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The Time for Talk is Over

If we were not so busy to keep our lives moving, and for once do nothing.
Then maybe a big silence can help us in the sadness Of not understanding ourselves.
Perhaps then, the Earth can teach us that when everything seems dead, That is when everything may come to Life.

Pablo Nureda

Crisis of Change

The Earth has a severe flu. The cause is a virulent virus called the Homo sapiens.

The Earth is sick with a deadly flu. The cause is a virus that eats anything and everything, including snakes and wild bats. This virus even calls itself wise: Homo sapiens.

Today, this Homo virus is also getting very sick because another virus spreading fast and furious. All of a sudden, We all stop moving, and for once, do nothing.

The slow and silent moments of the day give us a glimpse of what is truly important in Life – The Sources of Life. Land – for food, Air – to breathe, and Water – to drink. (LAW) – the LAW of Life. Take out one, or poison any, there is no Life.

But what have we done?

We poison the air with the breath of foul fire by the metal monsters … and call it progress.

Land— is the carpet of Life that grows our food. We paved it with dead and hard concrete. And we call it ‘development’.

Air— we cannot see it, but without Air for three minutes we die. So why do we poison it with the smoke from the infernal combustion engines of motor vehicles? And then, we call it “progress”. And a contribution to GDP (Great Disaster of the Planet).

Water—next to Air, is the most important Life-Source. So why do we poison and waste the Water that we drink? And we call it progress and development? Buang.

What Can You Do?

Crisis is both danger and a chance for change. The dangers are clear and present. We can now take the chance … to be better.

We can blame each other, fight forever, and end up nowhere. But we can each do our humble share to face — and embrace — the crisis.

What can you do? Would you like to grow food on Land, help clean the Air, and secure the supply of safe Water?

If you dare to care, welcome aboard.

Upcoming Actions

When the time is right, we will do for the –

1. Land: Guerilla Gardening

We will plant food crops on the road- sides, center islands, and in public open spaces. (Exec. Order 774, 2008).

It will be a happy and healthy exercise. We will transform the community quarantines into community food gardens.

A stretch of roadside in a village south of Metro Manila is blooming with food crops: kamote (sweet potato), kamunggay (healthy moringa), kapayas (papaya), etc. Food landscaping.

Air: Road Sharing

On Sundays, we will hold Road Sharing Exercises.

Half of the road will be for people to walk, to bike, and to breathe clean Air. The other half will be for clean, convenient, and collective transportation. The Filipino SeCRET (Self- Contained Renewable Energy Transport).

When people see how wonderful this will be, they will ask to do it for two days, for three, and then for the whole week. That will mark the turning point to the pathway that:

“Those who have less in wheels must have more in roads.1

Water: Rain Catching

If you think this virus thing is bad, watch what happens when we run out of water.

We had a water crisis in 2019. Water shortage will only get worse and so let us embrace this lesson. Together with concerned citizens, with or without government, we will put up rainwater catchments to store freshwater for human use. These catchments will also recharge the depleted groundwater. It is not a suggestion. It is Law. (Rep. Act 6716, 1989) 2

But in The Philippines, laws are only suggestions.

Cooperative Heroism

To make this happen, we will not use the might and majesty of the Law. Nor will we wait for the people in passing positions of power. Let us remember that “The power of the people is more powerful than the people in power.”

We  will   rekindle  the   great Filipino spirit of

Bayanihan:
Bayan – community and cooperation;
Bayani – hero;
Bayanihan – cooperative heroism

Thank You, Crisis

For making us stop, do nothing, and reflect on Life’s meaning.

“And when everything seems dead,
That is when everything may
Come to Life.”

We invite concerned residents of the Earth to take action. In your own circles, you can make a happy impact. In your own way, you will be a leader – by example. Let us turn this crisis into a chance for a true and lasting climate of change. But whatever you will do or think you can do, begin it. “In boldness there is genius, power, and magic.” 3

The time for talk is over.

Tony Oposa, a Filipino
28 March 2020

1 Sec. 9, EO 774, 2008.
2 Rep. Act 6716, 1989, and Sec. 12, EO 774.
3 W. Goethe.


OpenEdition suggests that you cite this post as follows:
Antonio Oposa Jr. (April 6, 2020). The Time for Talk is Over. Normandy Chair for Peace. Retrieved April 22, 2025 from https://doi.org/10.58079/mmyl


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