“Climate activists are sometimes depicted as dangerous radicals, but the truly dangerous radicals are the countries that are increasing the production of fossil fuels.”
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
The vanguards of our planet, our environment, and our people, are being silenced and arrested, and we’re being gaslit alongside them. We have to act—NOW!
It was a Maundy Thursday afternoon, the skies were clear, and the streets were busy as people drove away from Metro Manila. Away from the noise, the heat, and the pollution during this long weekend. Thousands of cars–flooding the streets—releasing hot smoke, eating hundreds of thousands of liters of gasoline, and contributing to global warming that causes the unbearable heat people are trying to get away from.
We were sitting at our desks, browsing through our social media accounts, detoxicating from a “hell week” of class, and drinking our favorite ice-cold fruit juices. It was a time of recovery— little did we know that thousands of kilometers away from where we were taking our time and making irrelevant and unholy chikas viral, battlefields had emerged. No, they are not battles between armed rebels and state forces. They are not even battles between protesters and the police. It is a battle between the environment and the capitalist society. Amidst the civil and territorial wars that our capitalistic society denies to condemn, a not-so-new struggle blooms and the price to pay is the future of this Earth.
Did it ever cross our minds that scientists would go out of their laboratories and protest on the grounds? That these respected and educated scientists would stand in solidarity, holding placards, and calling out the people who run our world? For the importance of their professional opinions and warnings, we would have never thought to see them crying for media attention. This only means one thing: they’re desperate–and so should we. They are calling not just to get the attention of the government, not just to be noticed by the capitalists, but to also awaken our consciousness to fight alongside them.
The negligence and denialism in our society are at that point where qualified professionals have to march down the streets to call for governmental and civil action. Life imitates art but we would think not to take Adam Mckay’s ‘Don’t Look Up’ too literal when it comes to ignoring the wails of our experts. How bad did our governments and other accountable entities fail in addressing the issues of fossil fuels for them to shove this issue under the carpet? The actions of the media, the governments, and monopolistic billionaires show us what they’re really thinking about–and it’s not for our safety or livelihood.
The climate crisis can be turned around this decade but government leaders need to step up – IPCC
From Severn Suzuki in 1992 to Greta Thunberg in 2018–we have known about the climate crisis and environmental decline for years, and for years we have been calling out for action. They’re not the only ones crying for help. The fight against this has long existed before 1992 and yet we are still experiencing global warming. Amidst the efforts of the youths, the experts, and the advocates, we are still witnessing the worsened conditions that our planet and our environment have been in for years– and it’s only going downhill from here if we continue to turn a blind eye to the environmental injustices being committed by big names and big corporations with the aid of our governments.
In the latest 3000-page report released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), only 18 countries have reduced their emissions over the past 10 years. This number must be multiplied by six to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees celsius.
Climate change is no joke, and our next course of action will determine the future of our generation and that of the next generations. In the summarized version of the said report, IPCC 2022 shows how climate change impacted the eco and human systems worldwide.
The tables above present the global scale assessment, and we’re with ‘high confidence’ of certainty in the observed impact attributed to climate change. The crisis has already changed our ecosystems and human systems. The effects on human systems are evident, especially in water security, food production, health and well-being, and cities and infrastructure.
The large industries that continue to pollute our air and water systems cause the deterioration of water quality in many communities, nations, and on a larger scale—regions. This does not only reduce the number of potable water sources but also affects the lives of our food and living circumstances in these water systems, thus affecting our food production and threatening food security.
This reality is supposedly enough to awaken the sleeping government leaders working with the monopoly capitalists and convince them to step up and take action now. It suggests switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources such as solar and wind, equipping cities with electric transportation and energy-efficient structures, and deploying carbon-sucking technology. According to the IPCC report, this must be done now to achieve the 2025 deadline of limiting the warming to 1.5°C, dropping it to half by 2030, to zero by 2050. And still, they continue to circulate money into their pockets by turning a blind eye to the nearing end of the human population because of environmental negligence in the name of profit.
In the later part of 2021, participants from different nations—including the Philippines, participated in the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) to tackle different issues concerning the environment, as well as negotiate on how they can mitigate the impact of the climate crisis we are facing.
The COP26 Promise to the Planet
More than 200 countries signed a treaty known as the Glasgow Climate Pact with four goals:
- Mitigation – reducing emissions.
- Adaptation – helping those already impacted by climate change.
- Finance – enabling countries to deliver on their climate goals.
- Collaboration – working together to deliver even greater action.
The pact claimed that the power sector emits 25% of the global greenhouse gas, and coal is the “single biggest contributor to human-created climate change”. Aligned with the IPCC 2022 assessment, it has been agreed that the existing coal power plants are more than enough, and we can’t afford to build new ones to realize the goal of keeping the warming below 2°C by 2025. This is part of the goal to mitigate the effects of global warming.
