In theology, you call this social sin.
Look, the conflagration happens in Indonesia, but we in Mindanao and Malaysia are greatly affected.
Look up, and you see the haze over you.
But really you don’t have to look up to see the haze. You can feel it because it envelops you. And for asthmatics and those with allergies, they will have a problem.
There is politics in the haze in Indonesia. Or maybe, just the ignorance of some that caused the fire. From an ordinary fire, it became a conflagration. And it has become so hard for the Indonesian government to contain it.
Look what do we have now? Malaysia is suffering from this haze. Children are suffering from asthma attacks among other respiratory diseases. We in Mindanao are feeling the effects of it. Good that we are not near the Amazons. Could have been worse.
But the haze leads us to one huge topic: climate change. It looks like this issue or reality is not being considered by our leaders. One world leader is the current president of America, Donald Trump. He does not care about climate change.
Very dangerous. Look, the world is acting now to protect itself. Glad to see young people marching to call on our leaders to do something to mitigate the impact of climate change.
It is heartwarming to see the youth marching and speaking and begging leaders to do something. Do something very seriously.
The heat that kills many in India, that shocked Europe is so real. The flood that disturbs Thailand now. The hurricanes, the earthquakes. This is the result of global warming. So we ask where have all the trees gone, trees that regulate our heat index, that hold volume of water, that keep the ecological balance?
Trees are gone. Gone because the greed of loggers wipe century old trees, trees that should have protected us. And most dangerous is that these loggers are elected governors and mayors and lawmakers. Very sad.
In Bukidnon, Fr. Neri Satur leading the protest against logging was killed. To be good and right have been exposed to danger given these issues.
But really, we will perish if we won’t join the young to seriously work on addressing climate change. As I listen to these young leaders speak, I am inspired to do more to protect our Mother Earth.
There is this Happiness Project in Brgy Tawan-tawan, a remote area of Davao. Students and people’s organizationss lead in planting trees in Panigan River. They did it few months ago, they will do it again. Plant and Play project of the Happiness Mindanao project.
It starts small. But as they say the journey to a thousand miles begins with a small step.
