THE threat to life on earth is no longer confined to sci-fi movies. It is happening now. In observance of International Day of Peace on Sept. 21, 2019, the United Nations (UN) adopted the theme, “Climate Action for Peace,” to bring to the attention of everyone the importance of combating climate change as a way to protect and promote peace throughout the world. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who convened the Climate Action Summit on Sept. 23, explained the theme in this manner: “Today, peace faces a new danger: the climate emergency, which threatens our security, our livelihoods and our lives.”
On Sept. 20, millions around the world led by students held mass protests aptly titled, #ClimateStrike, calling on governments to act decisively against climate change. The massive, yet peaceful marches reminded leaders and policy-makers on their pledges made in Paris in 2015 when 195 nations were one in putting to a halt the warming of the world beyond the tipping point of two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
Greta Thunberg, 16, stunned heads of governments and other UN delegates in the opening of the summit in New York. Addressing first the world leaders, she started, “My message is that we’ll be watching you.” Proceeding to her prepared speech, with anger in her voice and without hesitation, said: “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!”
But then neither Greta nor the young people protesting around the world can change US President Donald Trump, the leader of the no. 1 polluting nation of the world, the US. The American leader wants out of the Paris agreement that is universally hailed as a document of monumental impact.
It is elating that young people have spoken about the environmental degradation of the present as it affects their future. #ClimateStrike, also known as the Global Week for Future, is a people’s movement grounded on the doctrine of intergenerational responsibility on the environment. This doctrine is spelled out in Oposa vs. Factoran, the landmark decision of the Supreme Court of the Philippines that is often cited in international environmental law.
We should no longer be in denial on the possibility of environmental apocalypse. It is happening right before our very eyes. There is no Planet B that we can go to should we fail to stop Mother Earth from dying. Leaders of the world and of businesses, stop stalling on drastic action needed on climate change; you talk of hope and of a better world. How dare you!