Healing ‘Planet Klang’ and our future!

The Church of Our Lady of Lourdes organised a one-day retreat called Healing Planet Klang & Our Future on November 3. Over 100 people attended this green retreat.

YB Charles Santiago, who is Klang’s parliamentarian, Coordinator for Coalition Against Water Privatisation (CAWP) and chairman of the National Water Services Commission (SPAN), spoke on the challenges faced by Malaysians with regard to the ongoing climate change that causes serious environmental damage.

Despite the impending doom and gloom of our environment, YB Charles encouraged the retreatants to remain hopeful. He addressed one of the key problems faced by Klang residents, the practice of plastic recycling at certain factories in Klang.

As a result of this practice, our rivers continue to be contaminated with microplastics found in marine products.

The parliamentarian also stated that with the steady move of population to the more urbanised areas of the nation, the water supply in the dams throughout the country is at risk of running dry in the next five years. Thus, citizens need to start conserving water before it is too late.

YB Charles also advised the participants to make a pledge to stop using single-use plastics and reduce their dependency on this environmental pollutant.

Reiterating the words of St Pope John Paul II on being faithful stewards of creation, Dato’ Dr Dionysius (Dino) Sharma, the
Chairman of the Malaysian Wildlife Conservation Foundation, started his session by saying that the gift of nature we have inherited from the Creator is also gifted to the poor.

Dr Dino gave a brief history of our planet’s evolution, and how humankind have steadily eroded the earth of its natural resources. Deforestation has depleted the world’s oxygen supply.

Dr Dino shared that the current waste production in the region and global ocean pollution is disturbing. An estimated 30,000 tonnes of daily waste would be produced by Malaysians in 2020. This will further impact biodiversity significantly.

He advised that everyone should start reducing their waste production through practical approaches of sustainable living. Amongst the suggestions given by Dr Dino were the everyday applications of reuse, reduce, refuse, rot (compost) and recycle.

Benedict Savarimuthu, an advertiser and multifaceted trainer and green ranger, pointed out that Laudato Si’ could be easily understood in three simple ways. Firstly, the whole of Laudato Si’ is primarily about the Creator, Creation and Us.

Secondly, ‘what’s inside of us (our attitudes and habits towards Creation) affects the outside and, eventually, what’s outside of us will affect the inside of us (the damage done to creation has a price and the consequences will be faced by us). Thirdly, he suggested using a formula ,GAS, our level of Gratefulness, Accountability and Stewardship of all that God has created and entrusted to us in Genesis 1:28 that will affect the level of Blessings, Miracles and Wonders (BMWs) that we will experience in our lives.

Ben asked all those present to reflect on Why and How God, in His wisdom, has placed them in Klang and continues to bless them daily to play a more active role to restore Klang by becoming better and more grateful, accountable stewards who will directly and indirectly contribute to the improvement of the environment and creation.

Louis Clovis, an IT and Broadcast Entrepreneur and current Activist-Guardian of Mother Earth, specifically of planet Klang, made the retreatants reflect on how they can transform apathy into the compassion that we need to comprehend the Cry of Creation which Pope Francis speaks about in the encyclical.

He also gave some examples on practical and useful suggestions.

The retreat culminated with an Ecumenical prayer, blessing of pets and the retreatants at the park opposite the church.

All who had attended pledged to play a more active role in Healing Klang and Creation, both individually and communally.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online