One of the most talked about issues today in the field of environmental science is one that involves the rights of animals. As we all aware of it, animals should be left the way they are. We must not attempt to artificially change their genetic properties just to produce higher breeds of animals. Today, issues about crossbreeding has reverted the eyes of people who stands as advocate to the animal rights. But it will surely and greatly help us if we first know what is this process all about and let us try to find out why some people go against this one process which is dubbed by some of us as “one of the major advancements made by the use of technology.”

As wikipedia defines it, Crossbreeding refers to the process of breeding such an animal, often with the intention to create offspring that share the traits of both parent lineages, or producing an animal with hybrid vigor. While crossbreeding is used to maintain health and viability of animals, irresponsible crossbreeding can also produce animals of inferior quality or dilute a purebred gene pool to the point of extinction of a given breed of animal.

The term is also is used at times to refer to a domestic animal of unknown ancestry where the breed status of only one parent or grandparent is known, though the term “mixed breeding” is technically more accurate. The term outcross is used to describe a type of crossbreeding used within a purebred breed to increase the genetic diversity within the breed, particularly when there is a need to avoid inbreeding.

As the definition is given, we can say that there is a benefit that we can get from this process and that is to maintain the health and viability of animals. However, its negative effect says that it can lead to serious extinction of a certain breed or specie of an animal if not to produce inferior breeds. Here in the Philippines, the birth of a “hebra”, that is the combination of a horse and a zebra, in the Manila Zoo, brought delight to many people but not into the eyes of some agencies such as PETA or the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. The “hebra” came from a female zebra and a male horse. PETA said that with this condition, the “hebra” will have to hide behind the bars will never ever earn the chance to run free in the wild-a freedom that has been taken away from it because of the condition it got from the process of crossbreeding. PETA believes that zoos just continue their crossbreeding process in order to increase their profit as this process provides them with endless “cute animal babies” and will draw crowds and that would mean more income for the zoo. Although the administration of the zoo already said their defense, that since it is the last zebra they have in the zoo, they have decided to let it mingle with horses because they don’t want it to be lonely, PETA just seems not to buy it.

Animals have rights too, right? If that is true, then it be just great if we let them live the way they should be. We should not be involving them in any process that alters the way they are. Crossbreeding, as a process of maintaining health and viability of animals can, more or less, lead to the extinction of some of the animal species that we have today. That is a fact we must keep in mind before we say that it is entirely good for the welfare of animals.

A state of calamity has been declared in Metro Manila as rains brought by Ondoy caused the worst flooding in the capital in more than 20 years. The Extensive flooding in the metropolis that forced thousands out of their homes and turned many areas into virtual lakes drew comparison with hurricane “Katrina” which devastated the southern United States city of New Orleans in August 2005. As Katrina pounded New Orleans, levees broke and about 80 percent of the city was flooded, killing over 1,800 people and leaving damage estimated at more than $100 billion. This must be a very scary tragedy. I wonder why it says that it’s like Katrina? I don’t believe so. During the Katrina rescue, there were allegations that the white were given priority and placed in better rescue centers than the black.

In our case, there are many to be rescued, there is no discrimination but there is inadequate resources involved or put into the operations. In Marikina, there were only two rubber boats that were involved in the rescue. This is very inadequate. In another report, people waiting for 12 hours to be rescued.

Yes, I changed my position, this is worst than Katrina because the rescue operation is just mere lip service. Government agencies are just doing the easier part of the rescue such as mere monitoring, declaration of state of emergency, etc. etc. but in the actual operations they are failing miserably.

This whole aspect of rescue operations must be reviewed so that the citizens are given adequate service, rather than this one, lips services!

Honest to goodness declogging of esteros & sewage systems, relocation of squatters in riverbanks & esteros, responsible garbage disposal in Metro neighborhoods are some of viable solutions to our perennial problem of flooding in Metro Manila. But sad to say government, national & local, lack political will to implement these flood prevention programs.

