PICs can be wiped off from the map, US Senator warns
A UNITED States (US) Senator has warned that Pacific Island Countries (PICs) or nations could be wiped out from the map, urging regional leaders to be more involved in addressing the climate change crisis.
Senator Brian Schatz was speaking at a news conference at the East West Center in Honolulu, Hawaii on Tuesday.
The Solomon Star joined the press conference via Zoom.
He said the United States and the Pacific share “deep cultural, historical and familial ties and a keen understanding of shared values and shared challenges.” It would be important to establish a model that other islands could follow.
“Of course, the most important crisis for all of us, but particularly it’s the island people who continue to face climate crisis and are already dealing with the impacts, including sea level rise ocean acidification and warming biodiversity loss and the expansion of invasive species and the loss of portable water for both drinking and irrigation,” Senator Schatz said.
He said these changes are impacting island cultures, communities and economies, and we, as a global community need to actually address this and rapidly reduce emissions.
“Because if we don’t the result will continue to be catastrophic – more droughts, more floods and more hurricanes in some cases.
“Pacific Islands can be literally wiped off the map, but progress is possible in Hawaii, and we’re on pace to achieve 100 per cent clean energy statutory goal by year 2045 doing our part to reduce emissions,” he said.
He said it is important to establish a model that other islands can follow.
He said Hawaii and the Pacific Islands should take a lead and show the rest of the planet in addressing climate change.
“This region faces challenges that threaten global economic, health and livelihoods.
“We also see unsustainable development financing that risks in getting governments and undermining democratic institutions, and the United States needs to step up its engagement with the Pacific Islands to confront these challenges and that’s why I introduced the honouring Oceania Act.
“It directs the US Government to put Oceania front and Center in terms of diplomacy and economic development.
“It was unanimously adopted by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. I do not think this is something that would have happened say 10 years ago, there is a deeper and more enthusiastic understanding of the role of Oceania.
“As partners and friends, we think of our Asia Pacific strategy, I continue to articulate to my colleagues, especially those who reside on the east coast of the United States.
“That when we think about an Asia Pacific and Indo Asia Pacific strategy, we really have to think about the Pacific itself. It is not just about the continental United States and the Government of China.
“There are lots of nations and cultures and economies and challenges in this vast Pacific Ocean and everybody counts, and that was adopted by Bob Menendez the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and we’re working with the Biden administration to see that vision to fruition, where every single Pacific Island nation gets the clout and the help that they so richly deserve and have not been getting,” he said.
By FOLLET JOHN
Newsroom, Honiara
