Today’s environmental situation is worsening. For the longest time, we, humans keep doing things, which affects the environment. We continuously participate in destroying Mother Nature. Now, it is very evident that our wrongdoings are getting back at us.

Climate Change Wreaking havoc: Misery

The earth is now polluted due to destructive human activities. These activities contribute to the worsening effects of climate change including increase in temperature, drought, typhoons, landslide, wildfires, among others. Such catastrophes continue to threaten lives and properties all over the globe.

Weeks ago, our country suffered from Typhoons Rolly and Ulysses, affecting Luzon, particularly, the provinces of Cagayan, Isabela, Catanduanes, Albay and some parts of Metro Manila. Typhoon Rolly caused storm surges, landslides and lahar flow. Typhoon Ulysses, on the other hand, submerged houses and agricultural fields because of heavy rains. Cagayan Region was flooded. Residents were stranded and waited for hours to be rescued. Despite being vigilant and prepared during calamities, they were not able to withstand Ulysses’ impact. In the wake of typhoons, loss of life, damage to property, lack of food, clothing, potable water and power outage are the critical results.

Long term fight

Now, that the world is facing climate crisis, we should acknowledge the fact that we have a stronger enemy – the environment. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has proven that climate change does exist. According to NASA, human activities since the mid-20th century affected the climate system of the Earth, which resulted to global temperature rise, warming ocean, ocean acidification and sea level rise. Moreover, Climate Central, a news organization that analyzes climate science, projected that coastal areas in Asia including Philippines are at risk of coastal flood due to sea level rise and may submerge by 2050 because of population growth and human-made pollution. Apparently, millions of people will not survive if destruction and degradation of natural resources will not stop. Philippines alone, as one of the fastest growing population in Asia, contributes high quantity of waste. Add to that are other illegal activities, which create imbalance in the ecosystem that looms human existence.

Nature’s Combatants

On the brighter side, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and other concerned agencies and organizations are doing its best to safeguard the environment, allowing the earth to regain its health to ensure environment sustainability for everyone. These agencies and organizations strongly appeal to stop illegal misconduct to the environment that threatens the ecosystem and seek to put in efforts to conserve our environment. “Climate change is a reality that will continually grip us if we do not take action. Protecting the country’s peatlands is a solid step that the Department is taking to help reverse the impacts of climate change”, DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu said. The DENR, as the primary government agency responsible for the conservation, protection and management of our natural resources continues to reinforce programs such as, Clean Air, Responsible Mining, Intensified Forest Protection, Anti-Illegal Logging, and the National Greening Program (NGP), among others, to ensure a cleaner and greener future for all. Also, committed to address climate change and provide a greener and healthier environment to all Filipinos, the DENR continuously conducts Communication, Education and Public Awareness (CEPA) Programs and Information, Education Campaigns (IEC) as channels to disseminate environmental knowledge and services to the public.

Likewise, many environmental advocates also plea for help and encourage people to take part and save our only planet. The campaign to revive the Earth must be seriously prioritized. Concerted efforts in saving the environment must be realized so that the government’s vision of becoming a climate risk-resilient country can be realized.

New Start

Traumatic times have passed for now, but we must learn from it. We should try to adapt in all of these changes, however, let us bear in mind that we cannot beat nature’s power. We must end our role as villains of the planet instead be one of its vanguards, because failure to protect and conserve the environment will result to more devastating consequences. What we destroy will destroy us, nevertheless even in the darkest nights, there will always be light, light that will bring hope, if only we become responsible stewards of Mother Nature.