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The Plight of Air Pollution

10/25/20

With the rise of technology and all the convenience brought by modern, industrial society comes unequivocal disadvantages. One of the more prevalent problems that have emerged is that of air pollution. Ever since society has grown more and more dependent on energy and electricity, the condition of our atmosphere, particularly its cleanliness, has suffered. This is applicable all around the world as air pollution continues to worsen.

In the Philippines, air pollution poses a great threat, and modern daily activities continually aggravate this situation. One main contributor to this problem is the use of non-renewable energy sources. Non-renewable sources encompass all fossil fuels such as coal and crude oil. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the overall energy consumed by establishments in 2010 was recorded at 53,889.59 kilotonnes of oil equivalent (kTOE). This number can be further dissected into fossil fuels with 31,634.23 kTOE, renewable energy with 19,118.70 kTOE, and electricity with 3,136.67 kTOE. The consumption of fossil fuels as the source of energy still ranks the highest at roughly 58.7% which is evidently seen in the pervasiveness of air pollution issues. Additionally, the Department of Energy and Natural Resources (DENR) further stated that 80% of air pollution comes from vehicle emissions which is alarming because in 2019 alone approximately 1.2 million private cars were registered.

It comes at no surprise that air pollution can be detrimental to one’s health. In fact, in the Philippines, 45.3 out of 100,000 people die from sicknesses related to air pollution. The fine particulate matter suspended in polluted air can penetrate our respiratory and cardiovascular systems. This leads to the increased risk of heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, asthma, and respiratory infections, such as pneumonia. Ultimately being able to affect our cognitive abilities in some way.

In recent months, however, the Philippines, specifically Metro Manila, has underwent a massive improvement in air quality. This was observed during the lockdown following the outbreak of COVID-19 in March. With travel and movement restricted, most civilians have adapted to working and learning from home, limiting the number of vehicles on the roads. Subsequently, this contributes to a depletion in greenhouse gas emissions. Similarly, with schools, malls, and non-essential businesses closed, the total energy consumption has also reduced.

While these recent data show improvement, this does not signify a permanent change since carbon dioxide stays in the atmosphere for around a century. As everyday life slowly approaches normal, we should expect the same for our air quality. Nevertheless, experts say that this is the perfect opportunity for the Philippines to assess its pollution problems and work towards combating it. As society faces a new normal, we should also take the chance to practice new and more sustainable habits. Likewise, the government should also take this time to invest in low emission vehicles to revamp the public transportation system and consider renewable energy as an alternative. By doing so, we can all work together to better care for the environment and ultimately improve the air quality.

Sources

Philippine Statistics Authority. 2014. 2010 Survey Of Energy Consumption Of Establishments (SECE) - FINAL. [online] Available at: <https://psa.gov.ph/content/2010-survey-energy-consumption-establishments-sece-final> [Accessed 6 October 2020].

Big News Network.com. 2020. Air Pollution Has Become Serious Threat In Philippines. [online] Available at: <https://www.bignewsnetwork.com/news/263670053/air-pollution-has-become-serious-threat-in-philippines> [Accessed 6 October 2020].

Earth Journalism Network. 2020. Beyond Lockdown: Can The Philippines Sustain Low Air-Pollution Levels?. [online] Available at: <https://earthjournalism.net/stories/beyond-lockdown-can-the-philippines-sustain-low-air-pollution-levels#:~:text=Before%20the%20lockdown%2C%20the%20Philippines,the%20problem%20of%20air%20pollution.> [Accessed 6 October 2020].

Pollution and the Pandemic

10/06/20

With the rise of technology and all the convenience brought by a modernized, industrial society comes certain disadvantages. One main disadvantage that this essay will be focusing on is the issue of pollution. Ever since society has grown more and more dependent on energy and electricity, the cleanliness of our environment has suffered. This is applicable all around the world as air pollution continues to worsen.