Sixty-five countries committed to phasing out coal, including 20 new commitments at the said conference. Also stated in the agreement that all major countries financing coal pledged to stop their financing programs related to coal as part of their coal phase-out plan. Despite this promising commitment, the Philippines did not commit to phasing-out coal-fired power plants.
It is also worth noting that China, India, and Russia, being among the three leading greenhouse gas emitters, did not commit to reducing methane emissions by at least 30% from 2020 levels by 2030. The Philippines also did not commit to this, as well as the commitment to end deforestation by 2030.
“The time has passed for diplomatic niceties. If governments—especially G20 governments—do not stand up and lead this effort, we are headed for terrible human suffering.” António Guterres, the UN secretary-general said during the COP26.
On April 5, Guterres also said that some governments and business leaders are saying one thing but doing another. He called them liars and warned them that there will be a catastrophic result if they keep on ignoring the signs deliberately. If the capitalists and the governments were telling the truth and set aside their agenda of maximizing profit, we will not reach this point.
The head of the UN is not the only one who warns the people about the possible effect of the negligence of our leaders and capitalists, but warnings and calls for action are also coming from the scientists who dedicated almost most of their lives to studying the impacts of climate change and recommending the best scientific approach to mitigate its impact and reverse it in the long run.
Scientists have had enough, desperately demanding climate action
I’m a climate scientist and a desperate father. How can I plead any harder? What will it take?
Peter Kalmus
Outside the comfort of our homes, we see homeless and hungry people asking for alms, food, or clothing. We see and hear them. They are not just victims of poverty but also victims of business-oriented governments and enterprises that don’t care about the environment. These people don’t have access to potable water, livable shelters, and food due to deforestation, land-grabbing, and water pollution. They will do everything just to put some food at their non-existent table, they are desperate, and they will beg if needed.
This is a typical scene in developing countries like the Philippines. As a child, we dream of having the best job, not experience begging for anything in our lives. We want to be a doctor or maybe a scientist—professions where our professional opinions are heard and respected. But that is where we were wrong as it is evident– based on the performance of our governments in the face of crisis. That is the most hurtful reality we are facing right now.
Prior to the release of the IPCC Working Group 3 report last week— more than 1,200 scientists in 26 countries, together with local climate groups, took on the streets to demand climate action. It was organized by an international group of concerned scientists called the Scientist Rebellion.
This may be no meteor, but it can as well wipe out human existence—the rebellion of science
According to their website, the impact of human industrial activity on our planet is as big as the impact of the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs. They further explained the climate and ecological crisis we are facing with around 50% of the insects while 70% of other ecosystems were already wiped out.
“Scientists have spent decades writing papers, advising governments, briefing the press: all have failed. What is the point in documenting in ever greater detail the catastrophe we face if we are not willing to do anything about it?” The group said on their website.
The group claims that academics are placed perfectly in society to wage a rebellion. Scientists exist in rich hubs of knowledge and expertise, with a great network of connections around the world including decision-makers. As members of the academe, they have large platforms that they can use to inform, educate, and rally others all over the globe.
The scientists behind the rebellion
An increasing number of scientists in different parts of the world are turning to the streets to demand immediate and greater action. Some of them risk being jailed as they link themselves to banks and other institutions in which they claim are not taking the climate catastrophe seriously enough.
Their numbers rise rapidly like how rising greenhouse gas emissions cause sea levels to go up and create stronger typhoons.
The continuous negligence of governments and business leaders and the apathy of many led the scientists whose roles were to provide the latest scientific information to go out and fight for the environment themselves.
NASA scientist Peter Kalmus is one of the four protesters who chained themselves at the main entrance of the JP Morgan Chase building in Los Angeles. In a now-viral speech recorded through Facebook live, Kalmus shared his deep care for the environment as he warns other people about the tragedy that is about to happen.
“We’re going to lose everything,” he said.
“And we’re not joking, we’re not lying, we’re not exaggerating.”
Dr. Kalmus said that he chose to be there because scientists are not being listened to and they are willing to take risks for our ‘gorgeous planet’—for his sons. As a father and a scientist, he said that he did what he did for all the kids of the world and all the future generations.
In the capital of the United States of America, several demonstrators also took part in the global action. Climate and soil scientist Rose Abramoff of Tennessee drove all the way over to Washington to participate in the said protest.
In an interview with Scientific American, Abramoff said that it was their first experience participating in civil disobedience for any reason. They are currently working as a climate scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, however, they emphasized that their activism does not reflect the position of the said institution.
Kalmus was arrested later that day together with three other scientists who chained themselves to the JP Morgan Chase building, while Abramoff was one of the seven arrested demonstrators in Washington.
