by Allan Michael See, McRey Marcelo and Kate Alexandria Sevilla 

 

Global Toasty-ness 

According to Mayan lore, there existed once in their civilization a complete calendar of predictions they had based on their calculations and speculations of what would happen to the world at certain intervals, they were, according to leading scientists, an advanced civilization well ahead of their time, and according to recent discoveries inside Mayan ruins, they supposedly had uncovered a stone slab, which detailed extraordinarily accurate happenings all the way until 2012, at this point in the slab, it just plain ends. Scientist didn’t want to place hypothetical conclusions on this, but to them, this may strongly mean that the world is going to end at 2012. 

Now, this may mean nothing to a majority of people, after all it’s but just a bunch of speculations, there’s yet any proof to be produced that the world would really end come year 2012. 

But consider the following situations, Scientists, most notably, have been saying, for years now, that the forerunner of the destruction of our planet is none other than Global Warming, or Climate Change. Global Warming or as it is commonly known, Greenhouse Effect, is a disastrous, irreversible, instantaneous change on the atmosphere due to the thinning layers of the Earth’s protective Ozone Layer, and as usual, scientists, again, warn us, that IF by 2012, we still haven’t made any impacting changes to our lifestyle, and start caring again for the environment, all would be lost. 

The drastic effects of rapid changing weather was dealt by none other than us, because we faithfully chased progress, using whatever means necessary, we failed to grasp the consequences we put forth in exchange for the glory of achievement, in order to quicken our daily lives, we built cars, in order for cars to run faster, it needed bigger engines, bigger engines needed more gas to burn, more gas that explodes inside a cars’ pistons, the more emulsions it creates, more smoke to add as pollutant, and more importantly, more carbon monoxide gets soaked in the air, and with the dwindling amount of trees, mostly due to illegal logging, the oxygen we need that’s safe for us to inhale in under par with the amount of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide that cannot be recycled by a miniscule amount of trees versus the number of people who need to breathe, we are, as we live our day to day lives, literally struggling and fighting for the right kind of air to breathe. 

As humans, we’ve always brushed off the idea of extinction, stating for a fact that in no way could it ever happen, after all, so many million years have already passed and yet, we’re still here. We’ve always thought that those extinction theories were only good for Sci-Fi movies, and plots for good books to read, but the recent events that’s been happening to us seems to point that if we do not change the way we live now, we may never get another chance. 

It’s hard to preach something you yourself have no experience yet of doing, it puts you in league with hypocrites, yet, I feel obliged, not because I have to, but because I want to, I want to make a difference in my own way, of helping to save the world, even if it is just one article at a time. 

Global Climate Change can be fought by lessening our dependencies on machines that expel smoke, particularly motorized vehicles, it’s time to learn how to walk again, when the destinations’ not that far away, keep the car keys and bring in the flip-flops, exercise is beneficial for your body, if you complain about the bad and hot weather, bring an umbrella, rehydration bottle and a towel with you, or if you want to get there faster, ride a bike. 

Little things we do now mean a lot in the future, results don’t really need to be seen instantaneously, what you need to realize is the benefits tomorrow will be bring, because today is just a day, it may go fast, it may go slow, but the fact is you’re already living it, unlike tomorrow, which brings in new experiences and new things, tomorrow hasn’t come by yet, so why not make your own mark on tomorrow by making a difference today?

Ganito dito, ‘wag naman sana sa buong mundo 

We are not yet through with the unending problem we are facing with nature but another problem came in that challenge the lives of people not only in the Philippines but in the entire world. But why is it majority of the Filipinos were not gravely affected by the global recession when in fact, many Americans lost their jobs and houses? Or should the question be rephrased to: Why only the poor were affected by this problem? 

Looking back, we started feeling the effects of Global Recession even before US President Barack Obama sit officially as the president of US. This started with the boom of Lehman Brothers bankruptcy and when other banks started to close down because of ‘bankruptcy’ together with other big companies that followed. Americans lost their jobs and thus loosing their income to pay their bills and houses. In connection to this, we Filipinos also suffer because most of the international companies here in the Philippines, mostly Business Process Outsourcing (BPO’s ), were somehow affected by the problems in the US because they keep on loosing their American costumers. One notable misfortune event happened in the early start of the year is when Intel Philippines in Cavite closed down – affecting an approximate 1, 800 employees. If we are going to connect this, not only these employees were affected because by tracing, even the landlord who owns the apartment where they are leaving were affected; even the carinderias where they eat were affected and when there were no people eating, there was no need to cook more food. This only means that even the wet and dry market vendors were affected because they have lesser buyer which would only mean lesser demand on their supply. These vendors would have to order a little lesser than what they usually get and thus affecting their supplier or even the suppliers of their suppliers. 

But wait these suppliers were the ‘source’ of small businesses right? And they are also commoners. If they were affected then the local market will be affected too because in the first place, they are also consumers, they also buy food and groceries for their family and they pay bills and other services offer by local companies in the Philippine. In other words, global financial crisis connects us all both locally and internationally. 

