ATM Press Release: Our Fight: Global Climate Strike
Our Fight: Global Climate Strike
DILIMAN, QUEZON CITY – Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM) joins 350.org, the Global Catholic Climate Movement, and SEED Network at the University of the Philippines-Diliman campus to demand climate justice in solidarity with other movements from 150 countries.
The demand for climate action and justice has turned into a global mass movement to send a message that the world must act now to mitigate the effects of climate change. The practice of "business as usual," seeking only to increase the bottom line cannot go on.
Issues arising from climate change can no longer be denied. Global temperatures are projected to rise 20 times faster than historical warming periods, leading to sea-level rise, droughts, stronger typhoons, and crop failures. The effects of climate change will affect everyone, more so, the communities who have been marginalized and displaced by development aggression.
"Areas, where large-scale mining has operated, have faced deadly consequences. Communities are washed-out by floods or buried by landslides, killing people. What more with the increased effects of the climate crisis?" stated Christian Jake Tabara, ATM.
During the monsoon season, communities experience the worst effects of mining. Floods from the flattened mountains carrying silt and mining tail-ends damage millions worth of agricultural products. Destroying peoples homes, and worst have resulted in death. Just last year, hundreds of people died in Itogon, Benguet from a massive landslide caused by Typhoon Ompong. The mining town was an area for large-scale mining operations extracting gold.
This massive and systemic problem of profit-seeking and greed not only by mining companies but also by large multinational corporations have caused the lives and livelihood of the communities they affect. Corporate greed can no longer exist if the goal is to respond and mitigate the impending effects of the climate crisis.
"We have to come together. The scale at which climate change is affecting and will affect us requires us to change the system," said Mary Mae Acibar, SEED Network.
ATM remains at the forefront of providing a sustainable alternative for communities