One more thing, I wish some form of updated radar system and more micromanaged technology could be installed for the Philippines in forecasting and presenting weather patterns as they happen, and way before emergency disasters happen again. Of course, once a storm hits, there is little anyone can do, but in preplanning efforts, would help a lot. Depending on the Weather Channel reports is not the thing to do here…the Philippines needs several high-power and accurate reporting weather stations based in conspicuous spots in the country, making exact forecast references up-to-the-second, and transmit such details to all television stations or install a special weather channel for the Philippines only, and stop using the animal-lover with the little Commando hat giving the weather. We need professionals for the

* Let us all pray: May God help the Filipino people. That they will learn from this catastrophe (and all that have come upon us in the past). That they will have the wisdom to vote for the right leaders in the coming elections. That graft and corruption, which have stopped our nation from progressing, will be reduced or eliminated by those we vote into office. That our government employees, especially those in charge of public works (DPWH) do their jobs properly as expected in them. That they will do their best to make sure that our homes will not experience flooding in the future by making sure that all funds and resources they require is used wholly for projects in flood control.

All rivers follow a gently winding path, regardless of the terrain. Now Physicists at the University of Cambridge have produced a mathematical model that explain a river’s winding, or meandering, habits.

The group of physicists has successes in modeling certain meanders from their beginning using “an equation of model.” This equation describes the river in terms of both time and space. Competing processes keep the river from making unusual paths through the terrain. Some of these processes include the erosion of material at the outside of a bend where the water’s speed is fastest and the deposition of sediment on the inside of the bend, where the water travels more slowly. The formation of oxbow lakes is a powerful competing factor. An oxbow lake is formed when a river bends so far out that it makes a complete loop. Eventually, the river pinches off the bend and flows straight through, isolating the water in the bend. Rivers naturally seek a steady state in which the two processes of forming bends and pinching off the bends to flow straight through again exactly cancel each other out. Terrain variations cause a river to reshape the terrain. Rivers always follow natural, scale invariant paths.

The forces which shape a river’s course may be predictors of oil deposits. Rivers have the force to compress organic sediments into oil over the course of thousands of years. By understanding the behavior of meandering rivers, it may someday be possible to explore for oil using far fewer test drills.

Beach trips, swimming parties, and out-of-town sprees are typical summer essentials. But there’s bound to be a lull in your vacation, leaving you with absolutely nothing to do. Well, make this season of sun even better by bonding with your barkada while building houses for the needy.

Make your summer vacation worthwhile and help build houses for those who lost their homes after typhoons, floods, and mudslides ravaged their provinces. They, too, are getting more than their fair share of sun and heat — in stifling, overcrowded evacuation camps where they are seeking shelter while awaiting new homes.

Habitat for Humanity Philippines embarks on a Summer Build, an activity that will help raise funds for homeless, affected by calamities, and help cut costs on house-building. Get your barkada to join the blitz build and challenge each other on who can make the best concrete interlocking blocks, tie, and fabricate the most rebars, and lay the neatest bricks. Not only do you get to spend time with your BFFs, you also get to meet new friends who care about change the way you do.

Habitat Youth Ambassador Alex Eduque gives enough reasons why you should get on the house-building wagon:

•Be a volunteer. Volunteerism is fun because you see the immediate results of your efforts. “I’ve found my passion in service, and it’s what fuels me despite the grueling heat and laborious construction tasks,” Alex shares.

•Don’t be afraid to try new things. Volunteering is not for everyone — people have different passions and different outlets to relieve stress. “I’ve found my personal outlet to be volunteerism. However, I do encourage everyone to try volunteering at least once because it really is an experience that opens your eyes to reality. It made me realize how everyone in this world should be granted equal chances and opportunities to live a comfortable life, and thus, as the ones who come from a more privileged background, it is our duty as global citizens to make sure we contribute our share in giving them the chance to achieve this,” explains Alex.

•Have fun while helping others. Volunteerism can be as exciting as any other summer activity because the most effective kind of volunteerism is when there is teamwork. It can be an alternative venue to get a tan, and to bond with friends and family. The best part is, not only are you able to burn calories and bond with friends in the process, you are also able to help others live a better life. You are given a chance to meet people and families you would not ordinarily meet and interact with, and that’s what makes the whole process worthwhile.

For more information, visit www.habitat.org.ph.

No one can say exactly what it looks like when a planet takes ill, but it probably looks a lot like Earth. Never mind what you’ve heard about global warming as a slow-motion emergency that would take decades to play out. Suddenly and unexpectedly, the crisis is upon us.