In the Philippines, air pollution poses a great threat, and modern daily activities continue to worsen this situation. The main contributor to this problem is the use of non-renewable energy sources. These sources include fossil fuels such as coal and crude oil. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the overall energy consumed by establishments in 2010 was recorded at 53,889.59 kilotonnes of oil equivalent (kTOE). This number can be further segregated into fossil fuels with 31,634.23 kTOE, renewable energy with 19,118.70 kTOE, and electricity with 3,136.67 kTOE. The consumption of fossil fuels as the source of energy still ranks the highest at roughly 58.7% which explains the prevalence of air pollution issues. The Department of Energy and Natural Resources (DENR) also stated that 80% of air pollution comes from vehicle emissions.

It is no shock that air pollution can be detrimental to one’s health. In fact, in the Philippines, 45.3 out of 100,000 people die from sicknesses related to air pollution. The fine particulate matter suspended in polluted air can penetrate our respiratory and cardiovascular systems. This leads to the increased risk of heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, asthma, and respiratory infections, such as pneumonia. Ultimately being able to affect our cognitive abilities in some way.

In recent months, however, the Philippines, specifically Metro Manila, has experienced an improvement in its poor air quality. This occurred during the lockdown following the outbreak of COVID-19 in March. With travel and movement restricted, most civilians have adapted to working and learning from home. This has limited the number of vehicles which emit greenhouse gases and contribute to air pollution which plays a big part in the improvement of air quality. Similarly, with schools, malls, and non-essential businesses closed, the total energy consumption has also reduced.

We must note that this does not signify a permanent change since carbon dioxide stays in the atmosphere for around a century. As everyday life slowly approaches normal, we should expect the same for our air quality. Nevertheless, experts say that this is the perfect opportunity for the Philippines to assess its pollution problems and work towards combating it. As society faces a new normal, we should also take the chance to practice new and more sustainable habits. Likewise, the government should also take this time to invest in low emission vehicles to revamp the public transportation system and consider renewable energy as an alternative. By doing so, we can all work together to better care for the environment and ultimately improve the air quality.

Sources

Providing Evidence

Law 9/29/20

For our class discussion, we were assigned to select a news article related to our advocacy for the class from a different news source. Since I usually get my updates from Rappler, CNN, or through social media, I decided to use The Philippine Inquirer as my source. I came across an article about the price drop of palay, or rice that has not been husked, which somewhat relates to our groups advocacy on the environment. The article was entitled “Farmers Cry for Help as Palay Prices Drop”

How I felt about the news article:

Reading this article reminded my of a video I had to watch yesterday for my DEV 106 class which talked about the plight of the banana farmers in the Compostela Valley. After watching that video and reading this article, I was saddened because I’m sure the farmers shown are just some representing so much more struggling farmers whose stories are not shared with the public. These farmers barely manage to make profit and the decrease in price of their product definitely does not help. This also led me to believe that our government does not put the agricultural sector as a main priority. Although this was something I thought prior to the pandemic, it is becoming more evident now.

Providing evidence:

As of January 7, 2020, the Department of Agriculture is targeting to produce 19.6 million metric tons (MMT) of palay in 2020, 3% more than the total output of 2019. Despite producing such a large sum of rice, the Philippines was stated to be the number one importer of rice in 2019, getting most of the rice from Vietnam and Thailand. Furthermore, The Rice Tariffication Law was meant to provide affordable rice prices for consumers, and raise the income of palay/rice farmers. Sadly, the opposite is currently the case. Rice farmers are continuing to get paid even less and consumers have to pay more for rice. As of 2019, palay has been selling for about PHP. 7-10 per kg, putting farmers at a loss since it costs PHP. 12.40 per kg to produce.

