Climate change and the perspective the of fish endures

“To find solutions to our current environmental problems we must ask ourselves what it is to be a fish. To do this you must be prepared to enter the mind of the fish, to become them, to live as them, and experience the sacrifice they might have to make in order to survive. To protect the environment you need to be able to respect the environment.”

These words were part of a speech delivered by The Head of State, His Highness Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi at the Stars of the Oceania Summit held at the University of Hawaii in 2009.

It seemed relevant to revisit them with the upcoming 2014 Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States (S.I.D.S), at which oceans and seas is one the eight priorities.

The speech was entitled Climate Change and the Perspective of the Fish.

The entire speech can be found at www.head-of-state-samoa.ws.

His Highness says, fundamentally the problem of climate change is a problem of arrogance and greed and suggests the solution may be found in altering the perspective from which the problem is viewed – to take the perspective of the fish.

“The dialogue on climate change is therefore not easy. Not just for the technicalities of understanding atmospheric changes and rising sea levels but equally, if not more so, for the soul-searching questions it forces us to confront about ourselves and our pursuits of wealth. The paradoxes of our modern economic philosophies come to light in this debate.

“The rationality of modern liberal economics finds as Raymond Aron points out, a ‘pessimism that sees, in politics, the art of creating the conditions in which the vices of men will contribute to the good of the state’.

Recent comments on CNN about climate change and the world credit crisis puts it this way: “It is about having clean air and water” on one hand and “saving the United States not polar bears” on other.

“Climate change and the credit crunch graphically illustrate the crazy complexities of these paradoxes.

“The nub question for me is how can I contribute to the conversation? In doing so let me own up that the biggest hurdle for me is to summon the courage to say something meaningful about climate change in the company of such eminent authorities.

“I come to these issues and questions with a heart full of anxieties, yet am buoyed by the belief that in the ultimate we have a common origin and destiny and are entrusted to search for insight and perspective, and hopefully for solutions, to the worst problems to have faced man.”

In his conclusion His Highness says the relationship between trees, animals, ocean and mother earth is one of balance, where boundaries are respected and protected.

“This is captured in the Samoan saying: e le laa le uto i le maene pe sopo le tai i le eleele (literally the floater cannot intrude on the function of the sinker, as the ocean cannot encroach on the boundaries of the land).

“In our arrogance and greed we have encroached the boundaries of what is right and just. As we search for solutions we must be open to the wisdom of others. What has happened over the years as man has become more knowledgeable through science is that that very knowledge has given us a much greater capacity to abuse the elements and forget the need for harmony.

“What we need in our search for balance and harmony is a culture of humility and sharing where arrogance and greed are openly admitted and addressed. This is the first step to healing. Man must have the courage to rise above himself and restore his fatumanava, i.e. the earth in his heart, and to finds ways to connect (metaphorically) with the fish.”