Weather, wind, and change
Immediate action is needed, and while planting trees will be beneficial in the long run, efforts being made today are simply not enough.
Daily TribuneImmediate action is needed, and while planting trees will be beneficial in the long run, efforts being made today are simply not enough.
Some may laud the Marcos Jr. administration for its apparent efforts to address environmental concerns, but the fact is, it has no choice.
The planet is on the brink of dying, and if governments do not act fast enough — moreso, as one humankind — then what will be left for the next generations?
We might as well really end with Z.
So let's go back to the ABCs of climate change and this time really understand it.
No lecture will be taking place in this space, however — enough of lectures, we say, just do what's right.
First, let us throw out some garbage, but not just out the window. Floods do bring them back to your door after all, or even on your roofs if you were unfortunate to be on the path of a tropical cyclone with the wind power of "Yolanda," "Odette," or "Paeng."
Segregation, recycling, and upcycling are words that now must live by. The oceans can no longer take the abuse, and our marine resources are fast depleting.
Let's take more garbage out and take those obsolete rules to the cleaners. Laws that cushion industrial giants polluting the air and the seas should be junked. Laws that protect corporate giants that shrink our forests to pad their pockets should be changed.
Other governments are acting on the undeniable effects of industrialization by creating policies to reduce carbon emissions. Major countries in Europe are aiming to "reach net zero emissions by 2050," as guided by the Paris Agreement.
This agreement — signed in December 2015 by 195 states — is considered "the most important pact for international cooperation on tackling climate change."
The Philippines shares in this commitment as it was ratified under the Duterte regime in 2017. There is no recourse, as the country faces environmental issues that affect us now.
An article on earth.org zeroes in on four main issues: air pollution, plastic pollution, marine pollution, and sea level rise.
The last one is particularly relevant following the destruction caused by super typhoon "Paeng."
"In line with the problem, earth.org's projection shows that residents of the country's capital city, Manila, will be displaced by 2100 if the current trend continues. At the moment, Manila is already subsiding at 20 millimeters per year, surpassing the mean sea level rise almost tenfold," writes Khalid Raji on 9 November 2022.
Immediate action is needed, and while planting trees will be beneficial in the long run, efforts being made today are simply not enough.
The damage to our environment is too deep to solve in just six years.
Moreover, if we continue the way we are now and at the pace, we are addressing the problems, experts say that "economic damage to the Philippines could reach up to 7.6 percent of gross domestic product by 2030 and by 13.6 percent of GDP by 2040," the World Bank said.
These projections are serious enough to merit more attention not just from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., but all of us, Filipinos.