A Cold Living

Borjal, John Ely D.

2006-10444

CE 131 WFQ

It’s November. I should be bringing out my jacket or sweater during this time of the year. Thicker clothes are on ready and my fan should be in its “day-off” period since everybody would expect that “Ber” months are the coldest months of the year because of the cold wind moving around. But this time, I am quite disappointed. The cold wind that should be bringing the Christmas spirit in each one of us has turned into rain. Worse is typhoon, or anything that is not invited during these times. I cannot imagine how and when these situations started. Maybe nature’s patience started to vanish and man has got into the point of predicament - a sort of his due “punishment”, maybe.

I cannot remember how many times I got stuck in a place just these past two months because of flood. At first, I blamed the two or three typhoons that bombarded the country, and also the petty, though very strong, unanticipated rains that dropped by the area during afternoons. I remember the time when I really wanted to go home because I had to finish my machine problem (due 12 midnight) in my ES26 last semester. My plan was to go home immediately after my 4 - 6:30 class in ES12 then pursue my MP. I didn’t mind the not-so-strong rain that was pouring because I got my companion during times like this, my heavy duty umbrella. The estimated time of my travel back home should be 45 minutes to 1 hour, but it was already past 7 o’clock but I’m still along Commonwealth Avenue due to heavy traffic. I tried to be patient since I knew that once I got into the tricycle terminal in Sandiganbayan, it will only be a 10 to 15 minute ride ‘til home. The tricycle I rode took another route because the road we should have taken was close. The hope of getting home fast suddenly was crushed because the road was also closed. And so I had to walk for 30 minutes, I think, just to go to a nearest tricycle terminal and take another ride. That 30-minute walk however helped me see the real situation. It wasn’t just the rain that should be blamed. Piles of garbage clogged the drainage causing the flood. It’s a sad truth, a disconnection on the harmonious relationship of man and nature. And this is just one of those cases man is facing right now.

Last November 17, we watched a documentary film, “Signos”(I cannot remember the whole title). A film about how man’s life is endangered by the disintegrating effects of global warming, climate change and pollution. That was the second time I saw that film. The first time I watched it, I asked myself, “Why Richard Gutierrez?” I was quite disappointed because in my point of view Kuya Kim(Atienza) or the hosts of Born to be Wild are much appropriate for that kind of presentation. This is just a weird thought of mine, but Richard should have acted like a “Mulawin” and acted like he is dying because of global warming to make the film interesting.

Anyway, the content of the film is quite good. It showed disastrous effects of global warming worldwide. I was quite moved by one of the topics, which is the rise of sea level in the country. The famous 7,107 islands could go the same way as the legend of Atlantis. I never thought that thing is probable.

I also had this carbon footprint test. I was surprised that the result of my test is good. It says that if everyone lived like I do, we would only need 0.38 Earths. Wow! It’s good to know that I’m living an ecologically conscientious lifestyle, as the result says.

I believe that pollution, which is the main source of global warming, could not be prevented. It’s a sin that everyone does, especially this era of industrialization. It’s a cliché, but simple things like conserving water and electricity will make a difference. We know these things already, as UP students, we should. But it would always be best if every person in this world, or even just in the community that you belong has the knowledge of these things. The problem we have today should not be taken for granted. We should be serious about this, and let’s not wait for the forces of nature to be very serious with us.