LETTERS: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warns that without immediate remedial action across the globe to limit temperature increases to under 1.5°C by 2030, humanity will suffer extreme weather, flooding, drought, wildfires, displacement, wildlife extinction and biodiversity loss.
Just remember: climate consequences do not wait for 2030 or any other date. Oceans and forests are Earth's primary carbon sinks. We knowingly allow toxic waste into our rivers, which flow to oceans, and permit the shrinkage of forest cover.
Non-governmental organisations are at the forefront of the struggle, and government bureaucrats do what they can to pledge sustainable policy and file papers for the record.
Between 1990 and 2010, Malaysia lost 1.9 million hectares of forest cover to timber logging and clearance for monocrop plantations.Malaysia and Indonesia produce 85 per cent of the world's palm oil.
Deforestation is conducted far from human habitation until the consequences of haze and flash floods hit towns and cities.
Corporations and political enablers make deals to exploit public assets without oversight from civil society. They take the profits; society pays the price — not just locally any more.
Where does the buck stop? By removing the forest cover and gushing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, we trigger a global problem unbound by borders.
We cannot expect nature to survive our wanton destruction. We need urgent action to reverse decades of environmental abuse.
The climate ecosystem should have priority for national, regional and international problem-solving.
At all levels, this has to move beyond nodding at conferences.
Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad has impressed with his consultations with industry and domain experts. He could be more effective in leading a unified and centralised national mission that bridges federal, state and political divisions.
Let's start by declaring a climate emergency to fix all that we know is wrong.
Waste handling, rescuing food agriculture from toxic chemicals, embracing biodiversity, wildlife protection, respect for the Orang Asli and restoring the microbial power of soil are part of a vital environmental reset for future generations.
The federal-state constitutional jurisdiction on land use is a complex issue that needs balancing for society. It has brought us to the brink and cannot be glossed over any more. Illegal logging and wildlife poaching need to be monitored and shut down via satellite and drone surveillance for our survival.
CYRIL PEREIRA
Kuala Lumpur
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times