The year ahead in 2016: Climate change

‘We need to start acting on the root causes of climate change, now’ - Martin Galea De Giovanni, director Friends of the Earth Malta

'People believe that politicians are dealing with it and all will be fine at the end of the day, just because politicians signed a deal. The hard truth is that nature and science do not negotiate with any particular species, be it man or bird.'
'People believe that politicians are dealing with it and all will be fine at the end of the day, just because politicians signed a deal. The hard truth is that nature and science do not negotiate with any particular species, be it man or bird.'

One could say that the awareness is already there as more Maltese people get to know about climate change and its implications. Having said that, awareness does not necessarily translate into action and changes in habits. Changing the way we act is definitely not enough to solve complex environmental issues such as climate change. We also need to rethink the way we deal with nature and ask fundamental questions which we mostly take for granted.  

In fact most of the awareness being raised is still framed within a narrative based on pre-existing cultural fears and an outdated concept of a “nature” that must be controlled at all costs. In fact many have a sense of false security that science will find a solution to this problem. 

The polar bear is loved by all but there is a sense of disconnection about this charismatic species which has come to symbolise the issue. People in Malta do not see themselves as characters in this story of polar bears and melting ice caps. Most have not even seen a polar bear and hence find comfort in their belief that somewhere far away from the warm Mediterranean sea there are people who care about bears and nature, enough to take care of the problem. 

The same is happening with the UN climate change talks – people believe that politicians are dealing with it and all will be fine at the end of the day, just because politicians signed a deal. The hard truth is that nature and science do not negotiate with any particular species, be it man or bird. 

It might sound harsh but we are currently suffering from a false sense of security, thinking that nature can be controlled and will prioritise our interests. Many communities in other parts of the world have already realised that this is just an illusion, but this realisation only came about once they were affected by the impacts of climate change. Unfortunately the climate crisis disproportionately affects the poorer nations and the poorest people, who are not responsible for the climate crisis we are facing. The world’s richest countries are most responsible for climate change, having polluted their way to progress.

Like it or not, this legacy is already being passed to the future generations. Up until some years ago scientists used to forecast that climatic changes will start affecting our societies by the end of the century. Now it is widely accepted that these changes are already being seen all around us – sea level rise, human displacement and crop failures which are specifically seen as being caused mainly by climate change. As NASA scientist Tom Wagner said earlier on this year, “People need to understand that the planet is not only changing, it’s changed”. If we want to reduce the future suffering of millions of beings we need to make all the links in the bigger picture and start acting on the root causes, now.