Sources:

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1341292/farmers-cry-for-help-as-palay-prices-drop

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1090194

https://opinion.inquirer.net/124459/revisit-rice-tariffication-law#:~:text=11203%20or%20the%20rice%20tariffication,income%20of%20palay%2Frice%20farmers.&text=In%20Central%20Luzon%2C%20the%20country's,low%20P9%2C%20high%20P14).

lunapalmai

Logical Fallacies: Guess That Fallacy! (Say What? Part II)

leeannp

Here are my guesses!

1. Ad hominem -- judging a persons character based on how they dress

2. Circular reasoning -- not 100% sure about this one hehe

3. Appeal to ignorance but could also be circular reasoning

4. False dilemmas

5. Slippery slope!! assumes their child will get pregnant if she has a boyfriend

ferdsblogs

Make them guess that fallacy

Here are some logical fallacies:

Logical fallacy 1:

We are better off opening up the economy and risk spreading the virus than going back on lockdown and have no economic activity at all.

Logical fallacy 2:

My OFW neighbor who recently came home tested positive for the corona virus, and so it’s probably best to not have OFWs come home to avoid the risk of them spreading the virus.

Logical fallacy 3:

Why are we bothering to criticize the artificial beach in Manila Bay when we continue to get thousands of COVID positive individuals.

Logical fallacy 4:

Since the whole school year is gonna be online, we won’t learn anything all throughout the year. :(

Logical fallacy 5:

We have been on lockdown for so long because the Filipino people aren’t disciplined enough!

leeannp

1. false dilemma

2. Post hoc ergo propter hoc

3. red herring -- not sure though hehe

4. slippery slope

5. overgeneralization

Petition to Enforce Stricter Regulations for Mining in Environmentally Critical Areas

To: Philippine Biodiversity Conservation Foundation Inc.

Take a stronger stance on the banning of the exportation of natural ores

Enforce Stricter Regulations on Environmentally Critical Areas

Why is this important?

An article I read that dates to August 25, 2020, stated that the Executive Order (EO) 79 which was imposed during the term of President Benigno Aquino III, had been lifted. EO 79 implemented reforms in the Philippine Mining Sector, ensuring the protection of our environment and mineral resources through policies and guidelines. This was lifted under Duterte’s Administration in order to combat the economic crisis brought by the pandemic.

Lifting EO 79 would benefit our economy through additional government revenues like taxes and fees, royalty fees, and an increase in export value, as well as employment opportunities for thousands of Filipinos. However, this also means that the environmentally critical areas which were protected by EO 79 can be turned into mining projects, affecting the biodiversity of the Philippines. Furthermore, this could also hinder conservation efforts of rainforests and other ecosystems as well as the conservation of our mineral resources.

Under EO 79, the following areas were considered closed to mining applications:

1. Areas expressly enumerated under Section 19 of RA No. 7942

2. Protected areas established under the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) under RA No. 7586

3. Prime agricultural lands, in addition to lands covered by RA No. 6657, including plantations and areas devoted to valuable crops, and strategic agriculture and fisheries development zones and fish refuge and sanctuaries declared as such by the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA)

4. Tourism development areas, as identified in the National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP)

5. Other critical areas, island ecosystems, and impact areas of mining as determined by current and existing mapping technologies, that the DENR may hereafter identify pursuant to existing laws, rules, and regulations, such as, but not limited to, the NIPAS Act

By regulating and strictly enforcing proper environmental restrictions in these areas in compliance with the DENR, we can not only conserve our resources and biodiversity but also use the mining industry in a safe way to help the Philippine economy. It is my vision through this petition that we observe a balance between these two and ensure that these environmentally critical areas are protected and that necessary guidelines are met.

My efforts towards this advocacy will be shared on Facebook and other social media platforms, including sites such as change.org, if ever you consider participating. This will be done to inform the public and raise awareness of this situation. Thank you for all the work you do to conserve and protect the biodiversity of our beautiful country.

Sources:

Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. 2020. Executive Order No. 79, S. 2012 | GOVPH. [online] Available at: <https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2012/07/06/executive-order-no-79-s-2012/> [Accessed 25 September 2020].

