CLIMATE CHANGE PRIMER its celadon-green waters have turned to brown muck because of
(A Production of Bonaconso Inc., 2016) soil erosion from the uplands.
We are all intricately interconnected to animals, plants, air,
water, seas, soil, earth, and the ever-expanding universe. This
close connection started at the dawn of creation, when God
placed Adam and Eve to cultivate and take care of Paradise
(Gen. 2:15). This Paradise or Eden devoid of pests, diseases,
sickness and death no longer exists because of the fall of Man.1
1When God told Adam and Eve to have dominion over the fish of the sea and
over the birds of the air and over every living thing... (Gen. 1:28) it was ordered
before the Fall when they, in their perfect, enlightened intelligence and wisdom
devoid of sin would wisely tend to planet Earth as caring environmentalists. After
the fall, their rebellion injected disorder into all of creation. Chaos entered
Paradise and our Earth was never the same. Cultivating the Earth to grow food
which was originally creative and fulfilling would become a matter of drudgery
and toil until the sweat from your brow falls to the ground.
Now, with such due
disregard to Gods
call to cultivate and
take care of our
Earth, we are faced
with the great havoc
mostly inflicted by
Mans activities
which we call in this
present age as
Climate Change or
Global Warming.2
We just have to look
around and feel the
change: extreme
weather patterns, drought, flood, typhoons, rising sea level, salt-
water intrusion, more pests and diseases, low crop yields, loss of
soil fertility, loss of biodiversity, poor food quality, food and water
shortage, among others.
Lets go LOCAL and look how our province Bohol is faring:
Bohols coastline of 654 kms. is home to thirty of our 47
municipalities covering a sea area of 6,245 sq.km. Our province
including 75 surrounding islands is populated by 1.2 million
inhabitants, 70% of that coming from the environmentally-
maligned agricultural/fishery sector. Our coastal mangrove
forests are disappearing: every year, 470 hectares of mangroves
are lost to encroaching fish ponds, illegal reclamation, and
habitat conversion for tourism activities. Soil erosion is estimated
at 10 cum/ha/year. Eight of our 11 watersheds are 26-38%
eroded. Just take a cruise at Loboc River during rainy season;
Use eco-friendly products from cosmetics, furniture,
Some of our coral reefs that support myriads of marine life are
90% in poor condition. The most unique Double Barrier Reef in
Danajon Bank, the only one in Southeast Asia is sadly
unprotected from abusive fishing practices. Our forest cover may
have improved at 12% in 2014 (Prov. Govt data), but is not
enough if were thinking of 25% as the ideal cover to support our
biodiversity.
Law enforcement of our forest reserves and seascape protected
areas under NIPAS (National Integrated Protected Areas System)
is very weak, if not nil. Under this scenario, we are facing food,
energy, health, ecological and morality crisis. Our culture of
waste and blind faith in technology make us buy whatever is
trendy. We have to redefine the idea of progress as environmental
degradation is intimately connected to human degradation. To
quote Pope Francis from his Climate Change encyclical a
degradation of nature is closely linked to our existencea
crime against nature is a crime against ourselves and a sin
against God.
WE CAN AND MUST MAKE THINGS BETTER. WHAT CAN WE
DO?
I. As an Individual
A paradigm shift in values, perception and lifestyles, that
we are only stewards of our planet Earth that our lives
depend upon other lives and upon processes in an
interlocking ecosystem, we call Ecology. That all of
Nature irrespective of its economic value, are endowed
with intrinsic value and we have to be aware of the worth
of every living thing.
For our Wellness, we need a radical transformation of
how we eat from processed foods to organically-grown
foods, and avoid genetically modified foods that are now
prevalent in processed foods. Dont rely on eating only
one grain species, (ex. rice) for sustenance. Familiarize
yourself with different alternative staples, such as ubi,
taro, cassava, camote, corn, pao, bananas, coconut,
sorghum, chickpeas, squash, etc.
Sir Albert Howard, Father of organic agriculture says,
Treat the whole problem of health in soil, plant, animal
and man as one great subject, meaning mans
health is dependent on health of soil, plants and
animals.
_________________________
2Change of climate attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that
alters the composition of the global atmosphere in addition to natural
climate variability (ex. global warming) observed over comparable time
periods. (UN Framework Convention on Climate Change)
clothing, and electronics to household cleansers.
Patronize local economy and use non-plastic recycled bags,
bayong, when shopping.
Give up things you want, but keep only what you need.
Plant at least a tree a year, preferably during your birthday.
Take responsibility for all your action; exert self-discipline for
the common good.
Use public transportation and carpool if using private
transport. Turn off engine while waiting for someone.
Join environmental advocacy groups, and let your
government know how you feel about issues affecting the
environment.
II. As a Family/Household
Segregate wastes at home; compost biodegradables for
fertilizer, avoid burning all kinds of trash.
