Today is blog action day and this post is about the environment. Well, not directly about the environment, but about environmental concerns in relation to the bigger and more urgent issues of the day.
In the Philippines, the environment movement has been around for some time and it used to be one of the more “fashionable” causes to promote. There have been efforts to launch a program on the grassroots level, but up to this day, environmental activism is largely perceived as a middle class pursuit. The only exceptions are the resistance by communities directly affected by events or disasters (for ex. tribes displaced by deforestation or fishing communities impacted by oil spills).
This seeming apathy by people living in metropolis areas may be traced to the fact that the environment ranks low in their priority list. How can you think of the environment when making ends meet is difficult enough? How can you tell us “to leave a legacy” when living from day to day is more than a challenge for most of us? And how dare you tell us to leave something for the next generation when we haven’t even partaken of our share in the wealth that this planet has to offer?
But being conscious of the environment is not just about tree hugging or saving the whales. Practices such as conservation, consideration to others, cleanliness and thinking for the long term may be helpful to us, not only in areas related to the ecology and conservation but in other areas as well. Good habits, when truly internalized, will be evident in all dimensions of our lives. Even the smallest effort to improve matters a lot and can make an impact in our lives.
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