Manila Bulletin. 2020. Lifting Of Ban On New Mining Projects Can Help PH Recover From Recession - Manila Bulletin. [online] Available at: <https://mb.com.ph/2020/08/25/lifting-of-ban-on-new-mining-projects-can-help-ph-recover-from-recession/> [Accessed 25 September 2020].

#environment #conservation

Guess the Fallacy!! :)

9/23/2020

1. Either we all convert to renewable sources of energy or we continue using non-renewable energy and die because of global warming.

2. I am never going to drink alcohol. I don’t want to be an alcoholic and die of liver failure.

3. I saw a Facebook thread in which multiple guys said that they would break up with a girl if she was sexually abused. They said that it was the girl’s fault for putting herself in that situation. Therefore, all men are trash.

4. Person 1: You should learn to stand up for yourself more and stop being a pushover

Person 2: Look who’s talking

5. I read that the beef industry is the leading cause of methane and a large contributor to global warming. I guess the only way to stop climate change is to become vegan then.

Teddy Locsin

9/22/20

I am not on Twitter, and this is probably the first time I came across this post/tweet. Honestly, I think if I came across this I wouldn’t have put much thought into it and would have overlooked it since I would not have understood the context of it. Seeing this tweet on my canvas gave me the opportunity to reflect and made me realize that I am quite behind with the current events of the Philippines and this is something I must improve on, especially since I am majoring in development.

Upon searching, I discovered that Teddy Locsin serves as the Secretary of Foreign Affairs since 2018. Being one of the country’s premier diplomats, I believe that this tweet does not embody traits a diplomat should have and could be taken out of context or misunderstood. It is important for people in high positions such as these to remember that their opinions and comments could be taken against them or the office they represent.

My Insights on Environmental Issues

9/22/20

For our Dev 108 class, my group mates and I initially decided to focus on three advocacies: Gender Rights, Education, and Environment. Education and gender rights are both advocacies close to my heart since I live in a country wherein quality education is not available to everyone, nor is it accessible and I am also a girl who experiences bias and discrimination albeit in less harsh forms. However, we decided to narrow it down to environment, specifically conservation.

Honestly, I believe the environment will always be a prevalent issue because of global warming, pollution, and our limited natural resources. Because of this, Im glad we settled on this particular advocacy. Being a DS major, I was able to garner one main on the environment in an attempt to relate this to current issues.

Environmental issues, particularly pollution, conservation, and global warming, can also be traced back to class struggle.

One statement from my DEV 102 class struck me earlier today. It stated that s the “development of some also means the underdevelopment of many.” This means that the developed countries extract the surplus of the developing countries in order to help them develop more. This can be seen in the issue of the conservation of natural resources. One of the main reasons countries, the Philippines included, were colonized was so that our colonizers could benefit from our natural resources. Sadly, this issue still remains since some developed countries still continue to exploit the natural resources of some developing countries.

This same concept can also be applied to the issue of global warming and the emission of greenhouse gases. One of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions is the use of non-renewable energy such as coal, oil, and other fossil fuels. The use of these resources escalated during the Industrial Revolution, when the now developed countries discovered the efficiency brought by machines. Although this lead to technological advancement, it came at a high price. Now, that these countries have already developed, it is easier for them to convert to renewable sources of energy. However, it is not so simple for the developing countries who are still yet to reach their level of advancement.

Lastly, this can also be seen in the issue of pollution. I’ll use single-use plastics as an example for this. Although single-use plastics are detrimental for our environment, they are not only cheap but also convenient, making them the most “suitable” option for low-income families. A great number of people in developing countries do not have the purchasing power to switch to more sustainable alternatives. Although Im all for sustainability, I strongly dislike how some companies market it as a trend or a luxury.

Logical Fallacies

9/21/20

For my DEV 108 class, were assigned to come up with examples to 3 different fallacies without stating which fallacy it was.

