A software engineer and scientist employed at the National Aeronautic and Space Administration's (NASA) California Institute of Technology Jet Propulsion Laboratory is in the country with his family, engaged in what he describes as a combination of an educational and spiritual journey.

Stephen Licata who has been employed by NASA since October 1985 has worked as a software engineer on the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) Earth science project since May 1998 specialising in climate change.

The NASA/California Institute of Technology Jet Propulsion Laboratory is a Federally Funded Research and Development Facility in Pasadena, California.

Licata in an exclusive interview with this newspaper on Wednesday morning said he has always wanted to visit and bring his family to Samoa. 

As world travellers, Licata and his wife along with their two sons discovered and heard of Samoa through their faith community, the Baha'i in Samoa. 

"Our commitment as a family is to show in reality that the world is one country and mankind are all world citizens and that whatever happens in your backyard, you need to understand that your backyard is quite big; it's the whole world. 

"Although we are having fun during our holiday, we want to be aware of the issues faced by the people we see in the places we go to. 

"Fiji and Samoa have been at the top of our list for a while and I've always wanted to come to Samoa. I specifically said to my boys that if they haven't gone snorkeling yet, this is the place to do it. 

"We're very much enjoying Samoa and the people are so nice. It's quite different from where we are from."

Licata acknowledged the fact that families are very important to the people of Samoa. 

"We appreciate Samoa because you always got your family and it's a big family and they will take care of you. 

"Back home you see people who don't have their family connections and they are homeless and poor 

"So this is indeed a very educational and spiritually helpful trip for our family."

Licata added that there is a lot of hope for the people of Samoa. 

However, Licata is well-informed about the difficulties confronting the residents of Samoa and other Pacific Island nations due to climate change. He mentioned that his fellow NASA colleagues, all of whom possess Ph.D.s in Earth Science, are deeply committed to addressing these challenges and exhibit a keen interest in the developments taking place in Samoa.

Some of them went to COP28, while many also participated in another event known as the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting (AGU) held annually in San Francisco every November. This significant gathering, although non-political, focuses on scientific matters, allowing attendees the freedom to submit papers on a wide range of topics.

He said he would be telling them about the situation in Samoa and how climate change is affecting the corals and the people of Samoa. 

This will then enable his colleagues to present a paper about the challenges faced by the people of Samoa at the next A.G.U. meeting so that it will receive international attention. 

Licata is of the view that the younger generations must be made aware of the challenges and urged them to speak up. 

He noted that the Pacific Island nations and the Arctic are the ones mostly affected by the changes in the climate and people usually tend to think of the Pacific countries as tourist destinations. 

"But it's where people live and they are greatly affected by climate change. 

"I am aware of the severity of the issue in the islands. Our job is to get the facts but it comes down to personal relationships. 

"I go to places I try to make friends, especially with those who live there and are experiencing the effects the changes have on people. 

"Get in touch with the scientists here. Adults and young people must build those personal contacts because they easily get distracted by politics. 

"Look at all the groups and their different interests, and step into that one place that would concern all of them and create the little island and say that we can accomplish things. 

"I'm not an expert in the aspects of it. I read that the coral has suffered a lot. 

"But I have seen the clams in Savaii, Lefaga and that's a hopeful sign because you don't just see the giant clams, but there's hundreds of smaller ones and babies ones. 

"That's something that I am very glad to see. But part of my job is that I get the information from weather reports that's something that I would be able to go back to my colleagues at NASA, who will then talk to their scientist friends about what's happening in Samoa. 

"The Samoan people are feeling the impacts of climate change. 

"I'm on holiday and I am always aware of these issues. 

"My wife is from Peru and they are feeling the impacts of that."