One of Al Gore’s trainees, DAKILA Climate Rev Team’s Rachel Arandilla participated and completed the Climate Reality Leadership Corps Training Session last March in Manila. She gave an overview on climate change and stressed on fossil fuels as huge pollutants of global carbon emission. Her talk started off with facts and figures which sounded depressing but somehow ended with a message of hope. She was inspired to take action through her knowledge about global warming. And she lives with a dream that others too would be inspired and take action after giving her message of green of hope.
The JoeGreen Project’s Joseph Castillo began his recycling project when he was exposed to a lot of tragic effects of different catastrophe here in the Philippines because of misuse of plastic.
The worst experience in his book was the Yolanda tragedy that until now he can still smell the stench of death from Tacloban. Before he talked about recycling, he showed figures depicting reality on people’s plastic usage. Did you know that there are 5.25 trillion pieces (and counting) of plastic in our ocean today? And because of this massive number, there are one hundred thousand marine animals and one million seabirds die because of plastic. Every plastic we throw will always end up in the ocean. This whole sick cycle began when we started to WANT MORE then we started to THROW MORE. However it’s never too late to put a stop to this and start a zero-waste lifestyle. That’s when RECYCLING steps in. Reusing teaches us a lot of things – It saves us money, time and energy. It teaches us contentment, respect for garbage collectors and our environment and care for others. Recycling gives us a sense of self-worth, hope to change things for the next generation and love for our environment, people around us and even loving ourself – that is the best way to teach people how to love that is to see you what you’re doing.
The green architect, Ma. Lourdes “Joy” Martinez Ozonawa, UAP + APEC Architect (Certified Green Design Professional) talked about Sustainable Infrastructure Criteria for Eco-Lifestyles as one way to promote quality of life. Cooling your home is not all about installing airconditioners in your home but it’s all a matter of “positioning.” Joy Ozonawa cleverly added, “Build the land what it can offer.” So for houses facing East and West, adding small windows would be a bright idea and bigger windows for houses facing North and South to get all the light AND NOT GET ALL THE GLARE. She also discussed the water pollution here in Cebu and pointed out that the major factor we have why we have floods it is because of water mismanagement. “Typhoon is not a catastrophe. It is only when people are not prepared for it (any given calamity) which makes it a catastrophe.”
The author of Organic Divine Gorgeous – Recipes to a Passionate Cook, Eleanor A. Rivera, promoted her book which is not only a recipe book but it also tells stories of the farmers and everyone who contributed in the organization, Healing Present – Nature and Wellness Farm, a three-fold plan on one’s wellness, education and environment. One who gets to visit the 17-hectare organic farm will enjoy a solemn and soulful journey with organic treats to enjoy from.
“(I am a) Healer not a trasher of Mother Nature.” That’s what the Green Man, Matthias Gelber keeps on saying in his talk. It may sound so cliché but it’s a powerful affirmation of what people should be claiming – A HEALER OF MOTHER NATURE – “We don’t need to be perfect but only take steps to improve.” And buying ONLY WHAT WE NEED is one promising start. However some wouldn’t be so sold out on the idea of “green living.” So less people will get into this kind of lifestyle which makes green living expensive. Little did they know that going green can actually save people a lot of money in the end. It’s all a matter of a positive behavior and mindset to achieve one’s goal.
Matthias Gelber was also here to share his book, The Greenman’s Guide to Green Living and Working. True to his advocacy to go green, his book was printed from recycled paper and vegetable-based ink. It is a helpful guide to help Mother Earth through life and work. Basically it’s all about practical steps which were based from experiences. The Green Man is encouraging everyone not just to read his book but also by doing these practical steps. With his book, Matthias Gelber aims to inspire everyone to shift our behaviour by having “a healing impact on our planet.”
After all, it is our moral obligation as humans to make Earth livable for our future generation.
Beyee Caballes
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