Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Philippine Deforestation


In the Philippines, only nine percent of the original forest cover remains but this is being illegally logged and hacked to death by loggers who flout the law and act with impunity and protected by corrupt politicians who fund their re-election with the proceeds.” - Fr. Shay Cullen


I read an article entitled “Climate change and Philippine deforestation” I was shocked when the author, Fr. Shay Cullen, cited that there is one vital number—390—that is going to determine the future of every living creature on our planet. As I read along, I learned that the number 390 was referred to as current state of the concentration of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) in our atmosphere and most likely it is increasing daily. The start of out atmosphere is now at its dangerous level of 390 parts per million (ppm).  The heavy concentration of COis too much already and the planet is about to reach its tipping point which is 450 ppm where there will be no way to reverse the trend.

Environmentalists in the Philippines were angry when the director of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), Leo L. Jasareno, announced that President had given mining corporations an exemption from Executive Order 23 (EO23). EO Order 23 is the only protection that is holding back the loggers and the mining corporations. They want to dig out the forest and get the mineral out of it. Most likely it will cause to large-scale deforestation and disasters like landslides, river and sea poisoning. One of the big problems of deforestation is the burning of cleared forests that causes a huge release of CO2 and other greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere, which results to 16 percent of all gasses released worldwide and an equal release of gases by almost every vehicle, plane or ship in the world. The loss of the trees will leave huge amounts of CO2 unabsorbed. Forest trees acts as the CO2 Sponge for our planet which helps to absorb CO2 and release O2. All of us can make a difference and can do something to stop environmental problems and planting a tree is a good way start refurbishing our damaged planet. The utmost hope we have for saving our planet from disaster will start in you.

        
 - Paulo Anjelo J. Santos




16 comments:

  1. The government should do something about this! If our remaining forests would be denuded, it's sure there would be next "Sendong-like" catastrophe that would happen.

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  2. Yes, the government is always partly responsible for this disastrous, inhuman, etc.. activities but if we think about it we citizens plays larger part for these events to happen my point is "Ang Pilipino magaling magturuan" if we just act we might be able to stop the destruction of the nature.

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  3. kaya nagkakaron tau ng climate changes ee..dahil sa Deforestation na yan..the government should do something about this..pag nagpatuloy pa ang ganito lahat mawawala..parang Domino lng yan..

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  4. We should start to act within ourselves on giving back to the environment that has given us life and comfort. Trees are very important to human beings.

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  5. Wow. People are so blind. Can't they see that they've become the very things that they are preventing?

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  6. Yea you're right deforestation is really a major major problem not only in our country but almost globally. Maybe if the entire population of mother earth would just plant trees, maybe we would have a better place to live in. The Bible says the God has been informing us that the people perish because of lack of knowledge. I guess the Lord is right for that matter. People are wanting more so they try to maximize the use of all the natural resources without doing anything that would replace the loss of all natural resources. I have come to realize that the reason why people perish is because of human error. Greedy people are just around the corner, wanting for more. The Lord is right we just have to be content.

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  7. The cutting that does occur should be balanced by the planting of enough young trees to replace the older ones felled in any given forest so that deforestation may be prevented.

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  8. We should do something about this, not only the government but the world-at-large.

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  9. This is a GOOD ARTICLE INDEED!!

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  10. I agree. We must stop deforestation NOW.

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  11. Stop deforestation. Save our mother earth.

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  12. Sa pag putol ng mga puno dito sa ating mundo kung anu anong sakit ang nadadanasan ng mga pilipino at ng buong mundo. Nang dahil sa pag kawala ng puno sa iba't ibang bansa nasira't nawala ang "Ozone layer" na nag poprotekta sa ating lahat lalo na sa ating balat(skin). Sa pag ka ubos ng puno, nawawalan tayo ng katulong sa pag hinga(breathe). Dahil sa kasakiman ng iba't ibang tao buong mundo ang sinisingil sa pag ka ubos ng puno.

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  13. People should Stop Deforestation. One major effect of deforestation is climate change. Changes to the surroundings done by deforestation work in many ways. One, there is abrupt change in temperatures in the nearby areas.

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  14. STOP Deforestation before its too late. Think about its negative effects not only to our environment but also to all human beings. Hopefully the government will put more effort in doing something about this issue.

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  15. deforestation and it's after effects are real.. but what's more real is our government trying to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear towards this.. they are the head and they should start leading by example, even if we try to stop these illegal loggers from denuding our forests its all for nothing if it isn't fully backed by our government, but then again you wont really learn unless you fail, if that does happen wouldn't it be too late to regret? that's what we are best at.. regretting when its already too late..

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  16. It's ironic that destroying the trees creates CO2, that the trees would have been able to soak up if they hadn't been cut down.

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