Brothers and sisters, in the book of Jeremiah 2:7, where Yahweh sends a message to the Israelites about their parents, we can see that God is saddened by the people desecrating the world: “I brought you into a fertile land to eat its fruit and rich produce. But you came and defiled my land and made my inheritance detestable.” And the current generations still defiles our planet.
But we see a ray of light from the brave people who stand for our only home. There is 16-year-old Greta Thunberg who was named “Person of the Year” by Time Magazine. Greta became known for her absence from classes to protest the lack of action of the Swedish government in responding to climate change. What point is there for her to study if her future is uncertain because of the continuous destruction of the environment? Other youth have been influenced to echo and support Greta’s advocacy. This founded the Global Climate Strike that was joined by thousands across different countries. The primary call of these strikes is to create and implement policies that will reduce the heating of the Earth.
We see now the result of lack of action of the government toward climate change. In the Philippines, for example, our rice fields are drying up because of the long and severe season of drought. The Banaue Rice Terraces, a Unesco World Heritage Site, is in a very critical stage of deterioration according to the Food and Agriculture Organization or FAO. The destruction of the forests sourcing the water that gives life to the crops of the 2,000-year-old rice field ladder is not helping reduce the effects of the severe drought.
Our oceans are also in peril because of climate change. Because of the even hotter seas, the so-called ocean acidification that destroys coral reefs is being hastened. If the reefs that house fish disappear, our fishermen will no longer have any to catch. These threatening events came about because we keep polluting the rich soil given to us by God.
The social teachings of our Church recognize the preservation of the environment as a great challenge of all mankind. In facing this challenge, it is important that we focus our efforts and sights on the common good. Anything we do must recognize the dignity of our fellow people and the environment, and with dedication for the future of the coming generations.
But this does not solely depend on the individual. The focus on the common good must exist in an even wider field because climate change and addressing climate change are not encased in just one territory. We are enjoying all the wealth given by the planet; if any of these parts are gone, the whole system will be affected. From the words of Pope John Paul the II in his Sollicitudo Socialis, “The innate abilities of every entity and its relevance to the wider development must be dedicated to the matter.”
Brothers and sisters, the people who stand for a world that can support our future sons and daughters and those succeeding them are not making enough noise. Our lives are at stake if our rice fields and water resources will cease to exist. A long-term response of every individual, the government, and other social institutions, is what we need now without any time to waste.
Make it a habit to listen to Radio Veritas 846 Ang Radyo ng Simbahan in the AM band, or through live streaming at www.veritas846.ph and follow its Twitter and Instagram accounts @veritasph and YouTube at veritas846.ph. For your comments, e-mail veritas846pr@gmail.com.