A. PROJECT CLIMATE CARE
Statement of the Problem
Climate change is an injustice not only to today’s generation but to the succeeding generations as well for its effects are inevitable. Though human actions have brought upon the world a crisis far from what we can contain and immediately resolve, there is still a chance to prevent the worst that could come. An example of its effects is that on average, about 20 tropical cyclones enter the Philippine waters each year, wherein eight or nine make landfall. Over the past decade, more tropical storms have struck the nation more severely. Scientists believe that this is because of climate change. (“How is Climate Change Affecting the Philippines?”, 2016). Moreover, according to weather specialist Edna Juanillo, the Philippines normally encounters 20 cyclones annually but for the recent years, more devastating typhoons struck the country that also triggered landslide, one example of that happened in February in the year 2007 where 250 people in Southern Leyte province died. (Tacio, 2010)
Background of the Project
In the 21st century’s infancy years, the world felt climate change more than ever. After a hundred years since 1906, the global community has witnessed an increase in temperature by 0.72 degrees Celsius and a 17cm rise in the sea level (European Environmental Agency, n.d.). Everyone is affected or to state it more precisely ‘should’ be affected by climate change. Unfortunately, as reported by Rachel Oliver, only the weak and poor are the ones severely victimized by climate change. In line with this, affluent personalities who are said to be the main contributors for this change, can acquire resources they need to shield themselves from nature’s harm (Friedman, 2017). Therefore, it can be claimed that ”Climate change is the biggest social injustice of our generation.” (Norton A. Nov 2017).
There will come a time when dodging climate changes’ effect will not be an option anymore. Through time, it will intensify itself making it harder to remediate. As early as today, human must work together and establish concrete acts that will save the future. Or else the future will be left in despair where the next day is uncertain.
This research aims to form an organization that will primarily focus on alleviating the stresses present in the environment. This study promotes the ideology that it is best to think globally and act locally to ensure the project’s effectivity and efficiency. It also aims to continue the work of United Nations Framework conventions in a regional setting through involving the masses to a pledge to “protect the climate system for the benefit of present and future of humankind.” (UFNCC, 1992). With this, every signee will back-up the organization and make it an influential sector in the local Government Units or LGUs. It can be expected that the citizens will be well-informed on the actions by the government with regards to saving the environment. In a nutshell, this organization will act as the mediator between masses and the Local Government unit while it also does its own projects to help environment. Through this method, it is expected that not only climate change injustice will be uplifted but also climate change itself.
The Organization and the Project
PhilWatch is a Philippine-based Organization that aims to find solution on how we can stop climate change from worsening. We all know that climate change has the biggest effect on those who are in the state of poverty since they are the ones who are not well informed about this issue. This creates a “Climate injustice”, which is a little unfair to those people who does not contribute much to the destruction of our climate system, yet they are the ones who are greatly affected by the consequences of our actions.
The PhilWatch Organization plans to launch a project called the “Project Climate Care”. This will not only benefit the marginalized sector of the society but all of the people in the Philippines. This project aims to aims to solve the problems that our climate system is currently facing. It also aims to reach out to the Local Government Units of every municipality, to sign an agreement that consist of all our proposed actions for the improvement of out climate. Our organization aims to reach out to every citizens of the Philippines through the use of social media, through this we will inform them all our activities and our goals.
Here are some of our proposed activities:
– Tree Planting
– Banning smoke belching vehicles every weekend
– Banning the use of plastic bags in grocery store. Hence, we encourage people to bring their own reusable bags.
– Coordinate with local food chains, to ask them to require customers to bring their own container if one must take out their orders and leftovers.
– Encourage people to reduce their electricity consumption
– Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
– Conduct forums in schools and barangays to talk about our climate’s situation. In this way we could inform people the reality that we are facing and how we could put an end to it.
– Put waste bins around the community for people to dispose their litters
In this agreement, it also includes that people will be strict towards these set of rules. Incentives will be given to those who follow the activities proposed. The LGUs can also help in encouraging individuals to join the organization and to be part of the change we all want to achieve.
B. Review of Related Literature
E-book: Climate change mitigation, a problem of injustice
Author: Steve Vanderheiden
?Climate change has been identified by the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Changes as form of injustice. As a solution, multiple signatories from all around the world pledged to “protect the climate system for the benefit of present and future generations of humankind.” (UNFCC, 1992) Having given that this climate system is beneficial for international and intergenerational bodies, UNFCC stands firm that it is mandatory in the name of justice and the lack of responsibility of maintaining it would cause danger to those who are vulnerable to climate change but least responsible for causing it. The main objective of this convention is to maintain stable amount of greenhouse concentrations in the atmosphere enough to prevent dangerous interference with the climate system.
?In line with this, the research shows the importance of equity and responsibility. This research requires the people to be fair enough because if they will continue their selfish acts and if they will disregard the fight to alleviate climate change and the danger that comes with it, it would definitely harm the future generation and those people who are vulnerable yet are helplessly subject to changes brought about by the weather. As a form of helping mitigate climate change, some states have developed carbon sinks which absorb carbon dioxide emissions, one relative example of which is forests. It is also stated here that the Kyoto Protocol is a modified version of this approach. Its main purpose is to set binding obligations on industrialized countries to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases; However, most climate justice scholars rejected this idea. And when it comes to responsibility, the UNFCC declared that developed countries should be more responsible to lessen the damage. They should be the one who are taking the front line to lead the other countries when it comes in mitigation efforts.
