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Young climate activists adapt to pandemic world

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4 years ago

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by Eléonore Hughes

Forced off the streets by the pandemic and alarmed by delays to crucial UN climate talks, young activists have had to get creative online to keep up the pressure on world leaders to tackle global warming.

Before the new coronavirus struck, demonstrations across the world attracted millions of young people, galvanised by Greta Thunberg’s school strikes and personal experiences of the accelerating impacts of climate change.

But the pandemic put a stop to street protests and saw the United Nations delay crunch Conference of the Parties climate talks until 2021.

It was “devastating”, said 17-year-old Malaika Collette from Ontario, Canada.

In response, youth organisations set up their own “Mock COP”, a two-week virtual meeting with dozens of delegates from 140 countries, to show what they would do if they were in charge.

Scientists and campaigners say progress at the annual UN meetings — which began in 1995 before many of this generation of activists were born — has already been unacceptably slow.

“World leaders must do better,” said Collette, who took part in the youth talks.

“It’s hard to understand why the entire world isn’t fighting like their life depends on it.”

Raging wildfires, sea-level rise, more destructive tropical storms and intense heatwaves all bear the fingerprint of global warming — which has seen temperatures rise one degree Celsius since the mid-19th century.

For many young activists, the threat of climate change is already very close to home.

When deadly Typhoon Vamco came smashing through the Philippines last month, Mitzi Jonelle Tan could not contact her mother at their home in Marikina City.

“I was so afraid because I didn’t know if she was still alive, if she was stranded on the roof, if I still had a home to return to,” the 24-year-old, one of the Mock COP speakers, told AFP.

‘Clock is ticking’

The 2015 Paris climate treaty, signed by virtually all the world’s nations, calls for capping global warming at “well below” 2C.

Since then the world has seen its five hottest years on record.

In 2018 the UN’s climate science panel (IPCC) said only a wholesale transformation of the global economy and consumer habits could forestall catastrophe.

Around the same time, a then 15-year-old Thunberg began attracting attention for her weekly solo protests outside the Swedish parliament, with photographs shared on Instagram and Twitter.

The movement resonated because many young people have grown up with “very clear markers of climate change,” said Dana Fisher, Professor of Sociology at the University of Maryland and contributing author on activism and engagement for the next IPCC assessment report.

Fisher said she was sceptical that global online events like the youth talks would be more effective than local action, but said she understood why campaigners felt the sense of urgency.

“The clock is ticking and they do not see the kind of political change scientists say is necessary to get us out of a climate emergency,” she said.

Even world leaders are showing their frustration.

“My hope is based in the youth,” said UN chief Antonio Guterres in a September interview with AFP and the Covering Climate Now media initiative.

“Because let’s be frank, my generation largely failed to address the challenges that the world faces.”

‘Lack of ambition’

The UN meetings are dominated by “greed, bigotry and lack of ambition”, said Catalina Reyes-Vargas, 24.

But the Mock COP spokesperson from Bogota, Colombia, said it was useful to know how they work.

“We get involved in strikes, in protests and we use a lot of hashtags and so on, but most of us don’t understand how the decisions are being made,” she said.

The Mock COP wrapped up on December 1 with a declaration echoing the style of the UN gatherings.

But theirs was not diluted by diplomacy.

“Governments around the world are failing to meet their legal and moral obligations to tackle the climate and ecological crisis, despite the increasing urgency and projected scale of the crisis,” it said.

Recommendations included criminalising deliberate environmental destruction, banning fossil fuel developments and a “Green Recovery” from the pandemic.

Future on the line

Australian activist Luca Saunders, 15, wants young people to have a seat at the table at next year’s UN climate meeting in Glasgow “because obviously it’s our future that is on the line”.

As a younger child growing up in the Blue Mountains area near Sydney, she thought of fire days as exciting, unexpected school holidays.

Recently though the bushfires have become altogether more threatening.

“Last year, there were large fires circling and closing in on our house… The whole town was only just saved by firefighters,” said Saunders, adding that the experience has driven her activism.

But she said the pandemic has caused a loss of momentum.

“There definitely isn’t the same energy within the movement as there was when we were organising mass demonstrations,” she said.

Campaigning has been affected across the world.

In the US, Fisher surveyed 171 organisers of Earth Day — held on April 22 — and found more than half said Covid-19 had affected their political work “a lot”.

But the social media movement continues.

Thunberg’s Fridays for Future has called for a day of largely-online action on December 11, ahead of a summit to mark five years since the Paris accord.

Tan’s activities in the Philippines are normally face-to-face, including going to classrooms to give talks about climate change.

But she said the online Mock COP conference had been useful, helping in “solidifying our global youth movement”.

“At this point, we need to do all of it at the same time,” she said.

