Blogs
Rv Despabiladeras, Philippines
We had our bilateral conversation with Australia, more specifically, the Pimlico State Highschool in Queensland. We were a little shy at first but we eventually warmed up when we said a little something about ourselves. They were all so nice and friendly! I learned a lot from them. To start off, Australia is very hot and humid which our own country could relate to but not really with the same level of extreme. That's why droughts and bushfires are much more common for them since climate change happened. Another fact that I picked up was that even though they were known for wild bizarre animals, most of them were actually harmless unless you tried to irritate them in some way or another. Also, they don't ride on kangaroos which, I believe, is a point that they made.
Anyway, their main issue was all about the unconventional gas in Victoria. If the development of this was not halted, it could have been very dangerous for the residents' health and well-being. Of course, there's no denying the fact that landscape loss and aesthetic degradation were also a threat. Furthermore, on a more worldly level, there's global warming, groundwater depletion, or pollution to think about. It's a troublesome dilemma for them and for the rest of the world. Fortunately, the problem was already addressed by the government. The exploration and production were now banned by the Victorian government. Others had also followed suit. Overall, their goal was to end gas production in Australia and make the people aware of the benefits of renewable energy which is a great idea!
On the other hand, our topic was all about the artificial dolomite sand in Manila Bay, one of the most polluted bodies of water here in our country. Our government decided to cover up the shore for beautification purposes. While it was correct to clean the bay, we believed that the artificial sand was a bit unnecessary. Especially since it cost a lot of money and even more so, to maintain. The crushed dolomite also affects marine life negatively when it's being washed off to the shore. The quarry site in Alcoy, Cebu of this substance had actually been in operation for years now but apparently, the residents did not actually permit them to do so. Another problem here is that the dolomite dust accumulated when mining is actually very harmful and could cause respiratory diseases to the inhabitants around the site. Our government was quite divided when dealing with this. Some paid no mind to it and believed that it was not harmful at all while some thought it was a waste of money especially during this time of the pandemic. On the bright side, they successfully suspended the mining companies in Cebu. There were also petitions and motions were being made. The University of the Philippines also proposed to rehabilitate mangroves in order to help solve the problem. Our group's solutions were to sign petitions, spread awareness through social media, invest in urban gardening and solar energy, and more.
After all of those, I have now taken into account that both our countries were facing environmental problems that could affect the well-being of our citizens. If our cases were not given a solution, it could be very detrimental to the nation. Fortunately, both were kind of given a response. The difference is that while Australia's issue was addressed properly by their government, ours were a little off the mark. Both groups were aiming to spread awareness throughout their country and the world. I believe that this bilateral conversation has truly helped us to learn more about the reality where the world is in a dire state right now. This is why we must all do our best to inform and make them aware of the current crisis. I alone will not be able to make a change but if we all worked together surely we will be able to do so!
