REPRESENTATIVE Sheila J. Babauta took center stage Monday to introduce former President Barack Obama during the opening of the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties or COP26, which is being held in Glasgow, Scotland from Oct. 31 to Nov. 12.
An Obama Foundation Pacific leader, Babauta recounted why she was at COP26. She said seven years ago she asked the former president a question about the Pacific Islands’ concerns regarding U.S. military presence in the region. Obama replied, “Raise awareness, gather allies, and unify voices.”
Babauta said she took those “powerful words with her and kept them close.”
Obama thanked Babauta for an “outstanding introduction and for all the work that she is doing in a part of the world that is feeling the effects of climate change right now.”
“Thank you for making what sometimes can seem a bunch of abstract numbers painfully and immediately real. We are very grateful for her,” Obama said.
Babauta said she was at COP26 to raise global awareness about the need to “protect and heal Mother Earth.”
She said she was also there to gather allies from and for indigenous communities around the world.
“As the first stewards of the land and ocean, our traditional knowledge can guide the way. We hold the keys to solving the issues of militarization, climate change and climate colonialism. We are not passive victims.”
She added, “And I am here to amplify the voices of those who live on the front lines. On my island, storms are now unpredictable and frequently turn into super typhoons strong enough to impact our economy, destroy homes and create fear at the very sound of wind gust and heavy rain, all while our shoreline continues to disappear.”
Babauta said, as a “son of Asia-Pacific,” former President Obama “understands how indigenous people are the keepers of the land and that we are deeply connected to it. He recognizes that impacted communities must have a seat at the table as we ensure accountability and action for all parties who create large emissions.”
Babauta, 32, said young people “must do and are doing our part as well. As the youngest elected official in our House of Representatives, I feel this drive to action every day and I am not the only one.”
Former President Barack Obama with Rep. Sheila Babauta at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties or COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland on Monday.
