Let Us Work Towards Climate Change Now

 

Recently in preparation for the Harvest Festival some of the  Sisters, went to a village where volunteers were reduced due to corona-virus infection-19 and helped prepare holiday food. They  talked  while grilling the food,  and from one side, a request for a song by BTS as a help in keeping the vitality of the worker's high. So begins the article in the Catholic Times by a  religious sister.

Sisters liked the BTS, a world famous group and were particularly impressed by the meaning contained in the lyrics, their good influence, passion, and sincere appearance. The song 'Dynamite', which was recently released, is  said to have been released to empower many during these difficult times due to the Corona 19 pandemic. In an interview with a public broadcaster, the leader, said, "There were concerned that such a lively song would be right in these difficult times, but when a person is depressed and sad, among the ways of comforting is a frontal attack,  pleasant and hopeful, which is the  method they chose."
 

People describe depression in these days of ecological crisis as 'corona blue, climate blue', etc. It is said that there are times when people in the climate movement fall into 'climate blue' while looking at the Climate Clock which shows how quickly we are approaching 1,5 C of global warming at current emission trends.

However, on the one hand, even in the Corona 19 situation, we were able to see many overcome difficult times with creative and cultural experiences such as music and art. Sometimes, when she see BTS  fandom (many people singing the same song together) at concerts or on the streets where the  ARMY  gathers— "A.R.M.Y" stands for "Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth" and it carries a lot of  meaning behind it.

 

When she hears the music a catharsis is sensed.  Just as our religious worshipers make deeper communion with God and sisters through community hymns in a well-prepared liturgy, the moment they sing together there is the transcending of the differences in race, language, and form to achieve greater solidarity and communion.

She  gets a hint from the BTS song with a frontal attack  against the current difficulties. How about gathering people together to sing as a way to recognize and overcome climate emergencies occurring all over the planet?

Already 10 years ago, Belgium and other Nordic countries launched the "Sing for the Climate" campaign, and many citizens joined. Many people sang "Do it Now", which was affixed to an Italian folk song called "Bella Ciao".  Since then, a number of grassroots climate movements have emerged in Europe along with this campaign, and at the demands of those who have fought for a long time, many countries are pursuing full-scale greenhouse gas reduction, the '2050 Declaration of Carbon Zero', and effective plans accordingly.  In Europe's "Songs for the Climate" campaign, celebrities like U2 also participated, leading more people to climate action.

Also, it is time for believers, who are God's true fandom, to take the lead in "climate action" to protect God's creation by first responding to the climate crisis. The Holy See proposed seven goals in the light of integrated ecology as the task during our recent celebration of 'Laudato Si' week. Pope Francis used the occasion to announce that the next 12 months be dedicated as 'Laudato Si' Special Anniversary Year which will be celebrated  from 24 May 2020 – 24 May 2021.

  

The seven Laudato Si goals address a range of areas related to sustainability and ecological conversion:

1)Response to the cry of the Earth.  2)Listen to the cry of the poor. 3)Ecological economics, sustainable production, 4)Adoption of simple life styles. 5)Ecological education. 6) Recover a religious vision of God's creation—Ecological spirituality. 7)Emphasis on community involvement  and participatory action.

Although it is a time of desperate climate crisis, the writer  hopes that 2050 will be the first year of zero carbon emissions, the "earth jubilee," and  we can reach this goal happily by singing together.