Public urged to fast for Mother Earth

MANILA, Philippines - As the Catholic Church prepares for the observance of Holy Week this April, the Climate Change Commission through commissioner Heherson Alvarez called for a different kind of penitence – fast for Mother Earth and address the need to cut carbon emissions.

“During the Lenten season, as we atone for our sins, it may be most relevant that we also fast for the environment,” Alvarez said.

“A withdrawal from our wasteful consumption habits, a cutback of a meal a day, will provide some relief to our beleaguered environment and drive home the point that the solution to extreme consequences of climate change would be the disciplined use of energy like electricity and vehicle fuel, reduction of water and food wastage, and promotion of alternative clean energy,” he added.

Alvarez’s call for such penitence is part of the annual “Fast for Mother Earth” program observed during the Holy Week. The program, initiated by the Earthsavers Movement more than two decades ago, highlights the need to protect the environment and address the worsening impact of climate change.

Alvarez, also the founding chair of the Earthsavers Movement, explained that this kind of penitence is more significant because of a recent report revealed by the Germanwatch Risk Index at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Lima, Peru in December last year.

The report identified the Philippines as the most vulnerable country to the impacts of climate change.