“We should put out the fire.”
This was the urgent call of Professor Alan Brillantes during the Climate Emergency forum last September 23 at the University of St. La Salle. Brillantes was one of the convenors of the forum that drew in eco-activists and community leaders all over Negros Occidental.
“We are in an emergency,” Brillantes tells DNX, as he stressed the urgency of the earth’s situation particularly on global warming.
He said that residents of the planet are now working “on limited time”, adding that concerted efforts from everybody should be done to mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change.
“It should be all hands on deck, the rich and the poor. There is no time now to point fingers at other countries,” he said, adding that concerned individuals should grab every opportunity to save earth or else the continued climate crisis, when not reversed in time, could “lead to billions of deaths”.
Brillantes added that there is a need for “drastic, massive World War 2 scale of mobilization” In order to rehabilitate the planet.
Meanwhile, Office of Student Affairs Dean Rowela Alayon-Chiu says there is no time to lose “or else we lose the planet”.
“It is time for them to heed the call (in saving earth),” she said as she reiterated the urgency to act immediately.
She also told DNX that her office is also doing its share to preserve the environment by incorporating environmental policies in activities, including discouraging the use of single use plastics, as well as the implementation of Clean as You Go (CLAYGO).
Balayan Project Consultant Dexter Ian Tabujara also echoed calls to save earth, as he exhorted both public and private sectors to “work together” as well as to “respond effectively to this climate emergency”
“Concrete programs must be developed and implemented from schools, communities and in all fronts to deal this crisis. On the other hand, countries, corporations who are responsible for this climate crisis should be hold accountable (for the damage to the environment,)” he said.
