“Our House is on Fire”

by Juliah Marie I. Española

“Our house is on fire!”, those were the exact words from a 16-year-old Swedish climate
activist Greta Thunberg, said during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Sweden. Words that
have not left my mind after hearing that empowering speech from a leader of our time and
generation. She is right- our house is on fire, but no one seems to be screaming inside. No one
seems to even care and act to put down the flames that we have caused ourselves.

The beauty of nature is indescribable. It has a profound effect upon our senses, those
gateways from the outer world to the inner. It gives us the feeling of awe, wonder, and
amazement. Trees, the beautiful breeze, butterflies, those delights, they are mother nature's gifts.
They were beautiful, they were at peace. But now? Now what? But nevertheless, despite her
beauty, generosity of providing us things to breathe, to live, and hospitality, so many people
seem to take mother nature for granted.

Our mother nature is currently facing a lot of environmental concerns. The environmental
problems like increased rate of global warming, acid rain, air pollution, urban sprawl,
inconsiderate waste disposal, ozone layer depletion, and water pollution that affect the everyday
life of every human, animal and nation on this planet.

Recently, news broke out that the world’s largest forest and the lungs of the earth, the
Amazon in Brazil, is burning faster than ever seen and recorded after alarming and shocking
satellite images were released by NASA. Emergency and flash reports from different
international agencies about the devastation happening in Brazil have swamped all major news
media. Photos of once lush green spaces turned into smoldering black and gray, have been
circulating in and out of Facebook feeds and Twitter timelines. Trends and hashtags are calling
in to #PrayforAmazons.

Also recently, a local headline report came out that the Philippines is losing a staggering
of P50 Billion to the illegal wildlife trade. Thousands of species of both flora and fauna are being
pushed further into the brink of extinction, from endangered Palawan pangolins to the graceful
sea turtles found in the Visayas. Birds, fish, reptiles being put into nests and cages are illegally
stored and shipped away from the islands from which they come - transformed into profit by
majority of those only in the winning end.

It is not only happening in Brazil. It is also happening in our country. Imagine that it took
millions of years of evolution throughout geological history of our planet to develop the
incomparable complexity of biodiversity that can only be found in the Philippine Islands and the
forests of Brazil’s Amazon – has now gone from a single flame. A flame, which is us, humans.

We thought monsters were scary, monsters were mean. but we are describing our being.
It takes one drop of straw to suffocate a turtle and it takes one drop of plastic to pollute the water.
All it takes is one cigarette thrown at a truck window to ignite the fire and lead to deforestation.
It takes a single fire to take down all the plants and trees and to take down oxygen. Imagine
pointing the gun in your head, and pulling the trigger. That is similar to what you do to mother
earth. Ruining mother earth is like taking away your own life.

But the truth is, we do not need more thoughts and prayers. Our generation is tired of
these. We need concrete accountable actions and solutions from our government and businesses.
We need changes in our environmental policies, and a stronger enforcement of laws if we want
to make a significant dent on what we are currently seeing day to day. We are the only living
creatures smart enough to foul our own nest. To know the destruction and end, we are causing to
both nature and humanity, but choosing to remain silent and ignorant. Maybe, this is what we
deserved. It is because we, as humans never learned our lessons to be socially responsible and
socially-disciplined inside our homes, in our community, in our school, and in our society.

To those who are nature lovers and stewards in protecting our environment, who will
become future presidents, senators, mayors, politicians, CEOs, industry leaders, media officials;
when do you think is the right time? You, me, and all of us can make a difference. Please do
yourself a favor and be the leader that our world needs, not just for people but even for the tiniest
seed. Foster empathy, work smart and never be greedy.
 In a few hours, we are all going to go through the exit doors of this gymnasium. Then,
each of us will be going back to the places where we came from. Each one of us will be going to
do what humans have done throughout history to make difficult and important decisions. Each
one of us must put words into actions. We are all here so that you can have a solution. There is
hope. There is here, now, something left to hope for. Mother earth’s problems are not one story.
It is our story. Of coming together. Of unity and participation and representation. It is a story.
That starts with one person on one day. A voice. A choice. A choice between two things. And
this choice today is yours. You can continue this story, our story, or you can help end it.

To our distinguished board of judges, to my equally competent contenders, to all our keen
visitors, friends, teachers, Ladies and gentlemen, Good Afternoon. I am Juliah Marie I.
Española, I may have a one voice, but I have a big dream- to speak for mother nature. I am a
fighter by blood and a believer by heart. How about you?