of dust and dirt which long years of neglect have deposited. separating brittle sheets more delicately than human hands. when the archives building was first opened, these men had to wear gas masks to protect themselves from the dust. now each table is equipped with , special suction fans. the dust is conveyed to a filtering system and enables the experts to work under comfortable and healthful conditions. cleaned and sterilized, the manuscript and books go to the desks of binders. with their trained hands and tools, highly skilled men separate pages.

and perhaps he for the first time in 100 years some document of state signed by john adams, alexander hamilton, or one of the many other great patriots who figured in the establishment of our liberty. the tender care with which these men handle the documents shows how extremely fragile many of these old papers are. it is often necessary to employ humidifying processes. before further treatment is possible. after which under carefully controlled heat and pressure the , papers are smoothed and is made more vivid and easier to read. this is known as the ironing process. it's necessary for the flat filing of records. it is important work of reconditioning state documents. are in a dangerously poor state of preservation and it goes on behind the scenes. everyone who uses the archives sees the results of meticulous care. papers are being bound in their individual jackets so that they may be examined and studied closely without fear of injury. it improves the legibility of the original.

the acetate is completely transparent. they are placed on the specially designed presses. under thousands of pounds of pressure and intense heat, the record, regardless of its former state, can be used without fear of further deterioration. these documents are copied by photostat. a direct copy in actual size is made on photographic paper. they may be studied and handled without fear of damage while the original rest safely in the vaults. for some larger exhibits, this is not practical. items such as newspapers, a new technique is used -- micro photography, someday every school child in the land will see a first-hand the state document which have heretofore been only draft quotations of texts.

the archives have undertaken to perpetuate the visual documents of progress for motion pictures. in fireproof vaults, ventilated by controlled condition there, are stored thousands of feet of important films. technicians maintain this film laboratory, selecting and editing all films. these pictures are available to any responsible citizen. through the use of motion pictures, the archives is taking full advantage of science and keeping records of the social and cultural life of america as it progresses. the motion pictures, a mirror of our country's history in the making. ♪ in the sound department, the recorded utterances of our nation's leaders are carefully

preserved. tomorrow's younger generation have pictures of our president and they will hear him speak. >> i do solemnly swear that i will safely execute the office of president of the united states and will to the best of my ability preserve, protect, and defend the constitution of the united states so help me god. >> with its great storage vaults, exhibition halls, manuscripts, documents, and papers, you archives building is a time capsule of americana from the earliest beginnings of our democracy to present day. it houses highlights of the country's history. ♪ this paper, the ratification of our consultation, is a reminder -- of our constitution is a mute reminder of the dramatic moment inry