Tonga makes commitment to address climate change

Ko Siamane pe 'i mamani 'osi 'iai e univesiti ia 'osi 100% renewable energy. Ko e to koeni e fakamamafa 'a e INDC 'a Tonga ki he renewable energy mo e MPA e tokoni lahi ia ki he enonomika - famili mo e fonua. 'Ikai koia pe ka ko e mo'uilelei - tangata mo e ngaahi me'a mo'ui kehe 'i 'uta mo tahi. Ko e tafa'aki mo eni 'oku totonu ke teke e fanau mo e hako tupu e fonua ke nau ako kiai koe'uhi he 'oku 'aonga lahi 'aupito.

Kuo 'osi ma'u pe foki 'ehe UN ia 'a e pa'anga fe'unga ke fai 'aki 'a e tokoni ki he ngaahi fonua 'oku uesia 'ehe fetongitongi 'o e 'ea pe fakatu'utamaki fakaenatula 'i he ta'u kotoape. 'Oku 'i ai 'a e ngaahi 'inasi 'o e pule'anga memipa kotoape ke 'oatu ki he UN 'i he ta'u kotoape ke fai 'aki polokalama ko'enii 'o fakatatau ki he patiseti 'a e UN pea ko e lahi taha pa'anga 'oku foaki ki he UN 'i he ta'u, ko e US. Ko e 'uhinga hono fa'u 'o e polokalama ia ko'eni 'climate change' ke fakaloto'i 'a e ngaahi fonua, pea ngaue'aki 'a e ngaahi palopalema fakaenatula 'a e fanga ki'i 'otu motu 'o pehee ko e fakatupu 'ehe tangata. Ko hono 'uhingaa ka loto kiai 'a e UN pea fa'u leva ha lao 'o hangee ko e lao 'o e CEDAW ke ta'e fakamolale mo ta'e faka-Kalisitiane ke fa'ao fakamalohi 'a e pa'anga 'a e kakai ngauee ke fai'aki me'a 'oku nau loto kiai. Ko 'ene tu'u koee he taimini 'oku pehe 'ehe fanga ki'i 'otu motu iiki tokua 'oku 'i ai 'enau totonu ki he pa'anga 'a e kau pilionea mo e kakai mate he ngauee ke 'oange ke tauhi 'aki kinautolu ka 'ikai pea nau ngaue-popula. 'Oku 'osi 'ilo 'ehe kakai ko'eni 'oku uesia 'e he ngaahi fakatu'utamaki fakaenatula honau ngaahi fonua kuo 'osi foaki 'e he kakai pilionea mo ngaue pa'anga 'a e vaeua 'enau koloa laui piliona ki he ngaahi pule'angaa mo e UN ke tokoni'i 'aki kinautolu. 'Ikai ngata ai 'oku 'i ai ngaahi 'foundation' 'non profit 'a Bili Gates etc langa ta'etotongi ngaahi falemahaki 'i Africa ke tokoni'i kakai masiva he 'oku mo'ui honau konisenisi. Na'aku sio hifo ki he lau 'a e tokotaha Tonga 'oku ne poupou'i 'a e 'climate change' ke fakatau mai ha'ane fo'i ma ke kai. 'I he taimi koee na'e 'ikai ke mau kai ma, na'amau too e hopa, siaine. 'ufi etc 'o lolo'i' e la'iluu 'o kiki'aki, ko e ifo mo e ivi atu. Mahalo ko e tama ia 'oku ne natu fo'i maa pe na'e kaukau koaa ia ha uike kakato pe 'ikai. 'Oku lolotonga talanoa'i 'a e me'a ni 'climate change ' i 'Amelika ni, pea 'oku poupou'i lahi 'eho mau taki 'a e polokalama ni. Na'e faka'eke'ek ha ongo me'a he TV pea talaange 'e he me'a 'e taha mahalo 'oku pehee 'eia 'oku fakasesele kotoa 'a Amelikani, pea pehe ange me'a ia 'e taha mahalo 'oku pehe 'e ia 'oku fakasesele kotoa 'a mamani 'o hange koe 'otu motuu......SAIA

Please Saia don't generalise, not all Americans believe the same as you.

