{"id":222,"date":"2022-01-13T22:49:08","date_gmt":"2022-01-13T22:49:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/?p=222"},"modified":"2022-01-21T00:39:38","modified_gmt":"2022-01-21T00:39:38","slug":"what-would-be-lost-if-climate-change-werent-addressed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/2022\/01\/13\/what-would-be-lost-if-climate-change-werent-addressed\/","title":{"rendered":"What would be lost if climate change weren\u2019t addressed?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong><em>By Sheryl Lal<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">Edward Rakaseta has vivid memories of his childhood in Fiji. His homeland and island upbringing are what made him who he is today. However, a changing climate is washing away his favorite childhood places, leaving only his memories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio alignright\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Sheryl_Final_01.mp3\"><\/audio><figcaption>Listen to Edward Rakaseta&#8217;s story<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Fiji, a small island nation in the Pacific, is currently experiencing the adverse impacts of climate change and residents like Rakaseta are questioning if their place in paradise will remain the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rakaseta is a 25-year-old science student at the University of the South Pacific. As a creative individual, he expresses himself through art and science: sketching, painting, singing, playing the guitar, archery and fire dancing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignwide is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-1 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Sheryl_01-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-426\" srcset=\"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Sheryl_01-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Sheryl_01-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Sheryl_01.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption>Edward Rakaseta poses in his simple traditional fire dancing costume at the University of the South Pacific. He is in a \u201csulu\u201d and carrying a fire dancing stick. He loves to fire dance, which is an art that he finds very thrilling. <i>Photo by Sheryl Lal<\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Sheryl_05-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-558\" srcset=\"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Sheryl_05-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Sheryl_05-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Sheryl_05.jpg 1125w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption>Edward Rakaseta plays his guitar during his leisure time and he usually carries it with him. No one could ever feel disturbed by the melodious and harmonious tune he plays and sings. <i>Photo by Sheryl Lal<\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>His favorite place while growing up was his mother\u2019s family home in Rakiraki. Close to the beach, Rakaseta and his immediate family would visit during the holidays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt&#8217;s the type of house where as soon as you set foot through the main door, everyone knows you&#8217;re home,\u201d Rakaseta said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Sheryl_02-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-554\" srcset=\"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Sheryl_02-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Sheryl_02-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Sheryl_02-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Sheryl_02.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Edward Rakaseta\u2019s cousin Matelita (wearing a green T-shirt) and his Aunty Jane (wearing a floral blouse) are spotted opening the gate to their family home in Rakiraki in early 2000s. <i>Photo by Sheryl Lal<\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Amongst the lush forest stands the Snow estate, his family\u2019s complex. The white flowers welcome them home, where generations of his family once lived and are even buried. A rock formation also stands tall in the marina, recognizable to the family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rakaseta remembers playing with baby sharks on the beach and gifting a shark tooth to his cousins for their birthday. In the day, they would go fishing, exploring the grounds and by night, they would sit on the porch with their plates full of island food. Rakaseta\u2019s favorite Fijian dish was lolo buns, buns cooked in coconut milk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile has-white-background-color has-background\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Sheryl_03-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-556 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Sheryl_03-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Sheryl_03-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Sheryl_03-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Sheryl_03.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\" style=\"font-size:32px\">&#8220;This place is home, this place is mine.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-normal-font-size\"><em>Edward Rakaseta<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-extra-small-font-size\">Pictured at Edward Rakaseta\u2019s mum\u2019s family home are his cousins, from left to right, Domo, Gavin and Amy having breakfast. Their simple island breakfast is prepared with so much love and unity when all the cousins are spending time in Rakiraki. <em>Photo by Sheryl Lal<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>As they got older, Rakaseta and his cousins would continue to cook and tell stories of where they lived in the city, far away from their beloved family estate. And over time, Rasekata realized that the beaches he loved were becoming lost to the impacts of climate change.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere were movements in the area that changed and morphed a lot of the marina, as well as the bay, into something that was different from what we remember as being home, Rakaseta said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With coastal erosion, rising sea levels, increasing weather temperatures and the extinction of species and marine organisms, seeing these changes affect him mentally and emotionally, as his homeland is pacing towards an inevitable change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAt one point, we saw that the rock formation had actually crumbled down and fallen into the sea,\u201d Rakaseta said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Sheryl_04-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-557\" srcset=\"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Sheryl_04-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Sheryl_04-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Sheryl_04-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Sheryl_04.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>In 2018, Edward Rakaseta\u2019s cousin Gavin left his family and friends and was buried in the \u201cSnow family grave\u201d in Rakiraki. This grave is dedicated to Edward\u2019s mum\u2019s family and everyone who is a descendant of Snow clan is buried here. Kasanita, another cousin of Edward, is seen wearing a traditional \u201csulu and jaba,\u201d holding Gavin\u2019s photo. <i>Photo by Sheryl Lal<\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>He fears he might not be able to share what he had as a child to his children and generations to come. He wonders what would get lost if climate change weren\u2019t addressed, but only time and people\u2019s action towards climate change will tell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"625\" src=\"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Sheryl_06-1024x625.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-555\" srcset=\"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Sheryl_06-1024x625.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Sheryl_06-300x183.jpg 300w, https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Sheryl_06-768x468.jpg 768w, https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Sheryl_06.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>While practicing his fire dancing out in the grounds at the University of the South Pacific, Edward Rakaseta is captured in one of his signature poses. He carries his fire dancing stick with him whenever he feels he could have a chance to practice and feel free. <i>Photo by Sheryl Lal<\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Fijians grapple with climate change affecting their homeland and what could be washed away.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":480,"featured_media":495,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"coauthors":[8],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/222"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/480"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=222"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/222\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/495"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=222"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=222"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=222"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=222"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}