Global Warming in the Philippines
- by D. Perez
Summer is almost unbearably hot with occasional bursts of rain. Not the kind that we enjoyed when we’re younger. There is severe drought in some parts of the Philippines, relentless rains in some, tropical storms coming in stronger, leaving us stunned and obliging our government to improve emergency response protocols, cold and hot seasons going extreme affecting the agriculture sector. Fish kill. The biggest and worst we’ve seen in so many years. What is happening?
In recent years we have been hearing the phrase “global warming”. And we thought that it is happening only in faraway countries. We never really took notice. I guess you can’t expect most Filipinos, when just getting food on the table and stretching our salary until the next payday is a struggle. While the solons are too busy getting media mileage and jumping in to the hottest issue until a more interesting one comes along. Whew. Then we are barraged with all these unfortunate events. Suddenly we are aware. Effects of global warming in the Philippines are evident and we have to adapt and take action, in our own Filipino ways.
Global warming takes place when the temperature in earth’s atmosphere rises above its average level. It is caused by pollution due to emissions from fossil fuels which include carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane. Over population and industrial revolution are also factors. Together they create greenhouse effect which causes global warming. Global warming disrupts the nature’s process, and like a domino effect, messes up the whole cycle.
We us part of this country, we must also take responsibility in mitigating the effects of global warming in the country not only for our own sake but for our future generations and our environment.