GLOBAL WARMING AND CLIMATE CHANGE
POSTED BY: RuLino
DATE POSTED: 2009-09-08
The climate is changing and the earth is warming up. There is now overwhelming scientific consensus that it is happening, and human-induced. Global warming and climate change refer to the increase in the earth’s mean temperature as a result of enhanced greenhouse effect. Natural events and human activities are believed to be contributing to an increase in average global temperatures. This is caused primarily by increases in “greenhouse” gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrus oxide. Effects of global climate change are harmful and we must inspire action against it.
These factual indications and situations lead many experts to agree that global warming and climate change may be one of the greatest threats facing the planet. The Philippines is greatly affected by this phenomenon. The country is situated west of the Pacific Ocean near the equator thereby making it prone to tropical cyclones and is in fact visited by about 20 typhoons each year. Thus, we must be ready against these foresighted stronger storms and must do what we can to mitigate its harmful effects. Also, the country is agricultural and such change in global warming and climate change affects the daily harvests in our countryside.
Considering the above discussion, the Crisis Management Institute of the National Defense College of the Philippines (CMI-NDCP) conducted the Crisis Management Forum on Global Warming and Climate Change and its Implications to National Security last August 20, 2009 at the NDCP Honor Hall, Academic Row, Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City. This is the third Crisis Management Forum conducted by the institute. A film showing of the critical documentary, 11th Hour, was shown before the forum proper commenced at 2:00 PM.
The forum was aimed to disseminate information about global warming and climate change, its effects in the Philippines, how to mitigate its occurrence and inspire people to act now. Global warming and climate change is a reality our planet is facing and as Secretary Alvarez has propounded, we must all share the responsibility to care for the place we are live in.
A full-packed Honor Hall of 75 participants from various government agencies, non-government agencies, and the military and security sectors attended the said forum. Four distinguished speakers led by Secretary Heherson T. Alvarez, Presidential Adviser on Global Warming and Climate Change, Office of the President, said that, “the Philippines is on its way to the Road to Copenhagen next year in full participation with the international community to combat global warming and climate change.” Ms. Edna L Juanillo, Assistant Weather Services Chief, Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) noted that, “climate change is attributable directly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and such activities contribute to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods”; Dr. Margarita N. Lavides, Climate Change Consultant, Haribon Foundation, confirmed that “global warming and climate change adds up on threats to the Philippine biodiversity and will lead to massive biodiversity loss”; and lastly, Ms. Amelia D Supetran, Energy Environment Team Leader, United Nations Development Program (UNDP), thought that, “UNDP pushes for the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol. These are the UN’s main policy response to global warming and climate change.” All in all, resource speakers shared their expertise on this very timely topic. By: Chester B. Cabalza and Madelaine M. Meris
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