?In conclusion, the research has proposed several ways to examine fairness and responsibility. Yet, there is still no agreement that climate justice requires significant action to mitigate climate change, because such justice demands that developed countries take action to decarbonize to a far greater degree than other nations. (Vanderdehein, 2008)
Article: Climate change: “The biggest social injustice of our generation”
Author: International Institute for Environment and Development
According to IIED director Andrew Norton, “climate change is the biggest social injustice of our generation.” He stated that every struggle we experience at present has been observed by past generations who understood the climate. Furthermore, the effects of climate change shall be present in the near future for it is no longer a talk about a distant future when we consider the possible climate of the world in the year 2100. If the world can’t find urgent ways to act, then a child born today will live at the end of their life with a three-degree world or even a four-degree world. (Norton, 2017)
As implied in the article, it is clearly evident that the condition of the world will not get any better if there will be no immediate actions done for it may just worsen in the course of time. The one-degree world is used to measure the world’s stage in this crisis, and it is not impossible for the world to reach the third-degree or worst, the fourth degree. Change is inevitable when it comes to the world, and as Norton mentioned, “The climate’s been changing for a long time”. What seems to be a large change today may turn out as a normal thing in the future.
Article: Rich, poor and climate change
Author: Rachel Oliver, CNN
As time progresses, innovations are made to protect people from climate change, well at least to those who can afford it. But improvements have never been one-sided. Whenever human technology upgrades, the impact of climate change worsens. It is through its effects that climate change has been rendered unjust. Injustices for the poor who are greatly affected by nature’s wrath while letting its proprietors hide on shadow’s lump. Why does Earth keep the pus on its swollen grounds?
Of all the countries’ three classes, the upsurge of climate change has always been blamed on first world countries. It is said that 80% of post-industrial carbon dioxide emission has been brought by first world countries; but authors J. Timmons and Bradley C. think otherwise. They firmly took a stand that the main proponent on climate’s drastic change lies on the shoulder of the richest people and not on the wealthiest sectors of the world.
According to Stephen Pacala, the director of the Princeton Environmental Institute, most greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere was caused by the 20% richest people on Earth. There are gases that speculate dreadful events on the future, all of which are revolving around the poorest members of the world.
Most aspects of ecological destruction have been attributed to the consumer class. Their consumption of goods has gone out of hand that they’ve accumulated a total damage worth $2.3 trillion. Yet, why do they remain unscathed and safe and sound despite the anger of our motherland?
Article: Harvey ; Irma: Climate Injustice in Action
Author: Rob Friedman
?Over a decade ago, the Earth’s climate has been rapidly changing. Ninety-seven percent of climate scientists have agreed that climate-warming trends over the past century are due to human activities. Thus, scientist have long been predicting the world wide result of global climate change and its’ impact have been observe carefully throughout history, such as; the loss of life in both animal and plants, melting of the sea ice, accelerated sea level rise, and intense heat.
?Processing this phenomena, an expert blogger named Rob Friedman (2017) have aforesaid that Climate change has its own Social injustice that pays the ultimate price for this offhand catastrophe. Climate change exacerbates systematic violence against the poor and communities of color, (Friedman, 2017). According to him, the environmental crisis are only afflicted to the colored citizens and poorest in the population who are not being acquainted for this idea and the least to receive resources for the preparation of nature’s wrath.
?He promotes a community which serves for fairness and equity as its core values to create a pathway in regenerating the future against pollution and injustice. Rob Friedman appeals to not only allot time and effort in administering a solution to climate change but, also a lay upon a service in upholding the communities that are hardly given attention by the society.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
European Environment Agency (n.d.). How is climate changing and how has it changed in the past? Retrieved from https://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/climate/faq/how-is-climate-changing-and-how-has-it-changed-in-the-past
Friedman R. (Sept. 2017). Harvey & Irma: Climate Injustice in Action. Retrieved from https://www.nrdc.org/experts/rob-friedman/harvey-irma-climate-injustice-action
How is climate change affecting the Philippines? (2016, January 19). Retrieved from https://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/how-climate-change-affecting-philippines
International Institute for Environment and Development. (2017, November 12). Climate change: “The biggest social injustice of our generation”. Retrieved from https://www.iied.org/climate-change-biggest-social-injustice-our-generation
Oliver R. (February 2018). Rich, poor and climate change. Retrieved from http://edition.cnn.com/2008/BUSINESS/02/17/eco.class/
Tacio, H. G. (2010, July 6). Climate Change and Effects On The Philippines. Retrieved from https://www.gaiadiscovery.com/climate-change_adaptation/climate-change-and-effects-on-the-philippines.html
Vanderheiden S. (2013). Climate change mitigation, a problem of injustice. Retrieved from https://researchoutput.csu.edu.au/ws/portalfiles/portal/9969491/55480 chapter.pdf
