There is no more urgent time than now for the world’s leaders and political decision-makers at the COP26 [October 31 to November 12] to listen to their consciences and to the millions of people crying out for an end to the damage, pain and hurt that climate change and global warming is causing. This could be the last chance to stop the climate reaching the point of no return when a cycle of continuing destruction kicks in. The planet will then continue destroying itself and us along with it.
Despite all the talk and promises of past years, there is more CO2 in the atmosphere in 2021 than a year ago.
The poor suffer the most from the destruction of the natural world, the cutting of trees and the industrial-scale growing of commercial crops like palm oil, soy and grass on once forested lands to feed cattle. These contribute to the CO2 that is causing global warming.
There are more than a billion cattle in the world today. Most are raised for beef to feed the well-off and they emit millions of tons of methane annually, a greenhouse gas that is, in part, causing global warming. If most people would become vegetarian, they would be stronger, live longer, healthy lives and help save the planet.
The world leaders have promised to stop all deforestation in two years and re-wild and grow trees to hold the global temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The financial leaders said banks and pension funds would only invest in renewable energy projects. The World Bank said it will stop lending to the oil and coal industry. The G7 said they will stop giving US$20 billion [$155.6 billion] in subsidies to the coal, gas and oil industry. Globally, countries spend US$500 billion [$3.8 trillion] to support fossil fuel industries.
Forty nations pledged to quit coal at COP26. However, China, Australia, the United States and India did not sign up to the pledge. The rich nations promised, as they did in 2014, to give billions of dollars to poor countries to offset the losses. They failed to deliver on their promises.
Boris Johnson, the prime minister of the UK told delegates: ‘When it comes to tackling climate change, words without action, without deeds are absolutely pointless’
They are irresponsible. They are the biggest carbon emitters, pumping out 86 per cent of the world’s CO2 into the atmosphere. Lower income countries emit only 14 per cent. The Philippines emits one per cent. The poorest of the poor nations that have nine percent of the world’s population emit 0.5 per cent of the greenhouse gases.
Will the rich deliver on their promises? Boris Johnson, the prime minister of the UK told delegates: “When it comes to tackling climate change, words without action, without deeds are absolutely pointless.” He then took a private flight to London where he will likely approve the opening of a new coal mine in West Cumbria. If that is any indication of what is to become of promises and pledges, we must brace ourselves for the worst.
Juan Delgos is a poor Aeta farmer living in a bamboo hut with a grass roof in the mountains of Zambales, north of Manila, the Philippines. He is bent with age and hard work, and has endured lashing rain and burning sun. He is a subsistence farmer and lives with his wife and three children on ancestral land. The Aeta are among the most neglected people in the Philippines.
Only when economic forces greatly favour low-cost renewable energy sources and the people are free and enlightened to elect candidates of integrity, with virtue and values, and with commitment to justice and equality, will the warming slow and the planet will be saved
Juan’s grandfather was a hunter and gatherer in the once lush rainforests of Zambales. After World War II and independence, and during the 1960s, massive deforestation destroyed the rainforests. The logging families and politicians cut every tree they could find leaving the mountains in the Philippines with only three per cent of primeval forest. After a massive public outcry by environmentalists in the 1990s, logging was outlawed, but it was too late and there is still illegal logging today. If the forests were regrown, they would absorb billions of tons of CO2.
The Aeta people survived and remained poor. They sold banana and Pico mangos to commercial traders for exploitative, low prices. To help them, the Profairtrade Development Enterprise [PDE] organisation came in and paid triple the traders’ price for Pico mangos. They picked up the mangos, paid cash in the field and gave them a share of the earnings after the fruits were processed into mango puree and exported.
The PDE also helps provide sanitation and water supply projects in the villages. It also provides as many as 2,000 mango saplings and fruit trees every year to restore the mountains and provide income.
As we celebrate the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines. The Chaplaincy to Filipino Migrants organises an on-line talk every Tuesday at 9.00pm. You can join us at:
https://www.Facebook.com/CFM-Gifted-to-give-101039001847033
Five years ago, the PDE helped the 360 Aeta farmers reach the certified international organic standard for mangoes. That was a big achievement for poor farmers and they renewed their certification every year after passing strict inspections. They then sold tons of organic mangoes. The Aetas were doing very well during mango harvest until the climate changed for the worst.
“Now there are no more good harvests, it is too hot,” Juan said, adding, “The rain storms and wind come at the wrong time and wash away the mango blossoms. The fruit flies lay their eggs and kill the flowers on the trees. Then the heat dries what little fruit survives.”
That is the tragic impact of climate change. The farmers and the PDE are now working on growing bananas for processing into puree since mangos are failing due to global warming; coal-fired power plants are the main culprits.
There are 28 coal-fired power plants in the Philippines and 22 more are planned and have been approved by the Department of Energy. Will the Philippines cancel the planned plants and get development funds to build renewable sources of energy like geothermal, wind and solar plants? It’s not likely, as elsewhere in the world many politicians are puppets controlled by the coal and oil corporations.
Forty per cent of the world’s electricity is produced by burning coal producing the highest concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere. China is the worst of all, followed by India, the US and Australia.
As many as 80 countries depend on coal plants and another 15 countries are planning to join them. Only 19 have pledged to quit. So what hope is there for reducing CO2 emissions to hold global temperatures at 1.5C by 2030? Not much really.
Only when economic forces greatly favour low-cost renewable energy sources and the people are free and enlightened to elect candidates of integrity, with virtue and values, and with commitment to justice and equality, will the warming slow and the planet will be saved.
Father Shay Cullen
www.preda.org
shaycullen@gmail.com