'Oku 'ikai 'uhinga e Climate Change koe fakatupunga 'e he tangata 'a e Climate Change.

Our natural climate, changes over time (also in the past decades) as it is a natural process. The earth goes through cold periods (ice age) and hot periods (flooding etc), it is the natural system. However, human contribute or speed up the natural changes of the climate more rapidly than its natural paces, by pumping more GHG into the atmosphere from extensive burning of fossil fuel. Yes, Climate Change occurred in the past, even before humans were around, and studies show that it is due to rapid increase in CO2 in the air also, not from humans (because we weren't around) but from significant number of volcanic eruptions, releasing substantial amount of CO2 into the atmosphere. This resulted in burning of massive number of coal, geothermal methane release and catalyst ocean acidification.

The Climate Change initiatives that the UN, the world and even PICTs are supporting is not for the meaning that "we caused climate change" but that "we are speeding the natural changes in the natural climate system" because we have released more GHG into the atmosphere in comparison to the result from the past. Studies shows that the concentration of GHG is the atmosphere has surpassed the rate of the CO2 concentration in the past, when compared to the time and current condition of the earth. Hence, we are moving closer and closer to the threshold that it will be too late. Are these studies accurate? I wasn't in the ice age to know the truth or even the climate skeptics as well.

One of my mates asked me "what if we go through all this effort, time and resources to invest in clean energy, build natural disaster resilient villages, reduce poverty, develop innovative agriculture method to fight drought and to find out that Climate Change is a hoax/fake?" I told him look at the following scenarios:

Scenario 1. If climate change is NOT real but we DID something - would the work done be a waste of time if we had built a resilient Tonga and tackled so many issues that frequent natural disaster is affecting us, would we call that waste of time? I dont think so
Scenario 2. If climate change is NOT real and we DIDN'T do anything - we saving time and resources but can we risk that? how sure am I?
Scenario 3. If Climate Change is real and we DID something, at least we have done what we can to secure the future of the future generation.
Scenario 4. If Climate Change is real but we DIDN'T do anything - that's the end my friend.

I told him again - that's the four scenarios is up to him and what he think is appropriate. I told him, hardly choose Scenario 2 unless I'm certain with facts or been there to prove otherwise. If I don't have the facts then I don't want to risk my life or even my kids or their kids and their kids, or my neighbours, my country or anyone when it come to something like this or something similar. No one know if these studies are true or not but to be on the safe side Scenario 1 is the safest even if you don't believe. No one knows for sure if these studies are true but we can have even 1% certainty or 99% certainty but it may not know the truth.

He laughed and when he about to took off, I told him, I know you don't believe in God, look at the four scenarios again and change the word "climate change" with "God", which one will you pick? He smiled and walked away.

Ofa atu
Pila mo'ene fo'i ma

Climate change is going to impact Tonga greatly so we need to work very hard to make our stand and also hopefully be a role model to others, seeing an island nation who is going to lose the most because of climate change taking the lead through example.

Perhaps a good commitment would be to sell and switch the big government vehicles to economy vehicles. People these days who pay for their own gas would be more aware of the fluctuating and high prices of gas and would be more likely to be switching to more fuel efficient or economy vehicles. It may not look nice at first but it better to appear simple and be rich (in wisdom), than appear rich and look silly as tax payers struggling to pay extra for fuel expenses. We should be paying top officials for their skills and talents but let's move away from paying for appearances.

I believe if Government works closely with the private sector they can also encourage, through scholarships, to send our kids into technology fields we would need for the future, like mechanics for electric vehicles. Some people might want to get electric or hybrid vehicles, but since we don't know who here would fix it, it is a disincentive to invest in that environmentally friendly vehicle. Or other technologies that we will want to use in the future like tide energy or solar power etc.