Editorial

Restoring earth

Even without noticing, the world loses enough forest to cover a football pitch every three seconds. Over the last century, half of the world’s wetlands have been destroyed. As much as 50 percent of the coral reefs have been lost, and these damages can increase up to 90 percent in 2050. Global temperature had increased to 1.5 degrees Celsius. And ecosystems and natural habitats continue to suffer from greenhouse gas emissions and catastrophic climate change, which have led to the rise of pathogens such as coronaviruses. The danger is clear for everyone. Without appropriate and immediate massive actions to restore what had been lost, earth’s biodiversity and its inhabitants are certainly.

Every June 5, the  humanity is reminded of its responsibility to take care of the planet through the celebration of the World Environment Day. This year’s theme is “Reimagine. Recreate. Restore”, which centers on the importance of ecosystem restorations. According to the United Nations, ecosystem restoration means “preventing, halting, and reversing this damage – to go from exploiting nature to healing it.” This call is envisioned to be done at a massive scale to reap its substantial benefits for the people. Data shows that at least seven to thirty dollars in societal returns can be expected for every dollar invested in restoration.

Participating in various restoration efforts always starts with awareness and education. In the Philippines, RA 9512 or the National Environmental Awareness and Education Act of 2008, provides the policy framework for incorporating environmental awareness into the country's educational system. This inter-agency and multisectoral approach allow institutions to develop initiatives and programs that are grounded on the needs and issues in the communities. It also creates a learning environment among educational institutions that is both conscious and responsive to the global call for environmental protection and preservation of natural habitat.

Another step to take is the shift from traditional means of harnessing energy sources to sustainable solutions. More than anyone else, large companies have to made accountable for their contributions to the alarming state of the environment due to carbon emissions. Just recently, multinational oil and gas company Royal Dutch Shell has been ordered to reduce its CO2 emissions by 45% in a landmark legal case. And the said reduction must happen by 2030. The lawsuit was filed by the environmental organization Milieudefensie voor Veranderaars (Friends of the Earth Netherlands), alongside other major charities and thousands of co-plaintiffs. Such victory is a great precedent that companies proven to have destroyed or contributed to environmental degradation have to made liable.

As they say, individual actions translate to significant impacts. Thus, it is the social responsibility of each individual to do what the planet needs. Through collective action and climate justice, restoring the planet is plausible.