I challenge you to watch this appeal from the leader of the Philippines delegation to the climate talks at Doha.
The man gets it. Painfully. Personally. Tragically. There are alarmingly few who get it. We make sure of that; it requires too much of us. Have you come to tears confronting what we are doing to this place and to our children’s future?
It’s a terrible and lonely thing to comprehend that which the majority denies or refuses to confront.
It’s a terrible thing to be able to see the neglected future, as we do nothing meaningful–the outcome inevitable at this late hour–to even soften the blow of suffering of people we know, the loss of places we cherish and love.
How I feel for this brave and honest man. The pity that there are so few people weeping for the future on this planet–the Blue Marble whose living systems and creatures will become the ultimate victims of our inaction, our indifference and our silence.
That which befalleth the sons of men befalleth the beast. For they have all one breath.
Or something to that affect comes to mind from Ecclesiastes, which perhaps seems fitting here because this Filipino man has reminded me of the message of more than one Old Testament prophet: turn from your ruinous ways and live, or go they way you have set for yourselves against all warnings and perish. This day it is set before you to choose.
Meanwhile, back on the Philippines…
Philippines typhoon death toll passes 500. More than 400 missing and 310,000 homeless after typhoon Bopha strikes southern island of Mindanao.
Cheer up.
Will follow to see if this is more than window dressing. We have to find silver linings even in the most unlikely places. When such acknowledgement of the necessity of making difficult changes comes from the US or China, we may be re-writing the final chapter. Without those primary players, even with middle-eastern oil money bet on the right horse, as Hansen has said, it’s game over.