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Evident Changes
The matter has been raised numerous times over the past years and the evidence is sufficient to prove that it is happening, this is one of the most talked-about issues in the global community: climate change. Climate change is characterized by the abrupt increase in temperatures. 97% of scientists agree that this is due to the fact that most human activities regarding the environment have been more harmful than beneficial.
Beginning with the Industrial Revolution, we created technology that were mostly centered on how natural resources can be used for our own individual welfare and assistance. In turn, we released an immense amount of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere from burning fossil fuels, thus, trapping heat radiating from the sun. One of the biggest victims is our oceans. Oceans provide 50% of the Earth’s oxygen and regulates rising temperatures. However, climate change has caused increase of sea temperatures and levels. This has devastating consequences for supporting marine life. A direct effect of carbon dioxide reacting with salt water is ocean acidification. It raises the acidity of the ocean, putting fishes and corals in danger. For us humans, coastal regions will get flooded leading to losses of homes. Climate change raises the responsibility of us human beings in taking care of the environment as depicted by the effects of how our neglectful actions cause the deterioration of the earth as time progresses. The undisciplined and ignorant members of society lack the knowledge and awareness of how to lessen carbon dioxide emissions and address climate change despite having more accessible and various resources Most of these people have served as catalysts to the gradual destruction of nature and scarcity of natural resources.
And so we, as part of the Advanced Environmental Education class of St. Theresa’s College of Quezon City, decided to test our knowledge and awareness regarding climate change by answering a survey that consists of questions divided into 5 general areas. The first area is situated towards the impact of climate change on us and our community as well as the effects of our actions to the overall status of the global climate. The second area is about our environmental footprint. While the third area is about how the nation complies with the changes of our environment. The fourth area is our self-evaluation of our knowledge and awareness of climate change. And lastly, the fifth area is about the written response of the students from the following questions:
- Is responding to climate change an important issue for you? Why or Why not?
- What challenges have super strong typhoons like Typhoon Yolanda (International Name: Haiyan) and Typhoon Ondoy (International Name: Ketsana) brought to you as an individual and as a nation?
- How has climate change affected the country's water resources and supply?
- How has the impacts of climate change on the poor affected your perspective in life?
- What can you, as a Filipino citizen do to adapt to lessen the negative impacts of climate change?
- How would you envision your country's adaptive capacity in addressing climate change adaptation and mitigation?
With the different answers of the class, we can say that we as a youth we still consider such catastrophe as our mission in making the world a better and healthier place. The following responses of each student indicates that we are aware that the global climate is changing (i.e. rising temperatures, rising sea levels, etc) and we are all conscious enough to know that these changes are likely to have a substantial impact on our human health. Moreover, these responses would also suggest that we are aware enough to say that it is impossible for someone to prevent our climate to change, and each of us has a big impact on the conditions occurring right now. As citizens of the world, we know that we are responsible for our choices and for our actions that contributes to the well being or the deterioration of the environment. Our lives are at stake as we discover our health being afflicted by the environmental toxins present in the air. We all know that we have limited resources and yet we still continue to abuse such tragedy. The forever increasing threat of climatic changes would mean that everyone must reassess their environmental impact and everyday choices. It is true that small efforts in the end can bring a major positive change towards our dying environment. Awareness is not the problem but the ignorance and selfishness is. We always think of ourselves that’s why we end up being so immature and dependent on our environment.
With this, Climate Change is one of the most talked-about issue that our nation is now facing. The rising levels of Carbon Dioxide and other gases that are trapped in the atmosphere have warmed our common home causing a wide range of impacts such as intense change in the temperature, melting of snow and ice which leads to the rising of sea levels, rainfalls and floods. These impacts pose a significant risk in each human being may it be in terms of health, agriculture, natural resources and many more. The continuous change in our climate can have various effects especially in the way we live such as, food production, availability and use of clean water. With all the realizations we’ve acquired in this activity, we now must be able to put into action the knowledge that we have gained to consciously live in our planet. We are all temporary in this planet and what we need to do in order to make our lives meaningful is to leave a good mark in our home. We can do this by living a more minimal lifestyle and maximizing whatever materials we have to consume less harmful productions which damage the environment. We must learn how to limit the resources we consume in order to leave some for the future generations and continue preserving as much resources we have to keep the beauty of God’s creation. The environment has done its part in sustaining human necessities since time in memorial, and now it’s our job to give back and repay what it has sacrificially done for us while we grow more and more indifferent and selfish thinking that all these resources are unlimited. We must put into our hands the responsibility to take good care of Mother Earth as it was stated in the bible verse 2:15 of Genesis, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.”
*Written by: Kelsea Caballa, Andrea Alarcon, Paula Autajay, Arianne Batausa, Patricia Montalban, Wynona Ocampo, Katrin Hollero, Bianca Infante, Cathlyn Sastre, Drew Reyes, LJ Bautista, Jelena Francisco