Here are my examples:

1. Either we all convert to renewable sources of energy or we continue using non-renewable energy and die because of global warming.

2. I am never going to drink alcohol. I don’t want to be an alcoholic and die of liver failure.

The Art of Writing Letters

9/18/20

Earlier this year, probably during the first few months of quarantine, I offered to help my mom clean our attic. While doing so, I was pleased to find two shoe boxes bursting with letters addressed to my mom from her high school days. With her permission, I read them. Most letters were written on beautiful stationary and I was amazed at how beautiful everyones penmanship was. Reading the canvas post “ Letter of Jose "Pepe" Diokno to son Chel” reminded me of this day.

I remember perfectly, the expression on my mom’s face when I showed her the letters I found. It were as if I had presented her with long lost treasure. It is regrettable to think that, in the future, this probably would never happen to me. In my generation, people who write letters are rare. In fact, the act of writing itself has become uncommon. Everyone resorts to typing their notes, letters, and more. This made me realize that as society evolves and becomes more advanced, so does our method of communication. We adapt to our changing surroundings. However, despite this, I believe that certain things should stay timeless and the art of writing letters is one thing that I hope never changes.

Humility

9/13/2020

One thing I have noticed about myself is that I tend to admire people who have a sense of humility. I am more drawn to those who do not demand attention or respect. Rather, I applaud those who quietly earn the respect of others through their actions or by setting a good example. This has proven to apply to me in most cases, from my choice of friends to those in authority whom I look up to. I guess the main reason I admire people with this quality is that I believe humility goes hand in hand with a sense of maturity and inner confidence. Human beings naturally tend to be self-centered. Therefore, I believe that possessing the quality of humility means that one is mature and confident enough to accept both their strengths and weaknesses instead of boast about them. I believe humility should not be seen as a sign of weakness or an inferiority complex but instead as a strength that we should all have.

My Writing Aspirations

September 18, 2020

When I was younger, I used to journal, or write in my diary, every day. I don’t know if there was any particular reason behind why I stopped this habit, but I’d like to assume that it was because as I grew older and got more preoccupied, I prioritized it less. Looking back, I honestly wish that I never stopped. I reckon my writing skills would be far better than how they are now and I’d probably look forward to writing papers for all of my classes.

I believe writing is a skill that each individual must possess, since it is a main method to achieve communication. Writing, especially journaling, is also a great outlet for articulating one’s thoughts and expressing emotions. Even though I no longer regularly keep a journal, I still find myself writing whenever I am upset.

I remember when I was 12, I loved writing so much that I even thought about writing a novel...I really knew how to dream big. It is my aspiration that one day, I rediscover this same passion and love for writing. I think this class, particularly the fact that we are keeping an online journal, will truly help me accomplish this. For that, I am thankful.

leeannp

Defining Communication for Development and Social Change (a thread)

For my major subject, we were required to read 3 different readings about this and share our insights on social media.

leeannp

Article 3: Development Communication: Communication for Development or Communication of Development by Dr. Mrinal Chatterjee

In this article, Chatterjee mentions the concepts of timeliness and urgency of time. However, their differences are quite vague. Thus, the statement "Timeliness is of prime importance in case of event-based news, while urgency of time is not that pressing in case of event-based news" confuses me. This could be a typographical error, though. The article also tackles the concept of modernizaton linking it to development. But, does modernization immediately equate to development or progress? Lastly, the terms deviant and representative were used to describe event and process-based news respectively and I am not sure what these terms mean in this context.