Environmentalists and lawmakers spent years shouting at one another about whether the grim forecasts were true, but in the past five years or so, the serious debate has quietly ended. Global warming, even most skeptics have concluded, is the real deal, and human activity has been causing it. If there was any consolation, it was that the glacial pace of nature would give us decades or even centuries to sort out the problem.

Global warming is a typical global phenomenon, where the causer of the emission does not automatically suffer from it himself. Cause and effect are separated both in time as well as with regard to geography.

In the past, there was a more or less direct relation between the energy consumption (mainly fossil fuels) and the welfare of a country.

This makes it very difficult to reach consensus between the countries about the required steps to solve the problem. The Kyoto protocol shows that the following of the agreement will be doubtful at best if no automatic sanctions take into effect for countries violating it.

Given the severe consequences of global warming, the above sounds quite hopeless for our future. Read on to see how we all are involved in this and how we can benefit from taking our personal responsibility.

One of the things climate scientists worry about is feedback mechanisms. Some feedbacks are positive- they amplify warming, and some are negative they suppress warming. Let’s take a quick look at a graphic showing how cold air is made. Basically, what this graphic is showing us is that at this time of the year, when the Arctic is receiving little sunlight, the radiative input is less than the radioactive output. In other words, more energy leaves the Earth than is added by the sun and cooling occurs.

Undertaking a viable waste-recycling project for communities will go a long way toward solving the solid waste or garbage problem in Metro Manila and the regions.

One of the more serious problems facing the country today is pollution due to the improper handling and disposal and solid wastes.

Uncollected garbage is left on the streets, dumped into storm drains, esteros, canals, creeks or rivers.

In addition burning trash is becoming a common sight in the metropolis, adding to the pollution.

Garbage from homes, which represent about 50 percent of the total waste generated, “constitutes the single largest source of solid wastes,” according to DENR a report.

The industrial sector is another major source of pollution. Some factories discharge untreated liquid wastes into drains and rivers, or dump solid hazardous wastes on farmlands and other sites.

To stem the tide, Laws, rules and regulations pertaining to solid waste management must be fully implemented.

The DENR has already launched its Environmental Waste Management Program, and many cities and town have signed up.

I suggest that, the communities should compost biodegradable refuse as much as possible.

Has anybody ever thought that a plant which was only seen on the back of our houses could be our new “weapon” against poverty, and even climate change? Well, better believe it because studies show that it is true. Proving that it is indeed a super vegetable, Malacañang has tapped “malunggay” (moringa) in the fight against poverty and climate change.

We all know that large scale flooding in our country can be attributed to the also large scale deforestation being illegally practiced on our country. And this brings enormous damages to us people. We also know that because of the global financial crisis, a lot of our workers are experiencing being workless. And our government is expected to do actions to lessen the “damages” of these complex problems….and they found another help they can tap. Not a person or not even an agency. It is a plant-Moringa, known to many of us as malunggay.

National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) chief Secretary Domingo Panganiban pledged the full cooperation and their full support to the local malunggay farmers to provide more works for those who doesn’t have any means of living. Also, malunggay tress can help make the quality of our air and can significantly reduce flooding, as he stressed this during the induction of the newly elected officers of the Moringa Growers Federation of the Philippines.

These are but only few bases why moringa or malunggay was eyed as a weapon by the Malacañang against the growing problem of poverty and possibly against also the global warming.

1. Choose eco-friendly gifts. Look for gifts made with the environment in mind (such as shade-grown chocolate or coffee; or items made with recycled glass, metal, plastic, or paper). Or give gifts that get used up, like soap, food, or candles.

You could also give gifts that help people cut down on waste. Reusable grocery or produce bags and refillable water bottles do more than just save landfill space — they also save the resources used in making and transporting the disposable versions.

There’s nothing to wrap or throw away when you donate to a person’s favorite cause. Making a gift donation in someone’s name is a good choice for parents or grandparents who don’t need more “stuff.” Or give the gift of your time, such as coupons for babysitting or computer help.

2. Green up your gift wrap. Instead of spending money on store-bought wrapping paper that ends up in a landfill, make your own wrapping from newspaper, magazines, or catalogs. Or use fabric items to wrap gifts, such as wrapping a cookbook in a dishtowel, or clothing in a scarf. Reusable gift bags are another eco-conscious way to present gifts — they’re also easier to use than wrapping paper!

