Environment – Page 4 – ellen tordesillas

The benefits of preparedness

Published by Ellen on February 28, 2010

The Philippines is in the Pacific Ring of Fire and the two massive earthquakes that occurred in less than two months in other parts of the world should give us ample warning.

Internet search gives this description of the Pacific Ring of Fire: It is an area where large numbers of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur in the basin of the Pacific Ocean. It’s an arc stretching from New Zealand, along the eastern edge of Asia, including the Philippines, north across the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, and south along the coast of North and South America. Over 75% of the world’s active and dormant volcanoes are within the arc.

The volatile activities are a direct result of movements of the earth’s plates, which are like giant rafts which often slide next to, collide with, and are forced underneath other plates. There is a tremendous amount of energy created by the movements of these plates. Thus we have volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.

Tagtuyot

Published by Ellen on February 27, 2010

Galing ako sa aming probinsiya sa Antique at talagang feel na feel na doon ang El Niño.

Ang aking tanim ay naninilaw at namamatay. Kahit ang mga orchids na vanda na gusto niya ay araw, bumibigay. Sabi ng aming caretaker, binibinyagan naman daw niya ngunit “puerte gid ang init, “sabi niya. Kawawa nga ang aking mga staghorn dahil gusto noon malamig at palaging basa.

Nang nandoon ako, umaga at hapon ang aking pagdidilig ngunit parang nakonsyensiya naman ako na ang kumukunti nating tubig at gagamiting ko ang marami sa pandilig ng halaman smantalang sa ibang lugar, tumitigang at bumubuka na ang mga lupa sa kakulangan ng tubig.

Dapat managot ang nagpabaya

Published by Ellen on October 12, 2009

Nagpaplano ang mga tao at mga kumpanya na nasalanta ng bagyong “Ondoy” at “Pepeng” nitong mga nakaraang linggo na magsampa ng kaso sa mga opisyal ng pamahalaan at mga operator ng dam sa kanilang kapabayaan na nagdulot ng malaking hirap sa libo-libong mga mamamayan.

Sobra kasi ang dami ng tubig na ipinalabas ng Pantabangan at San Roque dam noong isang araw na siyang dahilan ng matinding baha sa Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija at karatig lalawigan.

Napakinggan ko ang interview ni Anthony Taberna kay Sen. Chiz Escudero sa DZMM. Taga Nueva Ecija si Anthony at si Chiz naman ay nasa Pangasinan noong linggo kasama si Grace Poe at tumulong sila sa mga nasalanta ng bagyong “Pepeng”. (Si Fernando Poe Jr ay taga-Pangasinan).

Babangon tayo para ayusin ang ating bayan

Published by Ellen on October 10, 2009

Kahindik-hindik ang iniwan ng bagyong “Pepeng” lalo na sa La Trinidad, Benguet kung saan mga 150 na tao ang natabunan ng lupa sa landslide na nangyari dahil sa ilang araw na ulan na dala ng bagyong si “Pepeng.”

Sa Pangasinan naman hanggang Nueva Ecija, nagiging malaking rumaragasang ilog ang mga bayan. Maliban sa pagkasira ng mga bahay, sira na rin ang mga kabuhayan katulad ng pala-isdaan at palayan.

Sinabi sa isang report na yung isang pamilya, binalikan nila ang nabahang palayan na dapat sana ay aanihin na sana sa susunod na linggo. Nag-ani na rin sila kahit baha. Pagkatapos pinatuyo nila ang palay sa kawali at yun ang kanilang sinaing. Nakakabagbag damdamin.

Waterworld

Published by Ellen on September 27, 2009

Posted by Mimi de Jesus on You Tube.

This is what Gloria Arroyo said in her State of the Nation Address last July:

As a country in the path of typhoons and in the Pacific Rim of Fire, we must be prepared as the latest technology permits to anticipate natural calamities when that is possible; to extend immediate and effective relief when it is not; the mapping of flood-and-landslide-prone areas is almost complete. Early warning, forecasting and monitoring systems have been improved, with weather-tracking facilities in Subic, Tagaytay, Mactan, Mindanao, Pampanga.

We have worked on flood control infrastructure like those for Pinatubo, Agno, Laoag, and Abucay, which will pump the run off waters from Quezon City and Tondo flooding Sampaloc. This will help relieve hundreds of hectares in this old city of its age-old woe.

Patuloy naman yung sa CAMANAVA, dagdag sa Pinatubo, Iloilo, Pasig- Marikina, Bicol River Basin, at saka river basin ng Mindanao.

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Seeing many areas in Metro Manila turned into an ocean, I remember the 1995 futuristic movie “Waterworld”.

A simple request from climate-change concerned filmmaker

Published by Ellen on May 22, 2009

I got a letter from Katrina Encanto, who identified herself as an art director of JWT Manila. I suppose JWT is J Walter Thompson.

She said she needs support in terms of votes for short film she made which she entered in the Youtube Cannes Lions 48 Hour Ad Contest.

Katrina said, “To cast votes for this film, you would need to go to http://www.youtube.com/canneslions and search for “thecheshirecatgrin”, within the next 10 days or so.”

A really messy case in Boracay

Published by Ellen on December 4, 2008

Greg Hutchinson reacts to this two-part article. Please see comments.

Part One:

While in Boracay last week for the anti-smoking seminar organized by the Women’s Media Circle, some journalists and I took time out to visit SandCastles resort, which was in the news recently because of a property dispute that ended up in what was claimed as “hostaging”.

I have stayed in SandCastles a number of times since it was built in 1989. It’s facilities, in Philippine ethnic style, is complemented by modern amenities. It’s beachfront location in the area of boat station One makes it a prime real estate property.

Australian Greg Hutchinson, president and chairman of Tribal Holdings Phils that owns SandCastles, was a journalist writing for foreign publications. He was my co-author of the book. “Hot Money, Warm Bodies – the downfall of President Joseph Estrada”.

Category: Environment