Community-based Forest Management

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has been encouraging local communities to preserve forest parks. Community-based forest management is a key to the rehabilitation and regeneration of what is left to our forests.

Studies show that only 4% of the country’s forests are intact. Some of the most depleted forests are Oriental Mindoro, Cebu and Batangas.

Forests, rainforests in particular, are abundant with thousands of plant species. They are the most structurally-complex and diverse of land ecosystems, with the greatest number of species. In the global setting, rainforests only cover 6% of Earth’s surface. Tropical rainforests produce 40% of earth’s oxygen. Hence, the continuing depletion of forests would yield to the dwindling supply of the air we breathe.

Forest depletion is a product of human activity. Among the causes of depletion are deforestation, slash and burn and road constructions.

Reforestation is the primary answer to forest depletion. One of the strategies of the DENR is the planting of past growing trees such as acacia and gmelina. These trees can regenerate forests within a year.

Let us take part in preserving our forests by joining tree-planting activities. Moreover, let us start in our own homes. Why don’t we try planting seeds in our yards and see how these tiny little seeds would grow into beautiful plants.

Tree-planting by the seashore

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) will be launching a nationwide mangrove and watershed tree-planting program on May 26 themed “Puno Ko, Sagip-Buhay Mo.”

The mangrove and watershed rehabilitation program, which will be undertaken in 17 key coastal and watershed communities across the country, is the first of this grandeur to be attempted by the Bureau with the involvement of multi-sectoral participants including local government units (LGUs), non-government agencies (NGAs) and non-government organizations (NGOs).

The threat of climate change has seriously affected coastal communities. Fisherfolks are complaining of minimal catch in addition to muddy odor and flavor. Planting of trees in coastal and watershed areas would help in protecting the shoreline from the destructive effects of soil erosion due to prolonged rainfall.

Let us take time to coordinate with our respective local BFAR offices for information about the tree-planting activity. Let us do our part in saving Mother Nature.

Oil-free Bibliography

I came across this article from the May 12, 2008 issue of The Philippine Star entitled Let us invest in alternative energy and agriculture by Wilson Lee Flores in his column Bull Market, Bull Sheet.

It was indeed a very interesting read and I was delighted to know some books that tackle the threats of oil supply decrease and the importance and necessity of finding alternative sources of energy.

With global oil prices rising exponentially, it is quite necessary for the government and the private sector to invest in alternative sources of energy such as nuclear power plants, geothermal, solar, hydrogen, wind, hydroelectric and other sources of energy.

In a book by Dr. James Canton entitled The Extreme Future: The Top Trends That Will Reshape The World In The Next 20 Years (as quoted in Flores’ article) Dr. Canton wrote: “The era of cheap oil is over. Alternative energy, though promising is not ready to promote adequate supply. We need to invest quickly in new energy sources. We need to learn to conserve energy. Energy is a national security issue.” A top Saudi official of the government oil firm Aramco told Dr. Canton in a 2004 meeting in Paris that oil would run out in about 25 to 30 years.

Another book cited by Flores, Beyond Oil: The View from Hubbert’s Peak by geologist and Princeton University Professor Kenneth Deffeyes asked the world for an era wherein oil supply is about to run out. He urges investments in other sources of energy and enumerated some energy conservation tips such as riding cars less often, turning off light when not needed, using less aircon and heating, installing exhaust fans and building bike rack instead of car garage.

Last of the three book cited in Flores’ article entitled Out of Gas: The End of the Age of Oil by David Goodstein directs the world to “find a way to live without fossil fuels “through “courageous, visionary leadership” to find alternatives.

Now that I am a law student I hope that when I have time to spare and more importantly, money to spare, I will buy these books and take time reading those. For the mean time, I am more than content reading Mr. Flores’ articles.

I wish I could feature more of Mr. Flores’s and other writers’ articles about the environment in this blog in the coming days. Environmental sustainability is everybody’s concern and we should all act to save Mother Nature.

Environmental activists probe polluting garbage dump in Laguna Lake

Greenpeace Water Patrol activists last week investigated a dump site in Angono, Rizal which has taken over the banks of Laguna Lake, and called on the government for the strict enforcement of waste laws to protect the country’s threatened freshwater sources.

Environmental activists procured sample water from the vicinity as part of their investigation and also put a signpost nearby saying, "Our trash. Our water. Protect our water sources." to remind the public that the waste they are throwing eventually ends up in sources of our daily usage of water.

Although this problem seems to be a gargantuan one, we can help lessen environmental degradation by simply practicing responsible waste management such as waste segregation and composting of organic wastes. We, ourselves, can be part of the solution to the problem of garbage and water pollution.

The Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) said last December 2007 that dumpsites in four municipalities, namely Paete and Biñan, Laguna, and Angono and Taytay, Rizal are located near to Laguna Lake’s shores. Although the LLDA has asked the concerned local government units to implement the Ecological Waste Management Act of 2000 (RA 9003) the dumps continue to pollute the lake. toxic leachate from the said garbage dumps are expected to ooze into the lake for years to come, even after the dumps are successfully closed.The dumps in Angono and Taytay, in particular, occupy the lake's waters in obvious disobedience of the Clean Water Act of 2004 (RA 9275), and RA 9003. The Angono dumpsite was supposedly declared closed by Mayor Aurora Villamayor last January 2008, but investigations encountered garbage trucks delivering fresh garbage to the site just a week ago. The Taytay dumpsite, on the other hand, is still fully operational.Laguna Lake, also known as Laguna de Bay, is the country's largest lake, and the 2nd largest freshwater basin in Southeast Asia. It is being eyed as a possible source of potable water for Metro Manila. However, according to the LLDA, the lake is in danger of dying in five years if no steps are taken to improve its fast deteriorating water quality.

Reference: Baconguis, Beau. Greenpeace Water Patrol investigates polluting garbage dump in Laguna Lake. April 21, 2008