have written four
articles in this column on the subject of climate change, hence the above title.
During the past few weeks national newspapers and television stations have
devoted much space and time discussing the subject. What caused this is probably
the wide publicity of the observations of scientists in the polar areas of the
world showing that indeed ice is breaking up and melting at a rate faster than
that observed before. There have also been reports on the melting of the
permafrost and the release into the atmosphere of methane gas trapped in the
frozen environment. This will have the effect of dissolving the ozone layer and
increasing the earth’s temperature. Taking all these reports, journalists have
begun to conjure up scenarios of extinction of polar bears and other animals
living on the ice. Some people interviewed by television hosts may have
overstated the destructive effects of climate change. This is understandable
when a people are carried away by passion. In fact we are already seeing some
effects of climate change such as very high tides that erode our coastal areas
especially on some small islands.
But it is remarkable that this year it seems that more and
more people are now aware of climate change, a phenomenon that experts on the
world’s climate now admit is unstoppable.
The increase in awareness of climate change may also be
traced to former US Vice President Al Gore’s effort to inform the public of this
global phenomenon. He has produced a convincing VCD entitled "Inconvenient
Truth" on why the world’s climate is changing. This VCD is well worth viewing.
Quite a change in attitude! Not too long ago (two years), I
watched an American climate expert speak on television vehemently denying with a
straight face that there is no such a thing as climate change brought about by
temperature increase, which in turn is due to increase of carbon dioxide and
other gases in the atmosphere. The US, China and India are the big three that
have not ratified the Kyoto agreement to scale down carbon dioxide emissions.
And the reason is fear that their economic growth will be curtailed. The US
argues that the same effect would be achieved by promoting technologies that do
not pollute the air, such as harnessing solar energy, wave energy and other
non-conventional sources of energy.
If indeed it is true that climate change is unstoppable, what
can our country do? And what can you and I do? Shall we just sit, pray, and wait
for the inevitable? One thing is sure. A small country like the Philippines
cannot make much of a difference in this issue. We use a miniscule amount of
fossil fuel (the source of most carbon dioxide emissions) compared to
industrialized nations that it will not matter much whether we reduce our fossil
fuel consumption or not.
But the issue is also a moral one. We have to live with our conscience. And
we are part of the community of nations. So let’s think of ways by which we can
help delay the inevitable—the flooding of the earth and the seawater intrusion
into our land.
