Costa Rica-indigenous Responses to Climate Change

Oct 5, 2017 by Lucia Torres Bustamante

• How is this representation of climate change similar to the other things you’ve read/viewed? How is different?

The similarities come when talked about a balance . A balance between the amount of CO2 produce and the amount that the Earth can take without being damaged. Indigenous peoples know this too well, they practice this and are the example that it is possible to be part of a carbon neutral world. CO2 is produced in pretty much everything but we need to understand that we are the ones producing more than the world can take. This is why these emissions are getting stuck in the atmosphere are preventing the sun rays to leave the Earth. This events are causing global warming. My favorite part that is not often portrayed when taking about climate change is the unity of us all that we need to combat this universal problem. It is amazing how in this video such equality is shown. This world is ours, what happens in it affects us without boundaries, it doesn't matter if we come from a different country as someone else or it doesn't matter if we are from a different social class, gender, religion and many other things that we think divide us but actually should makes us come together to know each other, to learn something new every day about how people are different from each other. This can all just benefit the world and these differences are something beautiful. If we work together amazing things can be accomplished.

• Where do you see the influence of Indigenous peoples in this video? Where is it missing?

I see the influence of indigenous peoples in the video when it is explained how the knowledge passed through there ancestors to them is becoming less and less important due to the changes happening on Earth. Now it is more difficult to predict when a big storm is approaching or when is a good time to plant seeds because they don't know if a period of time of drought will come or if powerful storms will devastate there homes. They can't be prepared for anything that can happen due to climate change. Also, indigenous people have to take a big stand when talked about things like REDD+, declarations are being made every day that most of the times concern indigenous people, they need to be part of these projects to let everyone know that they can't just destroy a whole forest for the land to plat rubber trees or to produce palm oil. If they do this not only natural resources and animals will be destroyed but the homes of millions of people around the globe are going to be damaged. Indigenous peoples have the right to be part of projects to preserve the forests too because it is not about not letting anyone in a forest ever again, it is about making sure everyone has a place in the world in which they feel confortable in but also respect the homes of fellow citizens of the world. I feel that indigenous have still a long way to go, they have to influence important institutes to make sure they are being heard. Some people might not pay attention in what they have to say so they have to push hard for everyone to hear what they want and what they think because their job is probably the hardest one of all in the combat against climate change. They have to convince people that want easy money that there is another way, they don't have to destroy a whole forest to earn something, they have to think first that money won't matter if we have no planet left. Those people have to learn that money is not the only valuable thing in this planet.

• What solutions to climate change does this video propose?

Some of the solutions proposed have to do with REDD+, in this declaration it is proposed to pay to developing counties so they can incentive them to persevere forests, this is very important because the forests are the lungs of the world and they are the ones that can inhale all the CO2 produced. In a perfect world all the CO2 could be inhaled by the trees so it doesn’t just say in the air and produce a bigger problem. Another solution would be to create agreements to reduce CO2 produced by industrialized countries.

• Do you agree with the representation of Indigenous peoples and climate change action in the video? Why or why not?

I do agree with the representation of indigenous peoples and climate changes in the video. Indigenous are seen in the video as people with wisdom that are concern about all the changes regarding the world we all live in. They also want to be taken into account when projects like REDD+ are being developed because air of the changes that have to be made have to do with them and their home.

• What are the opportunities and challenges in taking seriously Indigenous perspectives of climate change? Consider factors that facilitate or hinder ethical responses to climate change, including social and economic inequities, political dynamics, marginalization, discrimination, state, military/police power, etc

I consider that wisdom in indigenous peoples is a great opportunity to consider them in discussions about climate change. But I suppose that it’s a challenge for many people to take them seriously, some people may think these communities are not well educated for just not being part of the large cities but we have to look at this with a different perspective. If they live far away from us it can just mean that they different ways of looking at climate change and different pinta of view are very important on the combat against climate change. It’s really difficult for people to understand the differences between them and non-indigenous people. They are maybe different in color, in the leadership, this means that they have other ways to lead their communities. The only thing to think about these differences between indigenous and non-indigenous is that they are different and different is good we just need to get used to people with other ways of thinking but at the end this can just come as an advantage in the big picture, sustainable development. 

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