BRUNEI should play its part to preserve and maintain a cleaner environment to ensure the country continues to live in peace and prosperity, said the Friday sermon.
"In conjunction with the World Maritime Day to be held in November 9, let us play our part to carry out our responsibility as Earth's caliphs by preserving the environment from any destruction and pollution for us to continue breathing fresh air as well as living in prosperity and peaceful in the country," Muslims were told nationwide yesterday.
The sermon further said that to overcome the issue of climate change, the Marine Department has been organising the International Maritime Organisation convention which explores the rules and regulations on the disposal of rubbish from ships and oil containers.
The sermon also highlighted concerns on the destruction of the environment due to irresponsible actions by individuals, such as illegal logging, pollution caused by industries, rampant use of fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions.
"As human beings blessed with the ability to think, we must preserve this Earth that has been bestowed to us by Allah (SWT) not by destroying or polluting it, as God does not take lightly the destruction caused on Earth," said the sermon.
The drastic increase of the sea pollution contributed by the amount of plastic dumped into the sea was another pressing issue in which tens of thousands of marine life has either perished or handicapped by the activity each year.
The sermon went on say that the sea is facing destruction in terms of encroaching activities on beach zones by boats, bombing the sea to acquire shellfish, wastage from oil, mud and grease, as well as industrial waste carried out at sea discreetly or openly.
"Moreover, research found that at least 30,000 life forms had perished because they were trapped," said the sermon.
The sermon said this was due to the massive net, fishing lines and hooks which was set up and deliberately left behind by fishing enthusiasts, thereby killing marine life.
Meanwhile, at least 77 tonne metrics of rubbish have been disposed each year by the shipping industry, while the commercial fisheries industry contributed 135 million kilogrammes of fishing equipment and 24 million kilogrammes of rubbish, mostly plastic-based, which were dumped into the sea.
"This means that the sea has become a dumping ground for rubbish," the sermon observed.
The sea, said the sermon, has a role in balancing the world's climate, while protecting humans from climate change at the same time.
The world is expected to see a shift in temperatures in the next 100 years if environmental destruction and pollution continues. Earth's temperature is expected to increase from 1.1 degree celsius to 6.4 degrees celsius between 1990 to 2100, said the sermon.
"If these predictions are correct, the world will continue to heat up in a century's time and will no longer be safe to live in, this is following the global warming which is closely related to several natural disasters that have occurred," said the sermon.
The increase in temperatures could melt down the polar ice cap, thus increasing water levels, which in turn increases the risk of flash floods, said the sermon.
"Some of the smaller islands have submerged due to the increasing water levels, while other areas with hot weather climate are suddenly facing heavy rain which has made the land much more drier due to the fast absorption rate of water," said the sermon.
The temperature change also contributes to the dampening of the land, which could affect people, including the eco-system of nature, agriculture, supplies, food forests and water source, energy use and transportation.
"For all the things that have been happening, it is only because of our own doing and attitudes," the sermon added.
The Brunei Times
