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Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi aboard Greenpeace ship, the Esperanza, as part of the welcoming ceremony in Apia, Samoa.
Enlarge imageDocking at the busy wharf in Samoa’s capital, Apia, the Greenpeace crew was greeted with a traditional welcome from Va’asilifiti Moelagi Jackson, President of Samoan Umbrella for NGOs (SUNGO) and the Samoan Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi.
A voice of reason on climate change
Greenpeace hosted Esperanza open boat days for local schools and a reception on board with Samoan environment groups and government officials. Samoa is progressive when it comes to climate change action and is home to many international organisations and environment groups that are developing national climate change projects. The Greenpeace visit was a chance for them to get together to discuss their aims and how they can work together.
Samoa’s Head of State, Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Ta'isi Efi, made his commitment to the issue clear earlier this year, saying, “The dialogue on climate change is 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.
“I offer the insights and perspectives of my Samoan indigenous reference or ‘faasamoa’. Within it is a worldview that privileges not just the perspective of other men, but of other living beings – of trees, animals, oceans and stars.
“In our arrogance and greed we have encroached the boundaries of what is right and just. 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.”
A strong but vulnerable island
Like their Pacific neighbours in the Cooks Islands, Samoans are already experiencing the impacts of climate change. According to a recent World Bank report, 94% of the Samoan coastline is vulnerable to climate-related erosion and extreme weather events.
Shirley Atatagi, a Greenpeace climate campaigners, is originally from Samoa. She notes how much of Apia is now protected by sea walls that were beaches when she was a child.
The Greenpeace film crew interviewed local people about climate change impacts across the island. Village chiefs talked about rising sea levels, coastal erosion, increased storm surges and sharp decreases in fish stocks. Locals living further inland mentioned unpredictable weather patterns, and more (and more intense) extreme weather events like cyclones and hurricanes.
During our visit, we will appeal to the leaders of Samoa, already an influential voice in the Pacific, to continue demanding a strong global treaty at the Copenhagen meeting in December.
Back at home, we will ask Australia and New Zealand to support the Pacific’s call for strong climate targets and stand up to the real test of Pacific solidarity and friendship.
The Pacific Voices tour: where to next
From Samoa, the Esperanza will sail for six days to Vanuatu – the last stop in the tour. There, we will continue collecting testimonials of Pacific activists who are already a powerful voice of reason on climate change.
Recent videos from the tour
Meet Ulamila, climate activist from the Cook Islands
Whalerider actress talks about climate change impacts in the Pacific
Recent blog posts from the ship
Why They’re Wearing Sweaters In The Tropics
Espy Log, Week 3: Hearing Local Stories
