Climate change is one of the greatest challenges humanity is facing today. The dominant energy and economic systems results in excessive concentrations of greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere leading to unnatural warming of the surface of earth. This warming is causing our planet’s climate systems to destabilize.
Last September 15, 2019, the Green Thumb Coalition (GTC) gathered Bloggers at the Senyor Kumpadre Restaurant in Quezon City to help spread awareness on the issue.
Attorney Aaron Pedrosa of SANLAKAS discussed the impacts of climate change – how the unprecedented droughts, super-typhoons, and rising sea levels have caused deaths, the loss of millions of homes and livelihoods, the dislocation of families, the devastation of thousands of hectares of agricultural lands that will take years to recover. Climate Change comes with devastating consequences for people and all living things.
His group calls for rapid transformation of socio-economic and political systems to address the root causes of global warming and climate change. He urges the Filipino youth to use their voice and take their stand on climate change by joining in the Global Climate Strike 2019.
Support the Global Climate Strike on September 20th
Global Climate Strike will kick off on September 20, 2019 with millions of young people across the world fighting for our survival and our futuren toin response to the climate emergency.
The week-long mobilizations are inspired by the School Strikes for Climate that started in Europe and have spread to other countries – wherein hundreds of thousands of young people are walking out of their classrooms to call attention to the climate emergency and demand actions from those responsible.
Climate change has already reached the level of a planet-wide emergency and is quickly becoming much worse. According to scientists, in order to stop the increase of the earth’s temperature at the safest level still possible – below 1.5 to 2.0 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels – the rich industrialized countries have to reach near zero emissions of greenhouse gases by 2030 and all other countries have to reach near zero emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050.
We have only a small window of time to prevent the situation from reaching greater catastrophic levels, and this window is closing rapidly. Thus far, government pledges, policies and actions are very short of what is required, and most corporations are refusing to stop their massive pollution of the atmosphere with their greenhouse gas emissions and the damage they are causing to the environment and the earth’s natural carbon sinks.
Our hope lies in citizens’ actions. We must mobilize urgently to compel governments and corporations to act with the scale and speed immediately needed to:
1. Stop the expansion of coal and fossil fuel energy and make a swift and just transition to clean and renewable energy systems for people and communities
2. Stop the destruction of the environment and natural capacity of the planet to absorb greenhouse gas emissions; Undertake massive ecological restoration
3. Address poverty, inequalities and marginalization that increase vulnerability and risks of people and communities to climate change impacts;
4. Empower and build resilience and capacity of communities and families to deal with the consequences of climate change;
5. Respect the human rights of environment and climate justice advocates.
6. Mobilize the finance necessary for the above; Governments of rich, industrialized countries, in particular, should deliver on their obligations to provide climate finance.
Now is the time to join hands, and bring together our collective strength, wisdom and power as Filipinos and join with people all over the world this September 20-27 2019 to take a stand on climate change with strikes and protests.
Green Thumb Coalition is made up of Asia Peoples Movement on Debt and Development, Bantay Kita, Center for Energy Ecology and Development (CEED), Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ), and SANLAKAS.
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