My First Blog

(I always try to write blog entries and post it in multiply but I find my entries very boring so I always end up with pressing ctrl-A-del. Well this one is required so no ctrl-a-del this time.)

I was born in Davao and stayed there for 16 years. I like to stay there because the weather is just fine. No typhoons, just heavy rains. Davao is located in the southern part of the Philippines and most of the typhoons pass in Luzon or Visayas. When I moved to Baguio, I experienced strong typhoons. I can still remember the day when I experienced my first “bagyo”. Classes were canceled so I decided to play dota in a computer shop near SM. I was walking along session road and the wind was so strong. It was fun, it was my first. The following typhoons were not new to me. I was no longer amazed with the strong winds. When I moved to Manila, still many typhoons arrived.

Data and statistics show increasing number and strength of typhoons not just here in the Philippines but also around the globe. The earth's average temperature is continuously increasing. According to wikipedia, global surface temperature increased 0.74 ± 0.18 °C (1.33 ± 0.32 °F) during the 100 years ending in 2005. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts that the trend will continue and get worse much faster than was expected even in their last report.

Increasing Earth's temperature will melt the ice in the arctic and the sea level will rise. In addition, the water in the oceans expands in volume, and additional water enters them which had previously been locked up on land in glaciers. Based on the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report, it predicts that many mid-latitude regions, such as Mediterranean Europe, will experience decreased rainfall and an increased risk of drought, which in turn would allow forest fires to occur on larger scale, and more regularly.

Hotter earth means hotter oceans that constitutes to more strong typhoons. I heard recently from the news that a typhoon struck Mindanao including Davao. Its very alarming knowing that Davao is a typhoon-free zone. World leaders are now looking for ways on how to reduce global warming.

People must be educated and be well informed about whats happening on earth. We must educate ourselves about global warming, the more facts we have as to what mainstream science says about it, the more we can persuade others to make simple but effective changes in daily behavior.

How to reduce global warming?

I surfed the net and read some interesting ways on how to reduce global warming.

-Choose vegetarian or vegan meals. Livestock are responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than transportation is.

-Use compact fluorescent bulbs. Replace three frequently used light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs/lamps and save 300 lbs. of carbon dioxide

-Fill the dishwasher. Run your dishwasher only with a full load. Save 100 lbs. of carbon dioxide

-Grow fast growing plants. Plants like bamboo grow faster and produce 35% more oxygen than trees like oak or birch, and require fewer chemicals and care.

-Use public transportation. Taking the bus, the train, the subway or other forms of public transportation lessens the load on the roads and reduces one's individual greenhouse gas emissions

By doing simple things just like whats written above, we can prevent the world temperatures to rise from between 2 to 4.5 degrees Celsius by the year 2100.


Ralph O. Acebedo
2005-65673