Ask any class of school children who are steeped in knowledge and experience of the natural world, who have been on many field trips to the forests and the sea, and who have seen numerous documentaries on wildlife and the challenges and harm being done to our planet, what they want to do or be when they grow up? Many will cry out, “To guard the animals”, “to protect the forest”, “to care for the planet.”
We see and admire and ought to join the thousands of school children like Greta Thunberg, marching for climate justice and the protection of the natural world.
When climate activists call out “save the panda” or “save the elephant,” they are in fact saying, “save the planet.” That is because all life on earth is threatened by the mighty force of climate change, the rapid charge leading towards the extinction of species as a result of human activity, over population and the insane “conquest of nature” desire among humans.
The world’s population is projected to reach eight billion by 15 November 2022. In 2030, it will be 9.7 billion. In 2050, it will be 10.4 billion people, all putting greater demand on the planet’s resources.
The planet warmed by 1.2 degrees Celsius in the past 150 years or so. This cannot be ignored since our stocks of freshwater fish has declined by 83 per cent overall and the oceans have warmed up three years in a row since 2021. Many fish species can’t survive.
Coastal Philippine towns and cities, including Manila, will be threatened by drastic year-round floods by 2030 or sooner, making parts of the metropolis a new Venice by 2050. Property values will plunge and investing in gondolas will be a good move.
We are killing off our food supply by warming the planet and over-fishing. Eventually, all could be gone. This and more disturbing revelations according to a new shocking report by the World Wildlife Fund [WWF] for Nature, backed by 89 specialists and scientists.
We cannot deny the truth of science any longer and not take global action that the children and environmentalists call for. The UN should sequester huge areas of ocean as non-fishing areas since only 15 per cent of ocean is presently protected, though this is not enforced. Ocean levels are rising fast as the polar ice caps are melting quicker than first predicted. Rising ocean levels will quickly inundate low-lying coastal areas as it now covers large parts of South Pacific islands.
Coastal Philippine towns and cities, including Manila, will be threatened by drastic year-round floods by 2030 or sooner, making parts of the metropolis a new Venice by 2050. Property values will plunge and investing in gondolas will be a good move.
Children see and learn faster about the danger to the flowers and insects, the plants and trees, the animals, fish and creatures of all kinds. They learn how beneficial, wonderful, beautiful and important the creatures and plants are to each other, supporting and helping each to survive and thrive. It’s a wonderful world that we must understand and cherish as children do, before it is gone.
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
The planet warmed by 1.2 degrees Celsius in the past 150 years or so. This cannot be ignored since our stocks of freshwater fish has declined by 83 per cent overall and the oceans have warmed up three years in a row since 2021. Many fish species can’t survive
The hummingbird with its long, pointed beak can only get nectar deep in the special trumpet-shaped flower of the orchid. Its sweet nectar is tasty to the hummingbird only, not to bees. The bird, when drinking the nectar, is coated with pollen and carries it to the pistils of the next flower and pollination takes place. Many species have similar cooperation. They have mysteriously co-evolved or co-adapted with each other for mutual, peaceful survival. What a wonderful world we live in that is now fast disappearing.
If only the human species could have a similar relationship with the natural world and each other and realise that we need to respect all living things and live in harmony and recognise our mutual dependence. We don’t, we just destroy it with more construction, cutting down forests, making plantations, building more dams and coal-fired power plants.
Unlike adults, many children have learned the truth about our natural world. They see that it is under grave threat from climate change and that thousands of species are near extinction.
Humans pollute the atmosphere with CO2 by burning coal and fossil fuels and this in turn is devastating all species. It is disastrous for the planet, causing severe changes in rainfall in many places like Somalia and Sudan. Millions of impoverished people, women and children, have nothing to eat and are facing famine and death due to drought as you read this. The climate change caused by burning fossil fuels non-stop is killing people, too.
Humans pollute the atmosphere with CO2 by burning coal and fossil fuels and this in turn is devastating all species. It is disastrous for the planet, causing severe changes in rainfall in many places like Somalia and Sudan.
So, why have we humans lost our love for the wonders of nature, the flowers, trees and animals? We ignore our dependence on nature and continue to destroy it without concern but for the cries of the child campaigners and adult advocates fighting for a clean planet and to restore the climate balance?
The truth cannot be ignored. We have to act and turn to more renewable sources of energy to stop global warming. The WWF reported that because of climate change, the world’s wildlife populations dropped to an all time low by an average of 69 per cent between 1970 and 2018,
Populations of almost every animal on earth, except rats, ants and cockroaches, have collapsed. Humans are capable of great achievements and if it set out to save the world’s species of animals, they can if it is not too late.
There have been successes: tigers, with protection, have increased in number, and the lovable panda have increased by 20 per cent, thanks to conservation. Wild brown bears, boars, wolves, and white-tailed eagles are increasing in numbers in Europe but are far fewer than 60 years ago.
So, why have we humans lost our love for the wonders of nature, the flowers, trees and animals? We ignore our dependence on nature and continue to destroy it without concern but for the cries of the child campaigners and adult advocates fighting for a clean planet and to restore the climate balance?
In the Philippines, conservationists are doing great work in trying to preserve the ecosystem against loggers and destructive mining that destroys the remaining scraps of forest that are home to the remaining wildlife. There is great biodiversity here, but many species are endangered and need protection such as the Philippine Eagle and Crocodile, Walden’s hornbill, the Visayan Warty pig, the tarsier, forest turtles, rare Negros pidgins and other animals, all near extinction. Corporations should adopt more of these birds and animals and support their survival through environmental groups and conservation groups.
We all should be protecting nature and campaigning to push the government to turn to wind farms, solar power and geothermal sources of electrical power generation and end coal-fired power plants and never consider nuclear power.
The president, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. could be the saviour of the Philippine environment and biodiversity if he changed the country to 90 per cent renewable energy sourcing. He must be strong-minded and never fall under the control of cronies and industrialists who are out to influence and bribe the government to enrich themselves.
The natural world, a balanced climate, its environment of trees, rivers, lakes and oceans, is all we have to sustain human life. Protecting it and all life is our claim to being a civilised, cultured people respecting rights.
We can win against evil by sharing this planet with all species, showing dignity and love to all life forms. Positive action is what we need to save the planet and its biodiversity before greedy and powerful people without conscience or concern extinguish and destroy it.
Father Shay Cullen
www.preda.org
