The World Bank and the Stockholm Development Institute (SDI) has raised concerns over the worsening state of air pollution in Asia. It has been reported that pollution in the region has been worsening over the past decades, causing the deaths of thousands in the cities of Beijing, Jakarta, Seoul, Bangkok and Manila. Research shows that emissions from the Asian continent has exceeded their neighbors from Europe and North America.

The SDI also revealed an alarming increase of dangerous chemicals in the air such as sulphur dioxide, ammonia and nitrogen oxides. Scientific studies show that the chemicals greatly contribute to the spread of pulmonary diseases like pneumonia and bronchitis. Aside from this, they also discovered a significant increase in ground level ozone concentration.

Meanwhile, the World Bank has rang bells over the growing mortality rates caused by air pollution. In Manila, air pollution kills over 4,000 Filipinos each year. This is already considered the third highest mortality rate for an East Asian country.

With so much information out there about global warming and the effects that are causing natural disasters, is there anything we as individuals can do to make a difference? Yep! You don’t need to move mountains, but a small pebble can really make ripples that can create positive changes world wide. Here’s a few “pebbles” you can use today!

We all feel we have a purpose in life. As more of us become aware of the damaging effects of global warming, we are also concerned about practical solutions to the problem. Most importantly, how can we fit in as part of the solution, instead of the problem?

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Littering is literally of epidemic proportions in our country. It seems that our enigmatic routines get clear in the way of making any sense of our behavioral patters - particularly when it comes to our driving habits, or, more accurately, to practices we have when we’re driving. One of them is particularly bothersome to yours truly, if you don’t mind. It relates fundamentally to our notion of patriotism and respect - if those are qualities we profess to hold dear to our hearts.

One of the most beautiful sounding words to me in our vernacular is kalikasan. It almost sounds like a canny combination between kalayaan (freedom) and kinabukasan (tomorrow). So, c’mon, all you experts in our national language, what does kalikasan mean? Stumped? Ok, it means: environment! And what do too many of us do when we’re driving? We throw directly at its deterioration and eventual destruction: by littering. Read the rest of this entry »