How true Kermit’s words are.
As late as a few years ago, the average working class Filipino had no idea what global warming was, and that air pollution was merely an annoyance to our sense of smell. No more.
Try riding in a jeepney once in a while and strike up a conversation with the driver on the topic. You’ll be surprised that some of them actually know what global warming is. Definitely not on a scientific level, but enough to know that air pollution is a big part of the problem, and that it’s contributing to the increasingly intense El Nino phenomena, cold ‘Ber (September, October, November, December) months, and the wide range of natural calamities we’re experiencing.
Ironic as that sounds, I ventured the idea that we’re a big chunk of problem, given the fact that his jeep was billowing smoke on a daily basis and at risk of being thrown out of a moving jeep. He said that yeah, he knows he’s not helping but sadly, the income of plying a route is just way too low to keep his engine in tip-top shape and emissions in check.
Gulp.
That’s just the problem isn’t it? We know the problem exists, given the escalation of the searing summer heat and the deadlier, more powerful storms that have battered our homes. Because of that, a lot of us are thinking green, but when it comes to actually doing something about it, we all fall short.
If you think I’m trying to hop on some high horse, well, I’m not. In fact, if there was an eco police force enforcing such things, I’d probably be standing on TV, wearing that God awful orange DETAINEE shirt. I smoke, and tend to toss my cigarette butts on the street. When I brush my teeth, I leave the water running as I do so. I test cars for a living, and that means that more often than not, I drive around without a particular destination in mind, just testing out the suspension, the ride, the handling and other things to come up with a story, and fuel economy is just a token on the things I test for.
We all have the little things we’re guilty of. Though while they may be little things to each one of us, in the great scheme of things, we’re all contributors to a grand problem. Come up with your own “guilt” list and see what you can work on too.
It’s hard to turn your back on the bad habits we’ve formed over the years. For me, it’s right up there with saving for a rainy day, going to the gym, quitting smoking, or just plain finishing my article on time. You know it’s good for you and you have to do it, but it’s just so damn hard to do so.
We may all be separated by race, language, culture or the depth of our bankbooks, but one thing is certain: we’re all in the same, sinking boat. It’s just our tough luck that its our generation’s time to act on it.
It won’t be easy… but we have to get started sometime.
Let’s get to work.
Tags: ecology, environment, green