| Photo by Jametlene Reskp on Unsplash
The Philippines has been battered by devastating storms in recent weeks. We endure around 20 powerful typhoons a year, and occasionally experience earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Recently, in Liloan, Cebu, several families were caught in floods rising as high as their rooftops. They had to climb mango trees to escape. Entire homes were flattened, and all properties were lost. They have nothing, not even extra clothes. That is how destructive typhoons can be.
Filipinos remain resilient as climate change tightens its grip on the weather, affecting their lives. They have the determination and strength to recover and continue surviving day by day. Inexplicably, many take all this with grim humor, even joking about their plight. But it is no joke for the poor when their humble houses are obliterated, and they have to survive, despite having nothing left for their families. Those involved in the massive corruption in flood control projects that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. first exposed in July have a lot to answer for. Meanwhile, world leaders who have gathered at the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Brazil must continue serious efforts to bring global warming under control.
Yet we know that the climate is changing for the worse, and that stronger, more intense weather is affecting many people worldwide. Like in previous editions, COP30 reminds us of the historic Paris Agreement signed 10 years ago. This pact binds countries to limit global temperatures to “well below” 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. However, in parts of the globe, temperatures have exceeded 1.5 °C, and scientists say they are likely to rise further. It could lead to catastrophic consequences, and our climate could reach a tipping point beyond recovery.
The good news is that in the European Union, renewable energy (RE) produced by wind turbines and solar plants, as well as geothermal, hydropower, and biomass facilities, has just overtaken fossil fuels as the primary source of electricity. It is the ongoing struggle at COP30: efforts to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change are being thwarted by the fossil fuel industry and by some powerful nations, like the United States under President Donald Trump — who is not at the conference — that want fossil fuels as their power source. However, many US states are moving toward renewables and working to keep global temperatures below 1.5 °C.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has said the “sun is rising on a clean energy age,” noting that 90 percent of RE projects are cheaper than fossil-fuel alternatives. He has called on every major tech company to switch all its data centers to run on 100 percent renewable energy by 2030.
Guterres has also said fossil fuels threaten the planet. Renewable sources of energy are the only way to go, and they’re much cheaper and safer. “The greatest threat to energy security today is fossil fuels. They leave economies and people at the mercy of price shocks, supply disruptions and geopolitical turmoil,” he said. “There are no price spikes for sunlight. No embargoes on wind. Renewable energy sources are cost-effective, too,” he said. Solar power is about 41 percent cheaper than the cheapest fossil fuel alternative, and onshore wind generation is less than half the price of fossil fuels, according to a report from the International Renewable Energy Agency.
“It is the heart of the Christian commitment: to care for Creation and to challenge the powerful economic and political forces that block renewables and worsen global warming. What we can do is challenge the multinational power and mining corporations involved in extracting coal, oil, and gas and persuade them, for the sake of humanity and Creation, to desist.”
The late Pope Francis was outspoken about the dangers of climate change and its solutions. He said it was a matter of deep faith to do good, protect Creation, and oppose the evil forces destroying it, as these are rooted in our “deepest convictions about love, justice, and peace.”
When he was still alive, he called for a global “ecological conversion” and a radical change in lifestyles, production, and consumption to “save the planet.” His core message, detailed primarily in his 2015 encyclical “Laudato si’” and 2023 apostolic exhortation “Laudate Deum,” is that the environmental crisis is a moral and ethical issue inextricably linked to social injustice and “throwaway culture.” He urged the “progressive replacement without delay” of highly polluting fossil fuels (coal, oil, and gas) with renewable energy sources, of which the Philippines and the developing world have great capacity.
It is the heart of the Christian commitment: to care for Creation and to challenge the powerful economic and political forces that block renewables and worsen global warming. What we can do is challenge the multinational power and mining corporations involved in extracting coal, oil, and gas and persuade them, for the sake of humanity and Creation, to desist. It is what Francis seemed to have called for. The massive amounts of carbon and methane in the atmosphere are causing the planet to overheat. Stopping the burning of fossil fuels is the only way to halt global warming.
In the Philippines, power corporations must phase out coal- and oil-fired power plants sooner to meet our international obligations and protect the country from further natural and man-made disasters. The government must cancel all new coal plant applications and improve tax benefits for solar and wind farms. More home-based solar panels are essential, but they are costly, despite low import taxes. Corporations supplying and installing panels are out to maximize profit.
It seems Francis’s words and actions have had some impact on COP30. Greater attention will be given to the so-called Global Ethical Stocktake. It will focus on the moral, ethical, and cultural impacts of climate change. It will be focused primarily on the poor, the vulnerable, and disadvantaged groups to help women, children, and Indigenous people. A large group of Indigenous people broke into the conference center to present their demands. Brazil is starting an international fund to pay developing nations to preserve their rainforests.
Sadly, in the Philippines, only 3 percent, or 861,000 hectares, of primary rainforest remains, and an estimated 5 million ha of secondary growth forest. The overall remaining forest is about 24 percent of its total land area, government statistics show. However, Global Forest Watch estimates a higher total of natural forest area of around 13 million ha, or 45 percent of the land area.
Denuded forests can recover and regenerate, if given the chance. In the Philippines, many brave environmentalists are being persecuted for protecting the environment. They need our support and protection.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Shay Cullen is a Missionary priest from Ireland, a member of the Missionary Society of St. Columban, and the Founder and President of Preda Foundation since 1975.