This article was actually pretty insightful. I liked how equating modernzation to westernization and suggesting modernization was necessary to meet needs were seen as erroneous assumptions. Prior to the industrial revolution and the concept of modernization, societies were still able to access their basic needs. Albeit, through much more inefficient ways. I also appreciated that development was no longer seen as an attempt to modernize people but rather an attempt to reduce inequality, shifting its emphasis from economic growth to meeting needs. Economic growth does not always equate to development. There are multiple countries who have been doing well economically yet still have wide gaps within their society. The article also mentioned that economic growth is not the only indicator of development. It must be accompanied by other factors such as social change which promotes mass welfare and that deliberate underdevelopment was a function of colonialism. Overall, I enjoyed reading this article because it debunked old beliefs about development by making clarifications and corrections.

leeannp

Defining Communication for Development and Social Change (a thread)

For my major subject, we were required to read 3 different readings about this and share our insights on social media.

leeannp

Article 2: Development Communication Primer by Nora Cruz Quebral

This article was a relatively easy and enjoyable read for me. However, I did have some questions after reading it. Quebral mentions that economic development took on a social aspect in the 1950s. What caused this? What were the processes development underwent or what historical events occurred in order for it to be viewed differently? She also states that development communication and communication are two different concepts, but the contrast is still quite unclear to me. Is the only difference found in the communication user? Another issue is I think the definition of development communication of UP LB is too broad and needs to be specified more. Lastly, the portion on corruption seemed a bit too brief and it would have been better if it was discussed with more depth.

Like the previous article, I also garnered insights from this one. First, I appreciate how it was clarified that development is not only defined in an economic way, since social, political, and moral development are also necessary. I particularly enjoyed her segment discussing urbanization. While urbanization may be viewed by some as a solution to poverty, it actually can be a problem as well. In the reading it states that poverty is now growing faster in urban areas. Another issue that arises is the delayed development of rural areas since their population ends up working in cities. The article also stated "Where the old and new media are concentrated in cities, the rural populace is virtually voiceless. What is passed off as public opinion is urban opinion." I think this issue is currently being addressed since those living in rural areas now have more of a voice. Finally, the article also touched on women empowerment stating that its rise is used to achieve economic development and human rights. However, in some countries, such as Japan, this has also affected the population growth. As women get more goal oriented, some tend to prioritize this over rearing children.

leeannp

Defining Communication for Development and Social Change (a thread)

For my major subject, we were required to read 3 different readings about this and share our insights on social media.

leeannp

Article 1: Terms and Definitions in Communication for Development and Social Change by Jan Servaes

I had with this article some issues or questions regarding this article. Firstly, Quebral defines development communication as "human communication applied to the speedy transformation of a country." Does this mean that development communication is not present in other countries that have a slower development process? Secondly, the definitions of Fraser & Villet and The Rome Consensus of development communication both mention the use of tools to experience change and as a part of social processes, but they fail to elaborate on the specific tools and methods. Thirdly, I have never encountered the term ideological interpolation, thus the segment including it is quite difficult for me to comprehend. Lastly, the article mentions that the Western view of sustainable development lack the human development dimension. However, it does not really give too much examples on how it lacks this.

Despite these, there were some insights I gained from the article and some parts I appreciated. I agree with how Servaes highlighted that the digital divide lead to the widening gap between the info-rich and info-poor. However, I believe that technology not only widens the gap in this sense. The digital divide also brings about differences in culture between groups of people. The article also mentioned that "culture is the collective equivalent of personality." I really appreciate this analogy because it emphasizes the difficulty to place a single definition on culture. The concept of culture is far too perplex to equate it to one meaning. I also liked how the definition of cultural identity was divided into two different phenomena, with both an inward and outward aspect, making the concept much easier to fully understand. In the article, Flint describes sustainability as “Taking the contextual features of economy, society, and environment – the uncertainty, the multiple competing values, and the distrust among various interest groups – as givens and going on to design a process that guides concerned groups to seek out and ask the right questions as a preventative approach to environmentally and socially regrettable undertakings.” This was hard for me to understand at first, but I really appreciated this take on sustainability. Finally, I also liked the concept of evolvability and I think it should be integrated more with sustainable development.

Defining Communication for Development and Social Change (a thread)

For my major subject, we were required to read 3 different readings about this and share our insights on social media.

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