THE GREATEST force in the world is one that attracts and brings people and things together, one that created the Earth and affects everyone, for good or bad. This force can unite and strengthen bonds. The closer they are, the stronger and greater is the force.
Commitment, dedication, and love of neighbor and creation are spiritual forces we see today in our young people who are fighting for climate justice and protecting the environment. In calling for climate justice, these young heroes are actively protecting the environment and advocating for the Philippines to take more action and put the welfare of people ahead of profit.
Greenpeace Philippines has recognized some of these environmental heroes, including Jefferson Estela of Youth Strike for Climate. He has called for greater participation of the youth in national decision-making and led his organization to advance its goal of combating climate change.
Also recognized is Sophia Caralde, Youth Strike 4 Climate Philippines’ education and research committee head. She works to raise awareness among the youth to solve the climate crisis and challenges Philippine government officials to respond to the call for lower carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
Also working for climate justice is Bill Bontigao, president of the Bicol University Science Alliance Club, who called on government officials to take action and have the political will to declare a national climate emergency.
It is through knowledge and science that we and the youth can understand the forces at work in the universe and that affect our world and our lives. It is not just a matter of bad weather. There are two massive forces driving climate change: nature and people.
The most powerful physical force in nature is, of course, gravity. This is the force responsible for our continued existence because it affects the global climate and holds the atmosphere together. That is the basis of all life — your life, your child’s, of the community, of the planet.
Perhaps, of equal importance is that gravity exerts force on atmospheric density and ocean currents, on the distribution of water on the planet that affects global cooling or warming. Since 71 percent of the planet’s surface is covered with water and about 96.5 percent of all this water is in the oceans, that has a powerful effect on the world’s climate.
No longer stable
When we gaze at the night sky and see the moon, we know that gravity is attracting the moon to the Earth. That has a powerful effect on our climate, too, because that causes the tides, the rise and fall of the oceans.
More than that, the force of gravity on the moon helps stabilize the Earth’s axial tilt. This is what creates the seasons and makes for a stable climate and enables us to grow food to survive.
Nowadays, the planet’s climate is no longer stable. We humans, the rational and intelligent species, after a billion years, have done something to change that once-stable, ordered and disciplined relationship with nature that affects the entire planet and the lives of all living creatures. (To be continued)/PN
