GEORGE TOWN – Climate change is not happening in the future; it is already impacting Penang now and people need to adopt remedial measures to head off its negative impact.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow urged Penangites not to be complacent by presuming that the effects of climate change are far away on the horizon.
“It is happening now,” said Chow after opening the Penang Green Council’s “Fu Yoh Once Upon a Time” programme at Hin Bus Depot here today.
The programme, aimed at generating awareness of a green lifestyle, was held in conjunction with World Environment Day which falls tomorrow.
Citing an example of climate change, the Padang Kota assemblyman said that the residents at the clan jetties in Weld Quay here are now experiencing flash floods not because of heavy rainfall but constant high tides.
This is the result of the rise in the sea levels due to climate change.
A global warming study had forecast that parts of Penang’s coastline, including at Weld Quay, would be underwater in tandem with the effects of climate change.
One particularity of the change is the rise in sea levels due to the melting of the icescapes in the North and South Poles.
“It is clear that our eco-system cannot withstand the daily grind and pressure imposed on it by humanity,” said Chow.
“Flash floods, prolonged drought, the rise of the sea levels, the loss of biodiversity, and pollution are code red signs the environment is giving us.”
Chow said that Penang has come up with initiatives to face climate change and he hopes it will be supported by the masses here.
The state government has initiated a climate change action week and a green agenda, while migrating towards a circular economy.
It has introduced a waste segregation system and achieved a recycling rate of 51.18%.
It has also planted tree saplings, with 191,756 having been planted since 2018, he added. – The Vibes, June 4, 2022
