The Philippines, like the rest of the world, is racing against time to reverse climate change.
From cleaning up waterways in Metro Manila and relying more on renewable energy resources to reforestation initiatives in the countryside, the Philippines has joined nations across the globe in reducing carbon emissions and preserving a delicate ecological balance. The stakes are high―extreme weather and a biodiversity catastrophe will alter mankind’s way of life, and eventually result in hunger, rising unemployment and diseases.
The world has seen record-high temperatures last year that caused wildfires in parts of the western hemisphere and induced severe storms and floods elsewhere.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has officially confirmed that 2023 is the warmest year on record, by a huge margin. The annual average global temperature neared 1.5° Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
The dubious record is symbolic because the Paris Agreement on climate change is aiming to limit the long-term temperature increase to no more than 1.5° Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
“Climate change is the biggest challenge that humanity faces. It is affecting all of us, especially the most vulnerable,” said WMO Secretary-General Prof. Celeste Saulo. “We cannot afford to wait any longer. We are already taking action but we have to do more and we have to do it quickly. We have to make drastic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and accelerate the transition to renewable energy sources,” she said.
Scientists blame heavy carbon emissions, mainly from fossil-based fuels like crude oil and coal, for rising temperatures. Earth, as we know it today, is the only planet in the universe that is capable of hosting life because of its perfect conditions. Earth is often called the ‘Goldilocks’ planet―its conditions are just right, not too hot or too cold, allowing life to thrive―as described by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
It is called the greenhouse effect or the process through which heat is trapped near Earth’s surface by substances known as ‘greenhouse gases.’ They serve as a cozy blanket that cover Earth and keeps a warmer temperature.
Greenhouse gases consist of carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons and water vapor. NASA explains that water vapor, which reacts to temperature changes, serves a ‘feedback’ because it amplifies the effect of forces that initially caused the warming.
Scientists across the globe have determined that carbon dioxide plays a crucial role in maintaining the stability of Earth’s atmosphere. If carbon dioxide were removed, the terrestrial greenhouse effect would collapse, and Earth’s surface temperature would drop significantly by approximately 33°C (59°F).
Scientists say that part of what makes Earth so amenable is its natural greenhouse effect, which maintains an average temperature of 15°C (59°F) . But in the last century, human activities, mainly from burning fossil fuels that have led to the release of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, have disrupted Earth’s energy balance.
It has led to an increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and ocean. The level of carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere, notes NASA, has been rising consistently for decades and traps extra heat near Earth’s surface, causing temperatures to rise.
So, is Earth on the precipice of a carbon dioxide imbalance that could threaten life itself?
“We are in a disastrous five-minutes-to-midnight situation,” warns Sean Kidney, the chief executive office of the Climate Bonds Initiative, an advocacy group. “The extent of change we need to make is no longer gradual, it’s sudden. We have to jump off a cliff into a low-carbon world to have any kind of future for our children.”
Hope is not lost in saving Earth. In December last year at the UN Climate Change Conference, countries for the first time agreed to transition away from fossil fuels.
Investments in renewable energy are starting to outstrip those in fossil fuels. For some, that is a sign that an irreversible shift in the markets is underway. There is no doubt the future will be green. “The only question now for investors is the speed―and who will be a winner and who will be a loser,” said Kidney.
The Philippines, too, must act fast to stem the tide of global warming The current generation of Filipinos and mother Earth are keeping their fingers crossed.