Irrashai

This post has been in the oven for almost a week. I’ve been cooking it up, along with other overdue drafts, in a hope to fill it with substantial information. Upon reading, I wanted the readers to take action. It turned out rather differently. So before i include it to those drafts i’d rather delete, therefore disregarding my humble intent for this post, allow me to just write the gist of the story. Perhaps the intention now outweighs the presentation itself.

Two of the worst tragedies that happened this year left certain areas in the Philippines in a desolate state for a few days, not to mention its long-term effects. I’m talking about the Guimaras Oil Spill incident in August and Typhoon Milenyo’s rampage in September.

I’m sure many of us have taken action in the Guimaras Oil Spill, whose damage btw will be felt by at least two generations. From online petitions, to donations and getting their hair trimmed, to just being aware. But what about Milenyo? Yes it sure is a natural disaster! A very strong vast of winds (that left Manila paralyzed) followed by some equally strong winds barely a month after. I can only recall Cimaron (Paeng) but here’s a complete list.

However, as have many scientists worldwide theorized, the series of strong typhoons in all parts of the world, especially the Pacific, can be attributed to what they call Climate Change. It’s argument states that accumulating greenhouse gases are causing typhoons to become stronger. The claims linking climate change and greenhouse effect are still under debates and thorough research by climate experts and environment specialists. But based on scientific observation by PAGASA, usually, we get one or two strong typhoons in a year. But imagine more! Imagine stronger typhoons! Scary, isn’t it?

In our own little ways, we can make a difference. Here are some easy steps i chose to do:

1. Be a cyberactivist for Greenpeace. I know i have very few readers, but i hope i can spread the message. With your own blog, you can add a few links in your sidebar on environmental news and issues.

2. (Please) Sign up the Clean Power Petition and be a star! It’s a campaign of Greenpeace Southeast Asia along with Pilipinas: Go Renewable! to promote the use of Renewable Energy. It also urges the Senate to immediately pass a stronger Renewable Energy Bill.

3. Spread the news. The objective here is simple yet challenging.

4. Adopt a greener lifestyle. Be aware of our actions and its environmental effects. There’s more that we can do in simple day-to-day activities.

Before i end, let me quote this nice line from WWF Philippines:

We have been born into a world that is threatened by our very existence. Who would have thought that the planet that reared generations and generations of human beings, continuously and untiringly feeding us, protecting us, and healing us, would be suffocated and killed by her very own children?