- Khin Maung Myint
The title may seem a bit queer, but that’s the kind of attitude we are often facing today. In fact it is an expression we use, to condemn someone who doesn’t “practice what he preaches”. It is an unleaderlike attitude. In this case it is directed not at any one particular individual, but towards a group of people from a certain country. They have no scruples, whatsoever, for principles and are devoid of self-respects. Those people are always pointing fingers at other countries for what they thought as disregards for human rights, while they themselves are ignoring or violating them.
It is common knowledge that the deteriorating climates or the extreme climate changes are threatening the whole world. Year after year the global warming, which is behind the climate change is getting worse without any sign of relenting. This situation is causing alarm around the world amongst those who are knowledgeable about its consequences. Today the heat related death rates of the human beings and the animals are on the rise at alarming rates during the summers, which is an indication of the effects of the climate change that anyone with a sound mind would be well aware.
By now most of the people had come to know that the excess of the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, of which Carbon Dioxide gas (CO2) forms the major proportion are the main causes of the global warming that led to the rise in temperatures worldwide. This caused the climate changes and had given rise to unprecedented strong storms, heavy rainfalls, devastating flooding, extreme colds, record breaking snowfalls, severe draughts, extensive desertification and increasing numbers of killer heat waves that had claimed many lives, loss of pasture lands and properties. The climate change is wreaking havoc around the world, sparing no country.
The majority of the people around the world realized and accept the fact that if the climate change cannot be put under control the world will face catastrophes of gigantic proportions. Thus almost every country in the world participated in the endeavour to find solutions to protect the world and all living things—humans, animals, trees and plants included—from being destroyed.
Under the guidance of the United Nations, many countries around the world endeavoured to bring the climate change under control. The deals reached at Paris during the 21st.Conference of Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21)held from 30 November to 12 December 2015, had produced many positive outcomes that could be effective in controlling the global warming and hence the climate change too. The Paris Agreement was signed by 195 countries and ratified by 150 countries and had become effective as of 4 November, 2016. The significance of the COP21 was: it managed to reach viable agreements and also able to get the two largest emitters of CO2 in the world, the USA and China to sign the ratifications, which had been reluctant sign and were avoiding to do so for a long time. The environmentalists all over the world hailed it as a breakthrough and it provided hopes for the future of our Planet Earth
However, most of the people around the world including me, are disappointed to learn that one of the most emitters of CO2 gas in the world is in the process of withdrawing from the Paris Agreements. It is really distressful and outrageous that a country, which have been championing loudly and forcefully for the human rights around the world would consider committing such a heinous act against humanity. Not abiding by the Paris Agreements, which could control the climate change tantamount to, not only violating the human rights, but it’s endangering the future of mankind. My understanding is that it is part of their latest policy of putting the interest of their country and people first.
If even an ordinary person, like me, have some knowledge that the main producers of the CO2 gases are the industries and vehicles that run on fossilized fuels, such as: petroleum, petroleum products and coals, they should know better. Since the new administration came into power in that country we had been witnessing their disregards for the environments. They are reluctant to accept the fact that the climate change is threatening the world and are even labeling it as a hoax. The most unthinkable was the fact that they are not honouring the commitments made by their predecessors and planning to withdraw from the Paris Agreements.
I have nothing to say about the slashing of the Medicaid or Healthcare, whatever that is called, or the restriction on the entry of certain nationals or the discriminations against immigrants as those have nothing to do with us. However, not accepting the presence of the dangers of the climate change, which is quite imminent and is a great threat to the whole world and planning to withdraw from the Paris Agreements is totally absurd and unacceptable from the human rights point of view. It is creating great concerns and disappointments for those who are knowledgable of its consequences.
However, their decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreements, which is a move to please the industrialists and coal miners in their country, and the repealing of the restrictions on extractions and uses of coal are entirely unwise. Frankly, I see it as a violation of human rights of, not only just against one nation or one race or a group of people, but the whole world. Unthinkable things would happen if other countries followed their example and withdraw from the Paris Agreements.