Filipina Web Designer in her 20s. | What I Say

Going Green, Save the World

Mar 19, 2008 Daily Blurbs

Summer here in the Philippines is hell on earth. I know that there are far more worse places, but the heat is just inevitable! I can’t imagine myself living in Africa or some place hotter. The reason why I hate the heat during this season is because of the humidity. Imagine feeling so hot and your sweat is so sticky and uncomfortable. I feel like I am baking inside our house. Even if I drink lots of cold water I don’t feel replenished. I have to take a bath three times a day to beat the heat. It’s a great thing that our water supply is 24/7.

Now, back to the title of my entry. I think that one of the main reasons our weather is just getting crazier and crazier each year is due to global warming. Some people make think it’s not happening, but it is. I saw the National Geographic Special, Six Degrees Could Change the World, and I do believe that we are going to be wiped out if we don’t do anything about this. This is a short preview about this special, Six Degrees Could Change the World.

Here’s an overview of the special:

One Degree of Warming
At one degree of warming, the Arctic is ice-free for half the year, the South Atlantic—typically void of hurricanes—experiences coastal hurricanes, and in the western U.S. severe droughts are plaguing residents.

Two Degrees of Warming
Polar bears struggle to survive as glaciers increasingly melt away. Glaciers in Greenland begin to disappear, while coral reefs are vanishing.

Three Degrees of Warming
The Amazon rainforest is drying out and El Niño’s intense weather pattern becomes the norm. Europe repeatedly experiences searing summer heat that has rarely happened before.

Four Degrees of Warming
Oceans could rise, taking over coastal cities. The disappearance of glaciers may deprive many of fresh water. Northern Canada’s agriculture could boom and a Scandinavian beach could be the next tourism hotspot. A part of Antarctica could collapse, causing water to rise even further.

Five Degrees of Warming
Uninhabitable zones could spread, snow pack and aquifers feeding big cities could dry up, and climate refugees could run in the millions. Human civilization could begin to break down with this drastic of changes to the climate. The poor would likely suffer the most.

Six Degrees of Warming
At six degrees, the oceans could be marine wastelands, the deserts could march across continents, and natural disasters could become common events. The world’s great cities could be flooded and abandoned. This could be “the doomsday scenario.”

Source: NGC Six Degrees

Now, I don’t want to be wiped out of the earth experiencing natural disasters after another. I am pretty sure it is not a comfortable feeling to be underwater for a very long time. There are so many things that we can do to prevent this. It can start at home. With a few simple things, we can change the world and preserve it for the future generations. Who are we to know if we’re going to be the last descendants?

Few tips to change the world:

• Use compact fluorescent light bulbs. I believe that GE (General Electric) has a line of Energy Smart light bulbs in the market. It gives you more light and saves you more energy and money.
• Open the refrigerator door for a few seconds. Before you open the fridge, think of what you’re going to get. Just a few extra seconds that the door is open, you are wasting tons of energy.
• Go organic. Read labels and make sure that the cleansers you buy for your household is organic. Remember, clean doesn’t smell anything.
• Recycle and reuse. We recycle anything that’s plastic; bags, containers, etc. We all know that plastic is non-biodegradable, so please don’t throw them away.
• Turn off lights. When no one is in the room, make it a habit to turn off lights. It saves more energy and money.
• Use a glass when brushing your teeth. Don’t leave the water running when you’re brushing your teeth, and this goes for washing your face. Conserve water!

I know that there more things that we can do to help save Mother Earth from extinction and even if we only do little things, if everyone is doing them as well, it creates a huge impact to our environment. So start today, the next time you go the bathroom, use less tissue paper!

Tags: going green