– AFP

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Environment

Hurricane Milton ravages central Florida, sparking tornadoes and power outages

Hurricane Milton hit Florida on 9 October, making landfall as a Category 3 hurricane. It caused widespread destruction, tornadoes, and power outages affecting nearly two million people. The storm’s impacts are felt across the state, including flash floods, damaged homes, and evacuation efforts.

Published

1 day ago

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10 October 2024

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Hurricane Milton swept across central Florida on 10 October, after making landfall on the state’s west coast the previous evening, causing extensive damage with strong winds, heavy rain, and tornadoes.

The storm initially struck near Siesta Key on 9 October at approximately 8.30 pm EDT (8.30 am Singapore time on 10 October), with winds reaching 195 km/h, classifying it as a Category 3 hurricane, according to the US National Hurricane Centre.

As the hurricane continued eastward through Florida, it weakened to a Category 1 storm by early 10 October, with maximum sustained winds of 150 km/h.

Despite this downgrade, the danger remained high, with severe rainfall and significant storm surges. The hurricane’s eye was about 75 km west-southwest of Cape Canaveral, which houses Nasa’s Space Force Station, at the time.

A flash flood emergency was declared for the Tampa Bay region, covering Tampa, St Petersburg, and Clearwater. The National Hurricane Centre reported that St Petersburg alone experienced 422 mm of rain on 9 October. Authorities warned that seawater could surge as high as 4 metres in certain areas, potentially inundating coastal communities.

Governor Ron DeSantis expressed hope that Tampa Bay would avoid the worst of the storm’s effects due to the timing of landfall before high tide.

However, Milton had already unleashed at least 19 tornadoes across the state, damaging numerous counties and destroying around 125 homes, including many mobile homes. “At this point, it’s too dangerous to evacuate safely, so you have to shelter in place and just hunker down,” Mr DeSantis said during a briefing following the storm’s landfall.

Tragically, at least two fatalities were reported at a retirement community in Fort Pierce on Florida’s eastern coast, following a suspected tornado, as cited by NBC News and St Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson.

The sheriff estimated that approximately 100 homes were destroyed by the tornadoes in the county, which saw about 17 touch down.

The hurricane caused significant power outages, leaving more than two million homes and businesses without electricity, according to data from PowerOutage.us. The storm was projected to move across Florida overnight before entering the Atlantic Ocean on 10 October, still maintaining hurricane strength.

The arrival of Hurricane Milton comes just two weeks after Hurricane Helene battered the southern United States, including Florida. State officials had already ordered the evacuation of up to two million residents ahead of Milton’s impact, with millions more remaining in its path. The cumulative damage from both hurricanes is expected to reach billions of dollars.

Florida’s recovery efforts were bolstered by federal support, with President Joe Biden being briefed on the situation by emergency response teams.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) has mobilised significant resources, including millions of litres of water, meals, and personnel, to assist those affected by Milton, even as it continues recovery work following Hurricane Helene.

Governor DeSantis confirmed that 9,000 National Guard personnel and 50,000 utility workers were deployed to aid in clearing debris and restoring power. Search-and-rescue teams were on standby to begin operations as soon as conditions allowed. “It’s going to mean pretty much all the rescues are going to be done in the dark, in the middle of the night, but that’s fine. They’re going to do that,” he added.

Despite these efforts, the damage from Hurricane Milton remains severe. High waves nearing 8.5 metres were recorded offshore, while boats were beached in St Petersburg, adding to the destruction.

Many parts of Florida faced fuel shortages, with almost 25% of petrol stations running dry by the afternoon of 9 October as residents evacuated.

While the human toll is the most pressing concern, other local efforts included protecting animals at Tampa’s zoo, where staff sheltered African elephants, flamingos, and other species.

The zoo joined residents in bracing for the worst, highlighting the widespread impact of the hurricane.

Political Controversy Surrounding Federal Response

The hurricane’s approach has also intensified political disputes, particularly as the US prepares for elections.

President Biden condemned the spread of disinformation regarding the government’s hurricane response, describing it as an attempt to “undermine confidence” in rescue and recovery efforts.

Former President Donald Trump has been critical of the Biden administration’s handling of disaster relief, especially following the impact of Hurricane Helene.

Trump claimed that resources intended for disaster victims had been diverted to assist migrants, a claim which Fema has categorically denied, emphasising that no disaster relief funds were diverted for this purpose.

Fema noted that its Disaster Relief Fund remains separate from budgets designated for migrant assistance.

In a highly charged political climate, these statements have led to further scrutiny of the federal response. Nonetheless, Fema asserts that it has the resources necessary for immediate response and recovery operations following both hurricanes.

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Environment

Singapore launches 15-month biodiversity monitoring plan after oil spill

Researchers in Singapore have initiated a 15-month monitoring plan to assess the impact of the June 14 oil spill on intertidal biodiversity. The effort, led by the National University of Singapore (NUS) and involving several institutions, aims to understand the effects of the spill on marine life in affected coastal areas, including East Coast Park and Sentosa.