Several protest actions were also conducted outside the U.S. Protesters glued some documents to government buildings in Mexico; an oil company’s headquarters was occupied in Italy; a demonstration was held outside the Ministry for Economy and Climate Protection in Germany; protesters in England rallied at the Shell PLC headquarters; fake blood was thrown at the facade of the National Congress in Spain.
They are just a few members of the growing movement in the scientific community. Abramoff claims that we may be expecting a steady smattering, a slowly growing groundswell of action as the clock ticks down to 2025.
It is amazing yet alarming that scientists are going out, rallying on the streets, and taking part in activism. It is amazing how they are willing to give up their comfort zone and risk everything to protect our planet and save our environment and our future. The alarming part is how the negligence, the blindness, and the deafness of the governments, especially the capitalists resulted in this. As much as the actions of our scientists are heroic, heartwarming, and a great service to the human race, it shouldn’t have happened in the first place and it wouldn’t have if our countries and our governments just listened.
Capitalism is the destroyer of our planet, murderer of the human race.
Capitalism is destroying Mother Earth, and to destroy Mother Earth is to destroy humanity.
Evo Morales
The prevailing system of our society—capitalism—kills.
It does not only kill people, but it kills our planet and all the living things on it. Capitalism may not have guns and poison, but it has the capitalists and governments who choose profit over the planet, over the people.
The conspiracy between these two powers is undeniable and sadly it is the reality no matter where we run to find solace on this vast Earth. While the big enterprises like large-scale mining companies, urban development companies, and landlords continuously grab lands and destroy the environment, the government ensures that policies to make their operations smooth are in place. The government provides ease of business transactions and tax incentives to these companies under the banner of free trade and globalization.
The Scientist Rebellion protesters chose their place of demonstration strategically. In Los Angeles, the protest happened at the JP Morgan Chase building.
JP Morgan Chase was the largest financing entity for fossil fuels globally from 2016 to 2021. According to a report endorsed by more than 300 Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), the bank poured $382B into funding fossil fuels initiatives through those six years.
A book by Andres Malm entitled Fossil Capital outlines how the energy transition happened in Britain in the early 1800s until 30 years later when the coal-powered energy systems took over the water-powered ones.
Malm summarizes that the transition from water to steam in the British cotton industry did not happen because of water scarcity, more expensive operational costs, or backward technologies. He said that it happened “in spite of water being abundant, cheaper, and at least as powerful, even, and efficient” as steam. Capitalists had chosen the more expensive way of generating power over the method that would cost them a little to no cost.
Water-powered factories need to be built near a water source which is in the rural areas where a disciplined workforce is at scarcity. Since they badly needed disciplined workforces, factory owners would have to shoulder the cost of building a settlement for the workers near the factory. Despite the coal being more expensive and less efficient, businessmen chose this to exploit the workers. Imagine operating a business and having a disciplined workforce without having to provide settlement for your workers. Malm also said that coal was mobile, capitalists could move their power source nearer to the laborers rather than the opposite.
In that early stage of capitalism, businesses already showed how they value profit over the planet and the people. And this mantra of capitalistic behavior continues up to this day. The only thing that changed is that coal power plants are on a larger scale, and destroy the government in a more rapid and inevitable way—unless the people who have the tools and capability to reverse this climate crisis step up.
Despite the obvious impact of using coal and fossil fuels to generate power, capitalists still turn a blind eye and continuously deceit the people, especially the youth with their corporate social responsibility program. A few examples of these deceitful acts are:
- Scholarship grants – where youth’s tuition and miscellaneous fees are paid by these private corporations, but in reality, they are being exploited by being asked to provide certain job functions without being paid, putting pressure to get high grades to maintain the grant, and violating their democratic rights by banning them to join certain student and youth organizations.
These scholarship grantees are also being bombarded with several requirements that distract them from the reality of our society including the environmental exploitation these companies are doing.
- Livelihood programs – the primary target of this corporate social responsibility are the victims of land grabbing, reclamation, and forced evacuation that was caused by the same companies. People who benefit from these are usually covered by a repressive contract that prevents them from forming a union, calling for a just salary, and asking for humane treatment in the workplace.
- Tree planting – a CSR done by hypocritical companies that cut hundreds of trees and destroy tens of forests to build malls, and residential buildings for the rich in exchange for planting a few plants with no assurance of growing. These activities are usually flooded with media coverage to ensure the exploitation they are doing to the environment.
Acts like these are not new in the Philippines. There are a lot of mining companies who keep on getting their permits to operate despite failed restoration of the forests they destroy.
The Philippines is the worst place for environmental defenders in Asia – Global Witness UK
In 2021, UK-based international human rights and environmental group, Global Witness, said that the Philippines is the worst place for land and environmental defenders in Asia.
