Imagine strolling through the bustling streets of Manila, the sun scorching you with an intensity that rivals the Sahara. Suddenly, without warning, a torrential downpour transforms EDSA into a chaotic river. This is climate change in action – it can be a climatic rollercoaster as unpredictable as a telenovela plot. But let’s go deeper into this issue.

Monsoon Aftermath in Metro Manila. © Jilson Tiu
Commuters cross the flooded streets in Metro Manila during rush hour. Although the rain already died down, the flood did not go away due to the amount of water from the rain and the clogged drainage caused by plastic pollution. © Jilson Tiu

What is climate change?

In its simplest form, climate change is like the plot of an unpredictable suspenseful thriller, with real-world consequences that would put any blockbuster to shame. According to the United Nations, climate change refers to a long-term change in temperatures and weather patterns that have come to define Earth’s local, regional, and global climates. It’s akin to our planet experiencing a system error, resulting in rising temperatures, erratic weather patterns, and unpredictable climatic extremes.

Aftermath of Typhoon Vamco in the Philippines. © Basilio H. Sepe / Greenpeace
A man with his pet dog wades through a flooded street with thick mud and debris following the onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses, international name ‘Vamco’ in Rodriguez town in Rizal province east of Manila, Philippines. Typhoon Ulysses on November 12 battered the northern Philippines with heavy rains and strong winds knocking out power in several provinces including areas in Metro Manila and leaving thousands homeless and damaged or destroyed establishments along its path as it blew west. © Basilio H. Sepe / Greenpeace

What causes climate change?

While these shifts may be natural, human activities like burning of fossil fuels have accelerated climate change for decades. The fossil fuel industry has been burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas relentlessly, releasing a deluge of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. These gases act like a thick, heat-trapping blanket, causing temperatures to soar.

Our personal choices in many areas, such as diet, travel, household energy use, may contribute to climate change, though they make up just a small fraction of greenhouse gas emissions compared to the fossil fuel industry’s, which account for over 75 percent of global greenhouse gases according to the United Nations. Despite the glaring warning signs and the mounting evidence of their role in climate change, the fossil fuel companies have consistently prioritized profits over the well-being of our planet. For years, they’ve sowed doubt and misinformation with their greenwashing tactics, concealing the damages they do to the environment.

Projection on the Bobov dol Coal Power Plant in Bulgaria. © Mitja Kobal / Greenpeace
Activists project messages showing that the future does not belong to coal. One of the cooling towers of the Bobov Dol power plant (630 MWe) near the village of Golemo Selo, Bulgaria, conveyed messages to the coal regions about their future beyond the dirty fossil fuel. The purpose of the demonstration is to draw attention to the complete lack of economic sense in keeping morally and technically obsolete coal capacities that harm people’s health and pollute the environment. © Mitja Kobal / Greenpeace

These fossil fuel companies have held governments and regulations at bay, protecting their interests while the Earth and the people pay the price. The result? A planet that’s warming at an alarming rate, with consequences that affect every corner of the globe.

What are the impacts of climate change?

The effects of climate change are not limited to mere dramatic weather shifts. They affect every facet of our lives. Consider food security, for instance. Changing weather patterns disrupt agricultural cycles, leading to crop failures and food shortages. Health is another concern, with an uptick in heat-related illnesses and the spread of diseases into new regions. Our rich biodiversity also suffers, as extreme weather events like typhoons, drought, and wildfires affect their habitat.

And then there’s the injustice of it all. Vulnerable communities, often those who’ve contributed the least to this crisis, bear the brunt of its consequences. They are the ones who must adapt to new and harsh environments, facing the stark reality of a warming world with fewer resources and less protection.

Candlelight Vigil - Typhoon Haiyan 4th Anniversary in the Philippines. © Roy Lagarde / Greenpeace
Typhoon suvivors, community, NGOs and civil society gather in a candlelighting ceremony in Tacloban to commemorate the fourth anniversary of super typhoon Haiyan, the most devastating storm to ever make landfall in history. The people of Eastern Visayas want to send this visual message as a call for world leaders currently at the climate negotiations in Bonn, Germany, to ensure that impacted communities receive climate justice
© Roy Lagarde / Greenpeace

Think back to Super Typhoon Yolanda. It wasn’t just another weather event; it was a stark reminder of the devastating impacts of climate change. Rising sea levels, intensified typhoons, and more frequent floods are not just distant threats; they’re our present-day reality in the Philippines. Our coastal areas are increasingly vulnerable, our food supply becomes more uncertain, and our communities face greater hardships.

What can we do to address climate change?

Addressing climate change isn’t a mere choice; it’s an urgent necessity. It’s time for us to support the transition to cleaner energy sources, the reduction of carbon emissions, and the initiatives that protect the most vulnerable among us. But it doesn’t stop there.

We must hold fossil fuel companies accountable for their role in this global crisis. It’s time for these fossil fuel companies to pay their dues. The profits they’ve reaped at the expense of our planet must be used to fund solutions and support those most affected.

In the wake of Super Typhoon Karding, farmers in Tarlac protested, alongside activists from Rice Watch Action Network and Greenpeace Philippines, in a storm damaged farm to call for Loss and Damage finance, a month ahead of COP27, the UN climate talks. Around 20 farmers and advocates held a banner in the middle of a damaged rice field in Brgy Lagumbao with the message: “TO CLIMATE POLLUTERS: PAY UP FOR LOSS & DAMAGE.” The groups are calling on nations who are historic emitters to pay for the political, social, and financial costs of the climate harm they created to heavily impacted nations. The communities expressed this call, along with local demands for a transition to renewable energy and better prices for agricultural products, through placards. As of writing, the Karding’s agricultural damage reached approximately PHP 3.12 billion.

This isn’t just a subplot in the story of our planet; it’s the main plot, and it’s high time we rewrote it for a safe, sustainable, and just future. Climate change is not someone else’s problem; it’s everyone’s problem, and the clock is ticking. It’s time to act and make the fossil fuel industry pay for the damages they’ve caused, bringing justice to the people and the planet.

CHR Landmark Litigation in Philippines.
Representatives from local communities hold a banner that reads “Climate Justice Wins” and “Climate Action Now” in front of the Commission on Human Rights in the Philippines building after the agency’s released its groundbreaking report on the National Inquiry on Climate Change.

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