While everyone in the North Pole would consider us tropical fishes blessed for having all-year sunny weather, I admit to sometimes hating this humid climate we have during summer. It’s sticky, greasy, hot and irritating that no matter how much Chowking, Razon’s or Aristocrat halo-halo variety you ingest during the day, you’re a dried prune by night.
Records show that 1998 was the warmest year in recorded history. But experts have predicted it could be worse this year, 2007, due to an increase in human activity and release of greenhouse gasses like carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane and nitrous oxide into the atmosphere. As heat is being trapped on the earth’s surface and exposes earthlings to more UV rays due to a depleted ozone layer (thus the sunblock), significant changes in the global temperature occur (i.e. El Nino). All of these have severe impact on humans and marine life. Folks, we are all in for a slow broil.
Now, let’s go down to specifics.
The Philippines currently tops the Conservation International list of Biodiversity Hotspots. To be called a hotspot, a region must meet two strict criteria: it must contain at least 1,500 species of vascular plants (> 0.5 percent of the world’s total) as endemics, and it has to have lost at least 70 percent of its original habitat. Because of our once thick rainforests and lush vegetation, we were blessed with over 6,000 plant species, over a hundred more mammals, birds and reptiles varieties (your exes are not included in the body count), and close to a hundred species of freshwater fishes and amphibians which are all considered endemic to the region. Presently, we’re losing these resources in alarming proportions.
For example, the Philippines, considered member of the Coral Triangle because huge part of the 75% of the world’s aquaculture is centered on us, once boasted 25,000km2 of coral reef. Now 70% of that is destroyed, only 5% remains in good condition. Destruction is attributed to wanton use of cyanides for fishing, illegal harvests of coral reefs which Jessica Soho reported Zamboanga folks sell to merchants for as low as P10 per piece (ladies, check your chokers, bangles and other kikay stuff, you might grow a Davy Jones there), growth of crown-of-thorn starfishes and pollution. It would take decades for coral reefs to be restored. (Average growth of a coral reef is 1/2 inch per year.)
In other words, we’re a filthy rich nation in terms of natural resources that is currently in the brink of extinction. There are no aliens running environmental havoc. It’s all us - irresponsible, greedy humans who have no regard for the future of generations to come.
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