This problem was such a pain in the stomach most especially with the parents who thought pre-need plans will save them and their kids in the future because even up to now, a lot of pre-need company can’t refund the money lost by their investor. Can you even imagine these companies giving you four or five boxes of papaya soap in exchange of your lost one million pesos? Good thing many mothers didn’t believe such bogusness and we are still college students.

But were you affected? Were we affected? I guess not all of us were because w e wouldn’t be here if we were. We still are still paying 30, 000 pesos a term. In fact, even after the A(H1N1) flu our population continue to grow and if it wasn’t for that maybe we will have 1000 students more here in EAC making our population 5000. Thanks to Mrs. Arroyo’s economic stimulus package, middle classes were not affected by the problem. 

Look around, you will still see a lot of people driving their BMW, their Porsche, their Jaguar and that is here in the PHILIPPINES! More so, big car companies like FORD continue to sell their cars in a very LOW, LOW price. Wow, that was big great good news to the people who want to own a car right? Your president can even afford an expensive hotel accommodation and other international trips together with grand entourage! Who says we were affected? But look around; look around the slum area of the metro. They were the ones greatly affected by this issue but did they benefit from the stimulus package? NO, because the money which was allotted for them was stolen even before it goes to the right hands. Look at them, they even appear on TV and were even asked to act like they want it to campaign and endorse our politicians who will run for May 2010 elections. We won’t see their acting natural – it’s scripted! It simply goes like this, “I will pay you and you tell how people how kind I am” as if we will believe.

I won’t forget the joke which goes like this, “Hijo, itigil mo, lagpas na ako”. But come to think of it, it is always the poor people being used for the sake of “good name”. It is always the good and poor people who are affected by these global problems. They say we are not affected by the global recession but why if we look around us, we’ll see people holding their tummy and coiling their forehead because of hunger? Should we now believe in the fastest running joke that: In the Philippines, it is always Global Recession?

Calm down. It’s not as tumultuous as you think. 

Global warming came by almost too drastically that we have abused Mother Earth too thoroughly before we realize it’s already there. A n d soon enough, the money that m a k e s t h e globe go round seem to have started running out as we face the Global Financial Crisis. Then even before we could ever wonder what else the globe will face next, in comes Influenza A(H1N1), a Global Pandemic born just this year. 

The disease started in Mexico and the United States, and news of several sudden deaths caused by it doubtlessly scared and shocked the whole world. Our country attempted to prevent it from ever touching our lands, but the thermal scanners in airports proved inane for at present, there are already 2,668 cases of H1N1 in the Philippines. It had even hit our school (and had it shut closed for ten days, and had it fumigated, and so on…) 

But it seemed like the Department of Health (DOH) was right in saying that we shouldn’t dread this disease at all. It was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) not due to its intensity but due to the speed by which it’s being transmitted. Add in the fact that out of the many cases of the disease in our country, only three had died as of yet, all of which reportedly had other diseases aside from the novel flu. Consequently, reports say that 95% of the cases in the country had recovered. DOH also keeps insinuating that this global pandemic is just very similar to seasonal flu, that there isn’t much to worry about, that it would soon be fine not to call for class suspension despite evident transmission throughout campuses, or even in the community. 

If these are so, then why have we been too worried in the first place? Not to mention, neglected seasonal flu may also lead to death. Isn’t it that the difference is still obscure until now? Perhaps, the worst symptom of this disease is the panic it has caused, and not really its physical effects! 

Just recently, another FEU-EAC student that we will call Mikee* was struck by A(H1N1). At present, Mikee is already completely well after a week of rest and antibiotics. As advised by his doctor, Mikee underwent one week self-quarantine, and in the process, he had also transmitted the disease to his brother and girlfriend; both also eventually went well. 

At first, Mikee simply experienced a rise in temperature, cough, colds and sore throat. Upon seeking medical attention, he was diagnosed with the novel flu. But when asked on his initial reaction on the doctor’s findings, Mikee says: “Hindi naman ako nawalan ng gana kasi simpleng flu lang ‘yun at lagnat. Lumalala lang ‘yun kung mahina resistensiya niya (the victim) at nakakamatay kung may sakit ka na dati pa.” He further advises people to simply maintain proper hygiene and regular intake of vitamins to prevent the novel flu, just the same as preventing any other disease. “Parang ordinaryong sakit lang,” he adds. 

The Cursor has received another report of a new A(H1N1) case involving an FEU-EAC student. What does the iTamaraw do now, succumb to fear? turn into a hypochondriac, or perhaps, an OC? With this global pandemic hitting the country (and the campus, too) relentlessly, let us keep in mind that we are being attacked by a disease with merely a scary name; let’s look at A(H1N1) as a teacher in the form of a highly contagious flu, that has arrived to coerce us to take even better care of our health, and appreciate life even more. 

*Real named changed for confidentiality