3. Decorate with the planet in mind. Holiday lighting can be a big energy user, so try to find efficient lighting (such as LED lights). Turn outdoor lighting displays off when you go to bed or if you’re not at home. If you light candles, choose natural ones made with beeswax or soy instead of petroleum-based ingredients.

If you buy a Christmas tree, consider a live tree that can be replanted after the holidays. Decorate it the old-fashioned way, with popcorn and cranberry strings — then hang these out for hungry birds to enjoy when the holiday is over. Decorate your table or home with biodegradable natural items, such as pinecones.

4. Send greetings that really care. Create your own holiday cards using your computer or art supplies and recycled paper. Some people cut the pictures out of holiday cards they received the year before and use these to make new cards or gift tags. Better still, go paperless with e-cards.

5. Reuse and recycle. As you plan your holiday celebrations, keep in mind ways to reduce waste, such as using rechargeable batteries in electronic items. If you receive gifts you can’t return or use, pass them on to someone who can — or donate them to a charity resale shop. (You can also do this with any old items that this year’s gifts replace.) After Christmas, use a chipper to turn your cut tree into mulch for the garden.

Tips to save mother earth:

1. 

   Implement the 3Rs: Re-use, Reduce and Recycle -

   1. Use environment-friendly items.
   2. It must start in our homes. Learn to segregate your waste and start composting our biodegradable trash.
   3. Recycle and sell or give away old newspapers, cans, bottles properly.
   4. Buy products in their largest size
   5. Reduce use of disposable packaging and plastic bags
   6. Avoid products that have CFC.

2. Conserve energy -
   

   1. Use electricity and water judiciously.
   2. Replace incandescent bulbs with Fluorescent bulbs
   3. Plan your trips; multitask
   4. Keep burners and air conditioner filters clean
   5. Dry your laundry outside
   6. Turn your cell phones off whenever possible. It would reduce carbon fumes from the fossil fuel requirements of your power consumptions

3. Utilize Technology-

   1. Pay bills online
   2. Like in the Philippines in which surrounded by water, Filipinos must invest in desalination plants for the coming droughts.

4. Plant more trees -
   

   1. 

      We should plant more trees! Apart from being the source of medicine, trees prevent soil erosion and landslides. They also help protect our underground water reserves.

   2. Plant assorted plants, like ornamentals and other varieties. It cushions the blow of the summer heat. It also invites birds.
   3. Let’s not cut down trees.
   4. It can reduce cooling cost; Rural Folk should replace trees they felled from firewood.

5. Information Dissemination -
   

   1. Educate the perennial garbage throwers in our waterways will certainly rejuvenate our environment.
   2. Awareness of earth destruction will move us to restrategize our local and universal concerns on environmental crisis.
   3. Speak up! Support actions on Green living.
   4. Raise funds for Mother Earth
   5. Join or volunteer for the events on Earth Hour.

6. Go Vegetarian-

   1. Go Vegetarian, save the earth, save yourself.
   2. Eating meat produces more carbon footprints. And look at the bodies of vegetarians WOW!

7. Control the population growth -
   

   1. We should stop at two kids, Imagine seven billion people exhaling 10 grams of carbon dioxide each into the air. That’s 70 million kilos of carbon dioxide.

8. Be responsible motorists-

   1. The destruction consequences of global warming were already illustrated by Al Gore, Let’s Stops using our smoke-belching cars.
   2. Ride a bike once a week when going to the office. It will save you at least 250 liters of gas in a year. That’s 250 liters less of gas population.
   3. We should maintain the proper emission levels of our motor vehicles.
   4. Have our cars checked and tuned-up at least twice a year.
   5. Use unleaded gasoline.

1. 

   Let’s discipline ourselves-

   1. We should have self-discipline. We should also be responsible, beginning with our own garbage. Impede others from throwing their garbage just anywhere.

2. Go Back to Basics -
   

   1. To help arrest Global warming: live in a simple lifestyle like the Amish of Pennsylvania
   2. Reduce the use of the earth-s resources to a sustainable level. This means returning to a level of development equal to what it was in 1898. Are we welling to do this?