Global warming as priority concern

(Published in Zamboanga Today on May 26, 2008.)

It was former President Bill Clinton who in a 1998
address said, "Global warming is real; the risks it
poses are real; and the (American) people have a
right to know it and a responsibility to do something
about it. The sooner Congress understands that, the
sooner we can protect our nation--and our
planet--from increased flood, fire, drought, and deadly
heat waves."

That was ten years ago. Apparently, after the
hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes and other natural
disasters and catastrophes, the threat talked about a
decade past worsened, and the call from America is no
longer one for its own people but for the entire world.
Marine scientists say that an effect would be the
extinction of some species and varieties of marine life.

This is the reason why we find dolphins, baby whales,
turtles and tortoises in shorelines of Zamboanga City,
sometimes fighting for their own lives, sometimes,
even dead. An environmental news even said that
some crab species in the Pacific Coast may face
extinction.
Climate change is now seen by environmental experts
as a threat to the extinction of animal species.

Change in temperature and the usual weather
conditions that we Filipinos have long been
accustomed to our already felt and experienced by
many among us.

In rural areas, we hear our farmers grumble over
Mother Nature's weather 'irregularities', what with
endless rains happening in (what-used-to-be-
excruciatingly-hot month of) April, and our teens
complain of the scorching heat of the sun burning
through our skin in (what-is-supposedly cool)
December.

These instances are all due to global warming, and the
initiative of Mayor Celso Lobregat and the Zamboanga
City Government in hosting a global summit here in
Asia's Latin City is an unprecedented record here in
southern Philippines.

As local government officials, representatives of
non-government organizations, the security forces,
businessmen, environmentalists and concerned
citizens convene for the summit tomorrow, we can just
all hope that things would work out positively.

Global warming is inevitable, but we can help
ourselves and the children of the next generations to
come, by doing our share in minimizing the worsening of
its impact. (Frencie L. Carreon)