(Eagle News) – President Rodrigo Duterte urged all countries to do all they can to stop nuclear testing and explosions, and to avoid war, as these not only destroy people’s lives, but also endanger the environment and cause global warming.
During the Asia-Pacific Healthy Islands Conference on Wednesday,July 25, held at the Marco Polo Hotel in Davao City, the President said that nuclear explosions and war greatly change the “ecosystem of the world.”
Because of this, he said peace and not war is what all nations should strive for.
“Every time that you explode something that’s terrible in whatever oceans. So first is, before anything else, there has to be peace in the world,” Duterte said.
“The South Korea Peninsula issue has to be resolved. Then we stop egging Iran to go to war. Because then if that’s what will happen, even about a few hundreds of missiles, nuclear, then there’s no use of talking about climate change.”
“The nuclear explosion, every time it’s being done, eats or erodes the dignity of earth altogether. And so it behooves upon the leaders of nations who are really there and who can make the change, they can do much. And we appreciate nations who approach the problem with sobriety, understanding and providing the cooler heads, so to speak,” he said.
The 73-year old Philippine leader also noted that wars should be avoided at all costs as this would cause disasters, loss of lives and the destruction of the environment.
While he observed that the inequality and unfairness of what is asked on the cap on carbon emissions on developing countries, there is a need for all nations to realize that it is war that should be prevented by all nations.
-Danger of nuclear explosion, war on environment-
“And so before anything else, let us decide that we avoid war because that would be disaster. I think it would be the end of planet Earth. And the residue of a nuclear explosions, even if it’s just a limited number of even 100 would greatly change the ecosystem of the world,” Duterte said.
“It will result in hunger, the consequences of struggling life. And the problem is, if we do not do anything, if nobody listens to the plea of others just to take it, you know, with calm approach, we are the generation at this time that has to take [care of] our children. It is not yet their time. So it, I said, it behooves upon us to do everything to avoid all of these troubles. I said, for after all, if there’s a nuclear confrontation of what use would be the issue of climate change to us,” he said.
Duterte said that exploding missiles in the seas also takes its toll on marine life, which also affects the available fish and other marine resources for the global population.
“I will just go by the developments and I’m sure that one is that we have to stop this thing about exploding missiles and throwing it to the sea and making a practice in the process, you kill so many marine lives there,” he said.
“And that would be about a fourth of the world’s consumption for five or 10 years. Every time that you explode something that’s terrible in whatever oceans,” the Philippine president said.
The effects of climate change can already be observed around the world. Glaciers shrink, ice on rivers and lakes is breaking up earlier, there is great loss of sea ice, sea levels rice faster, and there are more intense heat waves.
Global climate change has already had observable effects on the environment. Glaciers have shrunk, ice on rivers and lakes is breaking up earlier, plant and animal ranges have shifted and trees are flowering sooner.
Effects that scientists had predicted in the past would result from global climate change are now occurring: loss of sea ice, accelerated sea level rise and longer, more intense heat waves.
Those located in the Asia-Pacific region also feel the effect of more intense typhoons and rains during the rainy season, and extremely hot weather during summer.
Climate change has also contributed to the rise of various diseases like dengue and other infectious diseases.
“Those of us located in the region, especially to the many island countries like ours, are indeed facing a very complex issue when it comes to healthcare. Our geography has made establishing effective health systems that will be very difficult and costly.
This vulnerability has become even more pronounced in times of natural disasters and calamities,” the President noted.
“Therefore, if we are to genuinely secure the welfare of our peoples in the region, a comprehensive and networked approach to delivering healthcare—employing the latest tools, innovations, techniques and solutions—must be adopted,” he said.
