It may be obvious to say, but it is an undeniable fact that Mother Nature is no longer very healthy. As a species we have contributed to this reality by not being aware of the consequences of our actions. We don’t think. Through ignorance, we have almost irreparably damaged the environment. We no longer have a world that has a healthy ecological system.
The factors that contribute to damaging our fragile environment are too numerous to mention. Some include pollution from industry, motor vehicle exhaust, overuse of natural resources, loss of native vegetation, and lack of recycling. We read about climate change. Rising sea levels and increasing global temperatures. Arable land has turned into a desert. Farmers lose their livelihood. People can’t eat. Independence has become a dependency on aid agencies and charity.
Global charities can only do so much to alleviate human suffering. There are never enough financial resources to help improve your operations. Rich nations provide some degree of assistance, but tend to spend more on developing industry and infrastructure. Weapons development and sales far exceed government donations. It seems that all is lost. However, there are solutions if individuals and entire communities decide to create positive action.
I am currently a resident of a small subdivision called Villa Park in Davao City: Philippines. A true tropical paradise one might think. This is not like this. Wherever I walk, I see garbage littered on the ground by people who are simply unaware of their actions. Cigarette butts, plastic bottles, plastic shopping bags, and plastic snack wrappers. This is not a remarkable sight. This is pollution. This should not be a reality. I have often expressed my frustration on this issue and have often wondered what I can do to try to create positive change.
Just when I started to think that my thoughts were invalid, something happened. I was talking to my neighbor the other day and he told me that the locals in my suburb want to do something to help their local environment. Some have so far started a recycling process that will reduce litter and generate income through the sale of glass, plastic and scrap. IE: empty food and drink canisters. We are serious about the need for people to start composting using vegetable scraps and grass clippings. With education, families can create a fruit and vegetable garden in their front yard. This will save money. This will provide a healthier diet. This will be an example of people creating positive change for the benefit of the environment.
Caring for the environment is something that the locals will have to learn through educational processes in local schools, as well as in community meetings. People will have to learn to separate biodegradable and non-biodegradable materials. Each week, people will have to take their empty plastic bottles and metal cans along with the used paper/cardboard and place them in a designated container that will be located at one end of the community garden. There will also be plenty of compost. This will help grow vegetables. This will decrease the amount of money that people have to spend to buy food. The money obtained from the sale of glass and metal will help to expand this project: at the same time, it will reinforce the value of recycling.
Regarding the use of compost: This reduces the need for chemical fertilizers to grow crops. This planned community garden will become a green and healthy mini-ecological system. This will provide a physical example of how the environment can be improved and restored. There is no need to sit and wait for others to provide solutions. People can work together now; not some other future date.
As a social initiative, this will make people communicate and cooperate with each other to a greater extent. Those in this subdivision who live in abject poverty will be able to share what is being grown. This will help create a healthier diet for themselves and their families. They will learn to grow their own vegetables. This is self-empowerment. This is social change.
People also have to learn that littering the ground is unsanitary and unsightly. They must realize that littering is a direct link to environmental degradation. Government officials should be pressured to place rubbish bins in more areas. This would at least help encourage people to dispose of their personal rubbish the right way. It is interesting to note that recycling and proper disposal of garbage and waste in Davao City is required by law. However, at present, I do not see many actually complying with this decree: at the risk of custodial and financial sanctions.
There is much to be done to preserve and protect the environment. This article has described a small project that is an initiative of ordinary people. People who want to create positive change by making their locality a healthier place to live. When this community project is promoted through the media and public meetings, other communities across the nation of the Philippines can be inspired to do the same. However, this need for protection and restoration of the planet’s environment is a global problem. Can humanity meet and conquer this challenge? We no longer have the luxury of time.
Geoff Dodson.06/24/2012