In the last few years people throughout the world who have bitter experience of the extraordinary extreme weather due to climate change know that things will not get any better at all anytime soon.
The torrential rains followed by uncontrollable floods and mudslides in Europe, in Asia, ASEAN region and Australia are a few examples.
We witness wildfires in Australia, United States, Africa and in Europe to name a few.
The absolutely unbearable heat wave makes one feel like living in an oven even in the temperate countries.
Severe droughts and famine in Africa particularly is most disturbing.
The typhoons in Asia, hurricanes in North America and many other countries are disastrous.
Some Pacific small nations are sinking and may totally disappear. The notoriously polluted and densely populated Bangkok and Jakarta are sinking.
The life threatening earthquakes in China, Indonesia, Japan and New Zealand, the list goes on.
The peoples who suffer are mostly from the lower income groups, as they tend to be found in the least desirable areas in any country.
An example is the Philippines. Ostensibly those who are considered economically not that vulnerable can always relocate or they have other options.
All these mostly man-made problems, over a period of a few centuries, especially from the Industrial Revolution, have resulted in heavy losses of lives, property and making life even more difficult for those who are already struggling to survive due to the present notorious pandemic.
Famine is killing peoples in the poor countries in Africa, which have been exploited by foreigners for a few centuries.
What is causing climate change? An unprecedented change, never ever experienced before … largely due to use of fossil fuels in our power stations, our transport, manufacturing industries; and widespread and wanton destruction of the natural environment ranging from wiping out almost all the rain forests and ancient forests to dumping tons of our toxic rubbish in our rivers, our seas and our oceans in meeting the insatiable demand from an ever-growing population for ever-improving living standards.
We, as individuals, do not have the power to transform our societies. But as peoples we can, if we have the will and determination.
We do care, and we expect immediate action.
And as individuals act in empathy with our environment at all times by seeing our waste does not become litter or a pollutant and eschewing any action that is environmentally destructive.
All those nations, rich or poor, big or small, developed or otherwise, especially those mainly responsible for global pollution, which were represented at The Paris Agreement , the recent Climate Change Summit must honour their pledges and promises and together make this a more greener, more healthy and more sustainable world.
A new world more bearable and more pleasant for both men and animals to live in.
No agreements on earth should ever be negotiated or signed nor good laws ever be enacted in any parliament if there are no fair and genuine binding commitments and no effective enforcement mechanisms.
Most countries, particularly the newly emergent nations, have been having serious problems with enforcement.
To live in a much cleaner and healthy world we must go for renewable energy such as wind, solar and water.
Government must give tax incentives and abolish all import duties so everyone, especially the lower income groups can afford to install and enjoy them.
We must not fail the next generation, the generation that will never forgive us for thinking only of material progress and resulting in the massive climate-change problems we have inherited today.
If there isn’t any planet to go to, we must now learn to live in harmony with nature.
We have no choice but to succeed in our mission, if the entire humanity and the ecosystem are to survive.
Today, in the midst of the notorious pandemic and the serious climate change, many innocent peoples, civilians including children and pregnant women and senior citizens have another problem – that of being killed in unconscionable, indefensible and unjustified wars and conflicts.
I ask you all to pray for these peoples in troubled parts of the world who would be spared the horrors and atrocities, and that peace will be restored in these respective countries.
Families separated will be reunited.
