GINKGO MAGAZINE

In this country, we often think of climate change in terms “if” it comes for us, not when. What many people do not realize, though, is that climate change is already affecting many people around the world. especially in developing countries.

In Climate Justice , former president of Ireland Mary Robinson shares the stories of those who are on the frontlines of the fight against climate change. When I read this book, I was astounded by the ways in which climate change was already wreaking havoc on communities.

The recovery process was slow, which left Constance and the other women in her village frustrated. So, in 2008 they formed the Osukuru United Women Network. Through this group, the women advocated for better farming equipment and even set up a credit union to help women save money (Robinson 23). Still, the community felt that the erratic weather and farming problems were a punishment from God. It wasn’t until Constance went to an Oxfam meeting about food insecurity that she learned what was truly going on. In her own words, here is what Constance found: “‘I learned that overpopulation from developed countries had caused real changes to the climate…I felt bad because I knew that people in developed countries are our friends. We are the same people; we have the same blood. But these people were enjoying their life while we were suffering. I wanted to know why they were doing this to us. I wanted to know whether the people in developed countries could reduce their emissions so we could have our normal seasons back’” (Robinson 23).

She wasn’t about to sit and wait for other countries to come to their aid, though. Constance instead told her neighbors that it was time to take things into their own hands. At the climate meeting she had attended, Constance learned that deforestation can lead to soil erosion, making land especially vulnerable to heavy rains. Alongside her community, Constance planted trees to protect their farmlands.

Constance’s story truly gets to the root issue of environmental justice. As she said, we are all connected by the environment, no matter how different we may seem. It follows, then, that the actions of people in developed countries such as the United States affect the lives of people across the globe. However, due to our belief that climate change is a far-off problem, our national mindset tends to be pollute now, deal with it later. Emissions from our country and others have drastically changed the way many people live their lives.

Her story is also a reminder that real people are feeling the very real consequences of climate change right now. While we consume fossil fuels and assume the consequences will come after we are long gone, people currently suffer those consequences. Overall, Constance proves that community action can be a powerful force for change, and that climate change is an immediate threat to many.

Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland.
Photo from Mary Robinson Foundation.

Another stark reminder of the immediacy of climate change comes from the story of Anote Tong, former president of the Republic of Kiribati. Kiribati is a nation made of “thirty-three coral atolls and reef islands,” lying at about “six and a half feet above sea level” (Robinson 86). With climate models predicting a sea level rise of “two to four feet by 2100,” Tong had to face the fact that his country may be swallowed by the sea (Robinson 86).

In 2014, Tong “purchased about six thousand acres of forested land on Fiji’s
second-largest island, Vana Levu” as a place for the country to move to if sea level rise becomes an issue (Robinson 86). This would mean the sovereign state of Kiribati would move to another physical location in order to preserve its culture and people.

Can you imagine losing parts of the United States to the ocean? Imagine if the Grand Canyon sunk below the waves, or if Disney World settled in a watery grave. Iconic parts of our country and our culture would be gone forever. Imagine if just Pennsylvania was lost – what pieces of your life and experiences would be gone? To many island nations like Kiribati, this is not a “what if” scenario, but something that is a very possible future.

Is all this to say that we need to feel guilty for any environmental faux-pas we commit? Not at all. My goal is not to make you feel guilty about where and how you live. Instead, I ask you to listen to these stories and recognize that something we view as a doomsday scenario is actually occurring all around the world.

If you can’t give up your car or your air conditioning (as most of us can’t!), there is something you can do: vote with your wallet. You can do this by purchasing sustainable items from ethical companies. This shows companies that sustainably sourced items are the only products we want to purchase.

One of the most important things you can do, I think, is share these stories with someone you know. Then tell them to share with someone else. Not many people know that climate change is already a threat, so make sure they learn. As Constance Okollet says, her story and others like hers are like “water cascading into a lake”: “‘If we continue to talk, if we continue to tell our stories, the people in power, the polluters, will realise that we are still here[…]We should not stop speaking. We should continue the struggle. One day they will change’” (Robinson 25). Share these stories, and one day, things will change.

Robinson, Mary. Climate Justice: Hope, Resilience, and the Fight for a Sustainable Future .
Bloomsbury Publishing, 2019.