The group published a report titled “Last Line of Defense” and it noted that 2020 was the worst year on record for the vanguards of our environment in the whole world. They recorded a total of 227 defenders killed in the world, 29 of this is coming from the Philippines which ranks third after Colombia and Mexico with 65 and 30 defenders murdered, respectively.
The Philippines is rich in natural resources but the Filipinos are starving to death
There are 6,740 islands in the Philippines that boast land, water, and human resources. It has 30 million hectares of land with nearly a third of it having high mineral potential. However, these minerals are being mined not for the benefit of the Filipino people, but to suffice the supply requirement of big companies and capitalist countries like the US and China. Yes, we may say that Filipinos also benefit from these companies by having a job or a livelihood source, however, the realities inside these companies are disheartening.
Mineworkers are forced to work beyond the standard eight-hour workday without overtime compensation and in a dangerous workplace setup with incomplete to no personal protective equipment. The situation of the workers is how the capitalists exploit the workers and how the government pretends not to notice.
Capitalists’ interest silently kills the people
There are other issues caused by these companies like illegally claiming the lands of the farmers and the indigenous people (IP) and forcibly removing them from their own ancestral lands. People are dying not just because of guns, but also due to sickness, the IPs get due to an ever-changing environment that they are not used to.
Gombil succumbed to pneumonia in 2016 amidst an outbreak of the same disease victimizing their community members. The Lumads from Talaingod were battling psychological stress due to forced, prolonged exposure to the city environment that their bodies are not used to. After multiple forced evacuations due to the militarization of their communities, their coming back to their ancestral land does not automatically mean that they will recover from these types of diseases.
He died with government promises of bringing health services to their community unrealized.
This story is one of the reasons why there are thousands of scientists and environmentalists in the Philippines who chose to fight alongside them and sacrifice big payouts from private companies they might have worked with if they wanted to.
How dangerous is the Philippines for environmentalists
In 2020, just one year under the Duterte regime, 29 land and environmental defenders were killed putting the Philippines at the top spot of dangerous places for the vanguards of the environment in Asia.
The existence of the Anti-Terror Law in the Philippines makes it more dangerous as anyone can be tagged as a terrorist and arrested and detained on the sole basis of suspicion.
At around 2:00 AM on February 7, 2020, environmental defenders Marissa Cabaljao, spokesperson of People Surge, and four of its members were arrested by state forces. They were later charged with possession of firearms and explosives. Rights groups however claim that the firearms and explosives found during the “legal” search were planted evidence for the arrests. Cabaljao’s one-year-old infant was also taken into custody by the police.
People Surge is an alliance established on January 25, 2014, by survivors of Super Typhoon Yolanda (International name: Haiyan).
Community organizer and environmentalist Jory Porquia was shot and killed by two shooters in his rented cottage house in Barangay Sto on the morning of April 30, 2020, in Iloilo City. Porquia died on the spot with nine bullet wounds, one of which was at the back of his skull.
Since the start of the pandemic, he actively led his organization, Madia-as Ecological Movement, in conducting feeding programs. He was also involved in providing relief and assistance to the victims of Typhoon Yolanda in 2013.
Aside from the extrajudicial killings, illegal arrests, and filing of trumped-up charges, environmentalists also suffer from being red-tagged as members of an armed rebel group or communists. In the Philippines, being tagged as a communist can already be used by state forces to arrest you, freeze your assets, or even kill you in an “encounter.”
Just a few months ago, Lumad volunteer, teacher, and environmental activist Chad Booc and four others were killed in what the military claims as an “encounter” between them and Communist rebels. However, Save Our Schools Network—Booc’s organization—as well as locals in New Bataan claims that no encounter took place and belies the claim of the state forces. SOS calls this a “bloody massacre” of civilians.
Booc and his companions were serving the IPs in Mindanao who were victims of forced evacuation due to mining interests of the capitalists and forced school closure implemented by the government.
This is the reality. This is how our environmentalists and scientists are being treated anywhere in the world. They may have chosen different ways of fighting and serving the environment, but they all have only one fight—the climate crisis caused by the continuous destruction of our environment perpetrated by big capitalists, capitalist nations, and their co-conspirators inside the local governments of underdeveloped nations.
The best time to take action is now. It is time to rebel and join the rebellion.
Capitalism kills. Capitalism values profit over the planet.
Our last line of defense is being silenced, arrested, and killed. Our generation is being blinded by gimmicks and the abracadabras of this social system that only serves the interest of the oligarchs, the rich, the one percent.
Climate change is real. What we are feeling is global warming. What we are experiencing is a catastrophe. Worst of all, the clock is ticking.
If scientists can rebel, why can’t we? Get up, and call out the large industries that do not care about our future and the next generations’ future. Make them accountable for every destruction they made, every species they killed, every year they robbed our generation, and every future we might not get. The time to rebel is now. Rebel for the environment and rage against the machine.
with contributions from Sam Jauco and JK Gamora
