AS I write this, it seems that the EBOLA virus has spread far and wide and there seems to be no cure to this disease.
This may continue to plague the world; more than that, the EBOLA virus has become a political issue for the Obama administration and for political exercise by parties.
Worse, whoever wins the next election will do nothing to mitigate climate change. Despite the low prices of oil and coal, the main energy fossil fuels, the development model has not changed. It just has been slowed down by its own making. In many ways, the economic woes have slowed down the destruction of nature and our environment.
Europe faces another recession and is showing no signs of progress. The emerging markets are experiencing currency wars, trade problems and capital flight. The United States has registered a not so good showing despite the influx of capital due to the presumed increase in interest rates. China’s growth has slowed down. The global economy has done more bad than good. Our economic managers have failed in their duty.
Frankly, the IMF and World Bank have failed in their mandates. The development model they created is destroying us all.
The fact remains that poverty is on the rise and the poor are getting poorer. Crime is on the rise as well as human right abuses. The many wars and Arab springs are accelerating. The ISIS and EBOLA threats are considered national security threats. We would think that CLIMATE CHANGE would be as well.
The fact remains that the pollution of our environment continues as our oceans are victims of ocean acidification, given the amount of plastics and toxins that are dumped. Not to mention the many oil spills that have damaged our seas and coastlines. More and more species are going extinct.
Dead zones and gyres have increased. And the weather continues to devastate the planet.
Our biodiversity is being lost at a rate that even we don’t know. The scale of massive urban development is rising like a vertical city.
The number of people who are sick with cancer and other diseases has gone up. To make matters worse, the healthcare system set up by most countries are broke and bankrupted that they cannot even attend to the people who have invested a lot of their earnings into taxes for healthcare and Medicare benefits.
On another matter, it seems that even western medicine seems to be losing its luster for an all cure medication.
People and the medical profession seem to be going on the organic and alternative route. People want to be healthy eating vegetables and fruits and staying away from meats and unhealthy foods.
There is a lack of food and water left to sustain our ever growing environment.
We must go back to the basics. Farm our own land. Grow our own food. Grow them organically.
It is the opportune time to get out of fossil fuels as the price is at rock bottom. It is the best time to get to renewables.
I worry about the next UNFCCC COP 20 as we anticipate that nothing will happen again. We worry about the fate of our people and planet.
The United Nations World Health Organization has failed in its duty to detect EBOLA; what more of climate change which has been ravaging the planet for decades and after 20 COP-Conference of Parties.
It is time to change the people who are not making the correct decisions.
It is time to make a change.
There will be more Arab springs and there will be greater climate calamities.
It is time to change the development model.
It is time to replenish nature.
(By: Antonio M. Claparols – President ESP)