Akshaya Vijayan 303

Write a speech highlighting what you think is the most challenging issue facing the world today, and how Commonwealth values can be used to solve it. 

Man - The Catalyst for Climate Change 

My days in the country have never been more sultry. The quick sundering of the glands in my back to release salts trickle down my tired back, an action if put into words would no better be described than as trite as the agonising days go by. The lurid gaze of the son almost seemed as mockery, that those days were all jape, that it was just a test for mankind to realise His mistake, that it will all recede and our days will go back to how they were. Just as I realised how sweltering the atmosphere was, grey clouds pregnant with rain circled the darkening firmament, as if it were a warning sign. Something was wrong. The weather just changed, though the weather forecast is rarely wrong. Downpours happen. The sun shines again. All is normal, except for how erratic its pattern is. 

I never once thought that it could become this bad. Perhaps it will go back to how it was and people do not die from unreasonable circumstances. So I asked myself: Why aren’t people doing anything about something they have caused? Who better than themselves to reverse this impact? Just in a small country such as Singapore, 5 deaths per million does not seem a lot, but in relation to the case of heat and in comparison with people dying of terminal illnesses, is a big deal. Countries such as Somalia and Afghanistan are the most vulnerable in the event of extreme weather patterns, of which some other countries such as Japan with its floods and Australia with its El Nino season, have been experiencing more of late. News reports extreme weathers of up to 48.2 degrees have been detected in Asian countries. The state of the Earth has never been worse, and taking action to not let the situation exacerbate is key to safeguarding the Earth and the life it has provided us all. This is the most minuscule thing we can do in an attempt to repair the damage, change the habits and start anew. Commonwealth values do aid in solving the issue we call climate change, and using them as an essential tool can help us solve this prevalent issue.

Undoubtedly, democracy is crucial in combating climate change. Authoritarian states do not have this privilege of understanding what lies in the interest of citizens and what they can do given the citizens’ feedback, to improve their decisions and thus the country as a whole. Democratic states such as the United States of America and the United Kingdom do allow the citizens to partake in political elections to choose the leader they think is the most capable. More than 70 percent of Americans believe that climate change is a big threat. They care for their environment, and without the benefit of democracy, would not allow them to speak out and voice their opinions on the matter of climate change. Nothing would be solicited because of the disadvantage in the limit of their liberty. Hence, democracy is one of the major Commonwealth values I think continues to be important in any case as it gives rise to a larger opinion that gets taken into consideration whenever an important issue arises. 

Tolerance, respect and understanding. Tolerance is strongly redolent of being understanding and respectful as well. I define those three words as reflections of themselves. Being able to accept others’ views with respect and to understand their thought process in choosing that perspective before leaping to a conclusion works in favour of the prosperity of the country. Wars usually break out because of people not able to respect others’ perspectives. Everyone thinks only their facet of the glass is correct. But that is so wrong. It should never be that way. It leads to the instability of the country that was developed and built with perseverance and pride. It will lead to tumult, destruction and devastation. Hence, these three Commonwealth values naturally play a role even in reducing the impact of climate change.

This Commonwealth value is by far the most important. The separation of powers. This is crucial in enabling effective climate litigation, where arguments regarding the action needed to be taken to combat climate change will be discussed. There needs to be three branches: The Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary. They work hand in hand in making sure one system alone does not possess all power in the decisions made for the country. It is how many jurisprudence systems nowadays have two judges instead of one. One of the judges may have deep-seated racism or beliefs that might prevent justice from being served due to the wrong verdict being passed based on emotional impediments in the making of the decision. Similarly, having another person in control of the situation to act in the interest of the country’s welfare is key to establishing a stable and secure nation. WIthout this, the country would indubitably cripple, and its development, stagnantly small. Just having someone else who has the ability to pass or apply laws makes all the difference in a country’s strive for success or strife from failure. The people in power can make a wise decision in warranting actions in the interest of solving climate change.

Plainly, Man are the perpetrators in the destruction of Earth and the life it has given us. We ought to take action and put a stop to this regressing situation. Every little effort counts. Those efforts do include recycling, using less paper whenever possible and taking public transportation. Although these acts might seem to be intruding past a wall of convenience we have set up for ourselves to enjoy, it is never too late to invest in saving the Earth that has been benevolent enough to accommodate us with land, water and shelter from trees that we have taken for granted. We must partake in the pursuit of improving the abysmal state of the Earth, even if it takes months, years or even decades to see the slightest bit of improvement. It is only fair that we do something. We must also certainly practice conserving the environment through little deeds that have a big impact over time, such as reforestation. This act also aligns with Commonwealth values such as environmental stewardship and community cooperation. Strong bonds are fostered for a good cause; giving back to the environment. Every seed planted is a seed successful of reaping into a tree ultimately taking in the very air we expire that causes the trapping of heat to cause climate change in the first place. It also decreases the chances tremendously of occurrences including forest fires and the melting of glaciers, thus preventing animals from being displaced. We never fail to act in an antithetical way; cutting trees down when all they reap us are benefits. Our vices rooting from our false sense of control make us cut them down and the ramifications are obvious now. But we must realise our mistake now before it is too late. We must know this is the right time to take action. We must play our vital roles to not be a catalyst for climate change.