October 31 – November 12 world leaders will meet at the COP26 UN Climate Summit for the purpose of “Uniting the world to tackle climate change“.
We are running out of time and more than “talking” needs to be done if we are going to make a significant difference in reducing the greenhouse gases that are impacting our climate change.
We share with you a plea from Greta, please take the time to add your name to support her efforts to bring about real action.
★★★ PRESS RELEASE ★★★
A group of polar bear refugees drifting off the coast of Scotland have been rescued and brought ashore by Tuvalu delegates. These refugees are now sheltering temporarily in the Tuvalu Pavilion at COP26.
Due to the deterioration of extreme climates, it has been difficult for polar bears to find food in recent years. This is the first time a climate refugee from the Arctic has been found elsewhere in the world, and the timing is particularly relevant: during the United Nations Climate Summit in Glasgow. The Prime Minister of Tuvalu has called on all the delegates of countries participating in COP26 to help resettle this group of climate refugees.
The polar bear refugees are also protesting at the Tuvalu Pavilion against the slow pace of global carbon reduction. Wearing orange life jackets, they are calling for this COP26 climate summit to push for more ambitious efforts to reduce carbon emissions urgently. This is the first time that polar bear refugees have attend a COP climate summit.
The refugee polar bears are also making symbolic statements.
They imitate the Goddess of Justice in Greco-Roman mythology, holding up broken scales and mocking climate justice.
They appear as the Statue of Liberty, brandishing a warning sign that CO2 has soared to 419ppm.
They even mimic Sisyphus, attempting to push the Earth back up the mountain to get the world back to the pre-industrial era, before petrochemical pollution. Like the tragic Greek myth, the boulder continues to fall back down towards disaster in 2060.
This spectacular art project by Taiwanese artist Vincent J.F. Huang has been created to highlight the threat of land inundation in the face of rising sea levels in Tuvalu. While most of the national pavilions display sustainable solutions using green technologies, Tuvalu has chosen to reflect its crisis through striking and humorous eco-art. The dilemma at the forefront also leads us to reflect on the values of “anthropocentrism”.
Tuvalu’s Prime Minister, the Hon. Kausea Natano, says the climate emergency has severely affected life there in recent years: the intensification of droughts has led to a shortage of domestic water, while the rising sea level has also caused land salinization, leading to a crisis in crop cultivation. Tuvalu has even been forced to abandon its original staple food, Pulaka.
He stresses that Tuvalu may be at the forefront of climate change but the extreme crises the country is already experiencing will inevitably spread if the COP26 summit does not formulate more specific and mandatory global emission reduction regulations.
Artist Vincent J.F. Huang, who serves as Tuvalu’s climate emergency advisor, says global carbon emissions continue to soar, despite the Paris Agreement. He hopes to use his eco-art to urge delegates of the 196 countries participating in COP26 to jointly formulate stricter emission reduction regulations.
“According to the latest assessment by the Climate Action Tracker, with the current global carbon reduction rate, extreme climates will be more and more frequent throughout the world. Floods, heavy rains, droughts, wildfires, and record heat waves will cause more climate refugees soon.”
The artist is also calling on U.S. President, Joe Biden and Pope Francis (attending his first COP) to recognize the dramatic conditions faced by climate frontline island states.
The polar bear refugees currently housed in the Tuvalu Pavilion will visit the official opening on Nov 1st.
They are hoping for a visit from two very special royal guests who have always expressed their concern for Tuvalu’s climate plight.
NOTES. The Tuvalu COP26 delegation is led by the Prime Minister, the Speaker of Parliament and the Minister of Finance. For all media interview requests, please contact us via the email address below.
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#COP26. #UNClimateSummit #ClimateChange #Tuvalu #ClimateAction
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