Here’s a great photo and update from our friends in the Philippines:

In solidarity with the international community, members of Kabataan Partylist, League of Filipino Students (LFS), Anakbayan, Student Christian Movement of the Philippines (SCMP), College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP), National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP) and Karatula, used their hands to paint a world, where its inhabitants are working together to reduce its carbon emissions.

The youth groups joined the global climate action to call for the reduction of CO2 in the atmosphere to 350ppm. According to them, this is the optimum level for life conduciveness. Currently, the level of CO2 in the atmosphere is 390 parts per million. The emission of carbon is crucial, as its release into the atmosphere greatly affects the production of ozone, and maintenance of the protective layer. This in turn, results in changes in temperature, precipitation, and sea levels.

Alvin Peters, NUSP national president, said that the carbon emission issue is not something only environmentalists should get excited about. “We are still reeling from the devastating effects of Ondoy and Pepeng, and we are already dreading the arrival of Ramil. This goes to show that indeed, we have already felt the effects of climate change. Reducing our carbon emission will ensure that future rains will not cause so many deaths.”

According to Terri Ridon, LFS secretary-general, climate change is not an issue that can be dealt with individually. “We grew up with the propaganda that the damaged ozone layer is our fault. That’s not accurate. Imperialist countries, with their factories, produce almost 80 percent of the greenhouse gases the entire world creates. We blame ourselves for the wrong reason. We are not entirely responsible for climate change; we are however, responsible for letting these imperialist countries get away with it.”

“If we are sincere in saving our planet, we must act now: we must make these imperialist countries, such as the United States of America, accountable for the environmental debts it has incurred against the people. As our country’s hope, we are tasked with ensuring that the next generation will live in a better place,” Ridon concludes