Sunday, June 8, 2014

Sustainable "Way of Life"

Sustainability. We often hear and read this, yet nobody seems to pay attention to it. Why? Some people continue to throw their garbage along canals or esteros, others just ignore the importance of waste segregation, vehicles continue to be ill-maintained with so much toxic emissions, carbon footprints in houses are disgusting, and many more that are responsible for climate change that we all suffer and endure today.

Our country had the shock of its life when Typhoon Ondoy came, submerging metropolitan cities under muddy water, and Typhoon Yolanda which flattened regions and rendered millions homeless, jobless, hungry and countless others missing or dead.

After all these years, what have we done to prevent or at least mitigate the effects of global warming and brace up ourselves against future devastations?

Maybe a lot but hardly significant, maybe little and definitely without impact, or maybe none at all - due to sheer indifference.

Change should start from us. From each one of us who cares for the future - particularly those of our children, the future generation. We are responsible for the world of tomorrow that we create today. We cannot ignore the fact that we are stewards and guardians of the future earth. 

Let us begin by looking at every nook and corner of our homes. We can find a lot inside that requires our attention. Old fridge, rotting wood, rusting metals and gadgets, plastics clogging sewerage and canals, and other useless items that contribute to emissions and polluting our own environment with particulates, among others.

Our house systems must be checked likewise. Waste segregation, and the things we buy which must be Eco-friendly, from its simple packaging to becoming a biodegradable waste, and from its production or manufacturing processes to its manner of use or consumption. These may be little things, but they are things that matters and which cannot be ignored. 

Build a sustainable future, be resource efficient and climate change proof our houses and property. 

Act now, lest be disabled later.

Climate Change

Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution ofweather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions, or in the distribution of weather around the average conditions (i.e., more or fewer extreme weather events). Climate change is caused by factors such as biotic processes, variations in solar radiation received by Earth, plate tectonics, and volcanic eruptions. Certain human activities have also been identified as significant causes of recent climate change, often referred to as "global warming".[1]

Greenhouse Gas

greenhouse gas (sometimes abbreviated GHG) is a gas in an atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect.[1] The primary greenhouse gases in theEarth's atmosphere are water vaporcarbon dioxidemethane,nitrous oxide, and ozone. Greenhouse gases greatly affect the temperature of the Earth; without them, Earth's surface would average about 33 °C colder, which is about 59 °F below the present average of 14 °C (57 °F).[2][3][4]