Published

2 days ago

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9 October 2024

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Researchers in Singapore have embarked on a 15-month plan to study the environmental effects of the June 14 oil spill on intertidal areas, aiming to understand its impact on biodiversity.

The national plan was announced by Minister for National Development Desmond Lee on 8 October 2024, during a marine science workshop held at the National University of Singapore (NUS).

This initiative will involve multiple local institutions, including the National Parks Board (NParks), St John’s Island National Marine Laboratory, and the National Institute of Education (NIE).

The research team will focus on monitoring the impact of the oil spill on various intertidal areas, which include East Coast Park, Labrador Nature Reserve, and Sentosa.

Additionally, the study will incorporate data from beaches not directly affected by the spill, such as those at Changi Beach Park and Coney Island Park. According to NParks, this approach will enable researchers to compare data and isolate the specific impact of the oil spill on marine life.

Focus on Intertidal Biodiversity

The research involves collecting and analysing sediment samples from both affected and unaffected coastal areas.

Dr Tan Koh Siang, a principal research fellow at NUS Tropical Marine Science Institute (TMSI), highlighted the importance of the study, noting that the oil spill’s impact could range from smothering tiny organisms to disrupting their physiological functions due to exposure to toxic chemicals.

“These [organisms] have not really been looked at, so we are interested to see what effects the oil has on these communities that are not visually obvious,” Dr Tan said.

The process will include sieving sediment samples to identify and count various invertebrates, such as small crustaceans, worms, and molluscs. These data will provide insights into the community structure of these organisms, forming a baseline for future studies on environmental changes and the resilience of Singapore’s coastal ecosystems.

Details of the Oil Spill

The June 14 oil spill occurred when the Netherlands-flagged dredger Vox Maxima collided with the stationary bunker vessel Marine Honour at Pasir Panjang Terminal.

The incident resulted in the release of approximately 400 tonnes of low-sulphur fuel oil into the sea.

The spill subsequently spread to several biodiversity-rich areas along Singapore’s southern coast, including Sentosa, Labrador Nature Reserve, the Southern Islands, and East Coast Park. By 16 June, the oil was sighted off the coast of Changi as well.

The spill coincided with a marine heatwave, which had led to a bleaching event affecting about 40% of hard corals in the shallow waters of the Southern Islands.

This overlap between the oil spill and environmental stressors like increased sea-surface temperatures has made monitoring efforts more crucial, as the long-term impact on local marine life could be compounded.

Extended Monitoring and Marine Environment Sensing Network

In addition to sediment sampling, researchers plan to leverage existing research initiatives, such as the Marine Environment Sensing Network (MESN).

This project involves deploying research buoys that monitor seawater conditions, including temperature, salinity, acidity levels, and nutrient concentrations.

Currently, one buoy is deployed off St John’s Island, with plans to install two more in the coming months.

Dr Jani Tanzil, facility director of St John’s Island National Marine Laboratory, noted that this data would help in understanding environmental changes and could differentiate between the ecological impacts of the oil spill and other disturbances like the heatwave.

Minister for National Development Desmond Lee at a marine science workshop held at the National University of Singapore (NUS)

Government Response and Recovery Efforts

Minister Desmond Lee emphasized the need for sustained monitoring efforts to assess both the immediate and longer-term effects of the oil spill.

“While there’s been no significant impact on our marine biodiversity observed thus far, there could be a time lag between the incidence of the oil spill and its effect on biodiversity… We need to continue to monitor the impact, and the recovery, of our marine habitats,” he said.

The data from this monitoring phase will inform potential mitigation and restoration strategies, helping to protect biodiversity-rich areas along Singapore’s coastlines. These efforts will be vital in guiding the recovery of affected ecosystems and ensuring that similar incidents are managed effectively in the future.

Clean-Up Operations 

In the weeks following the spill, Singapore undertook extensive clean-up efforts.

On 3 September 2024, Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, shared an update on Instagram, stating, “I am happy to share that we have completed our clean-up at public spaces from the effects of the oil spill that happened on 14th June. 800 cleaning personnel, 2,300 volunteers, 3,750 tonnes of debris later, we have completed the task for cleaning, ahead of schedule! 💪”

In August 2024, Dennis Tan Lip Fong, Member of Parliament for Hougang SMC, inquired about the status of beach and coastal clean-up operations during a parliamentary session. Minister Grace Fu provided an update, stating that the clean-up is progressing well, with some beaches reopening for activities. The first phase of the operation has concluded, while the second phase focuses on areas with oil trapped deeper in the sand and more challenging spots like rock bunds and breakwaters. Volunteer efforts are also being mobilised to accelerate the reopening of beaches, with the clean-up expected to complete within a month.

However, when pressed for details on clean-up costs and the financial impact on local businesses, Minister Grace Fu noted that the government has yet to finalise expense calculations. She added that the immediate focus remains on completing the clean-up operations and restoring normalcy to affected coastal areas.

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