Use renewable energy solar, wind, biogas.
Reduce energy consumption while improving its efficiency by
using energy-efficient LED bulbs, switching off appliances
when not in use, adjusting thermostat of air-conditioners,
checking leaky faucets, less use of sophisticated electronics
that consume energy.
Plant your own biodiverse, nutrient-dense bahay kubo
garden in your backyard using pots, recycled plastics, old
tires, drums, in case youre want of space. A total of 18 plants
of diverse benefits are in that song.
Design homes and surroundings using permaculture3 design
principles to optimize energy use (wind, sun, water) through
use of swales, windbreaks, trellises, hedgerows, contour
planting, gray water recycling.
Save indigenous seeds, breeding stock and promote GMO-
free organic, regenerative agriculture that sequesters carbon
and produces high yields of nutritious food.
Restore the microbial life and nutrients of the soil by not
using synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and burning.
For food security, plant biodiverse crops that can withstand
drought, floods, saline water, eroded soil, etc.
The one who has money but no food to buy can die
of hunger. said a dynamic, progressive farmer.
III. As a Business
Urgent and compelling to replace fossil fuels with
renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, biogas.
Build energy-efficient structures that consume less
water and energy with sufficient green spaces accessible
to all. Look at permaculture3 design principles to
conserve energy.
Limit GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions by designing
energy-efficient offices that use less air conditioning,
utilize natural sunlight for lighting, and patronize
locally-made materials.
Practice solid waste and wastewater management
systems that dont pollute.
Implement employee programs on wellness, tree
planting, coastal cleanup. Instill among your employees
the collective responsibility to clean up.
IV. As a Government
Implement fully The Bohol Environment Code of 1998,
Bohol Organic Agriculture Code enacted in harmony
with the nations Organic Agriculture Act of 2010,
especially on solid and wastewater management to
guard against pollution of Bohols aquifers, and to
protect our marine ecosystem.
Integrate the principle of biodiversity to sustainable
agriculture or organic farming. Conventional agriculture
practices emit more than a third of greenhouse gases.
Maintain rainforestation4 program with a goal of
attaining 25% forest cover.
Implement ecosystem-appropriate program of planting
mangrove trees to protect coastlines from storms and
rising sea levels.
Consult always the stakeholders when theres a change
in the urban and rural landscape. They have more
intimate knowledge of the ecosystems than the
developers.
Subsidize eco-friendly livelihood practices especially in
implementing MRF or materials recovery facility.
Adopt a policy of using at least 10% solar renewable
energy in government buildings.
Provide logistics and advisory support to Marine
Protected Areas and strengthen CLEC coastal law
enforcement council.
Support research on agroforestry, behavior of
ecosystems due to climate change, sustainable
agriculture that includes livestock and fishery.
The Morality Crisis in the face of relativism and modernism is
something to be addressed squarely. The Youth today are taught
they must change the world, not their souls. So they change the
world, and it becomes worse. Without moral absolutes to
distinguish right from wrong, there is no real basis for ethics. The
toughest thing to do today is persuading our Youth to govern
their personal behavior for the sake of the public or common
good. Individualism or the ME FIRST thinking has grown so
rampant that most people think society exists to serve them, and
they do not feel they owe anything to society.
Bill Mollison, founder of Permaculture3 urges the youth We BOHOL NATURE
must turn all our resources to repairing the natural world and
train all our young people to help. They want to, we need to give CONSERVATION SOCIETY
them this last chance to create forests, soils, clean waters, clean
energies, secure communities, stable regions, and to know how
to do from hands-on experience.
In sum, we have to redeem the entire created order for God by
making all things right in the environment ecologically, socially,
morally, and spiritually. First with our Family relationships
(respect for elders); Agriculture (respect for the land and its
culture); the Music we listen, the Books we read, the Social Media
we join, the Office we work, the Films we watch, the Friends we
Climate Change Primer
choose, or the Candidates we vote for in office.
St. Paul in Philippians 4:8 exhorts us to train our tastes to love
the higher things things that challenge our mind, deepen our
character, and foster a love of excellence.
___________________________________
3 Permaculture is consciously designing landscapes which mimic the patterns and Cedar Farms 0849-A J. A. Clarin St., Dao District
relationships found in nature while yielding an abundance of food, fiber and energy Tagbilaran City, 6300 Bohol, Philippines
for provision of local needs. Care of the Earth, Care of People and Sharing of Telephone (038) 412-3396; Telefax (038) 412-2512
Resources are the three ethical principles underpinning permaculture. Mobile +63998-983-8834; +63927-878-8343
4 A kind of reforestation wherein only indigenous and endemic tree species are
email:bonaconso@gmail.com
used as planting materials to preserve biodiversity, expand Philippine forests while
Facebook/Bohol Nature Conservation Society
sustaining human food production.