Responsible leadership

Does the name ‘Andreas Lubitz’ ring a bell? He was not a world figure nor did many know him, until that fateful day of March, that is.

He will linger long in the memory of many, especially for the bereaved families and friends whose loved ones, including him, perished onboard the Germanwings flight from Barcelona to Düsseldorf on March 24.  As he allegedly told his former girlfriend, he would do something that will change the system and make everyone remember him.

Evidence from the retrieved black box voice recorder found amidst the scattered bits of the wreckage  in the French Alps strongly suggests that Andreas, as the copilot manning the plane when the pilot went to the toilet, locked out the latter from entering the cockpit and plunged the aircraft into the mountain, leaving no survivors from the crash. He is the prime suspect in causing the air crash, ending his life and those of the innocent passengers who put their wellbeing into the hands of the carrier.

Whether Andreas did the unthinkable or he had suicidal tendencies are issues that sooner or later the tribunal will have to decide. But, we have to ask this question: Could the tragedy have been prevented?

Having found the time in the past days to  reflect on humanity’s relationship, or lack of it, with nature, I find strong parallelism in the tragedy that befell the victims of the Germanwings plane crash with what is happening in our ecologically and ethically-challenged world.

We, the trusting constituents, put our future in the hands of the political authorities. They  are expected and presumed to prioritize our needs and our safety above and beyond their own personal and parochial interests or those of their supporters. But, do they?

Then, why are they allowed, without any accountability or pressure, to flagrantly set aside the implementation of our laws, and perform the shared responsibility not to destroy our environment?

Destroying fragile coral and seagrass ecosystem and mangrove forests through filling and dumping our coasts are by itself an ecocide.

Ecocide is defined as “the extensive damage to, destruction of or loss of ecosystem(s) of a given territory, whether by human agency or by other causes, to such an extent that peaceful enjoyment by the inhabitants of that territory has been or will be severely diminished.” https://eradicatingecocide.com/the-law/ecocide-act/

The damage to ecosystems and livelihoods are irreversible. The covered habitats are destroyed and species, including humans, that depend upon them to live and to survive, vanish or are displaced. Yet, why are reclamation projects in the extremely vulnerable Philippines, still allowed as if our officials are vested with the power to destroy the very life-support system that nurtures us all?

Our children and the generations yet unborn expect us, people and leaders, to put their wellbeing uppermost in everyone’s daily choices. Do we? And if not, what are we doing about it?

Will the natural support systems that our children inherit from us and without which they, as we do, cannot survive, still be adequate to provide them with their needs?

Have we been responsible stewards of the vanishing resources that we will bequeath to the future generation? Or, have we by default, allowed things to slide  into a downward spiral, as our climate system seems to be?

Just as we thought the summer season has started,  supertyphoon Maysak devastated Micronesia and was expected to hit the country. As temperatures are soaring, the reality of a typhoon in April is one for the books.

As a matter of precaution and learning from the lessons of typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda and those that came after, government released tons of information and repeated warnings about Typhoon Chedeng. Visitors were reportedly barred from entering areas in the path of the storm, particularly in Quezon. Thousands of food packs were on standby. Then, just as quickly, the storm dissipated and was downgraded to  a tropical depression. We heaved a sigh of relief, for now, as  we realize  that weather aberrations are going to be the new normal.

The climate system is going into a tailspin and has become too unpredictable. As scientists had repeatedly forewarned, even decades back, the causes of climate change are man-made. We have to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels and protect the carbon sinks, our oceans and forests and at the same time, learn to adapt to the change taking place.

Indeed, without a well thought-out collective response and  responsible leadership to the challenges of continuing and reckless degradation of our natural capital – the seas, forests, species of flora and fauna, water and air as well as  the manmade causes of climate change, we are in for a very rough ride.

Our Common Future, our guide for a path to sustainable development, exhorts us that “the time has come to take the decisions needed to secure the resources to sustain this and coming generations…”

Can we say we are ready to assume the responsibility of protecting our environment and help avert the trajectory of tragedy that has led civilizations to collapse?