Crazy weather

There were two typhoons that passed the country in the past two weeks. Luckily, Metro Manila was spared. They could have provided some cleansing of the dirty cities in the metropolis! On the other hand, the mud that will settle once the floods drain themselves into the clogged estuaries will add to the dirt and grime of the city. The dirt and grime, of course, are exacerbated by the dirt, mud and grime already being thrown at one another by shitty and good for nothing politicians!

Too cocky

Here are excerpts from a news report on a statement of a politician turned government agency secretary –

“BAGUIO CITY — Global warming and urban decay cannot be blamed on overpopulation, Environment Secretary Lito Atienza said here Saturday.

Atienza made the assertion during a tree-planting activity at the Camp John Hay forest reservation to jump-start a counter-global warming campaign.

He said good resource management would correct anomalies that have spawned homelessness and poverty, and should be enough to address the hole in the ozone layer.

The United States had raised the matter of overpopulation to justify its decision not to ratify the protocol, which was pushed by former Vice President Al Gore.

It argued that the restrictions should also cover China and India because of their big populations.

Although many equate overpopulation with climate change because of the subsequent increase in motor vehicle emissions and heightened industrial expansion, population has never been a serious condition to draw the interest of world environmentalists, Atienza said.

The Philippines need not alter its climate change policy because it does not contribute as much greenhouse gases as developed countries do, he said.

Atienza said overpopulation should be embraced and not feared by cities.”

Well, here comes another person assuming different roles in governance without really thinking first of things said in public. This is really sad. For the past two decades since the publication of “Our Common Future” people (not just “overpopulation’) has had a role in the disposition of the environment. How else can the environment be in the shape it is in now? Aren’t all the changes done by people? How much more if there is “overpopulation?” We have to make a definition of what this means, though. For example, Manila can hold only 1 million people scattered comfortably in the land of a thousand square kilometers (figures are not accurate, given only for comparison). That’s not overpopulation. But if these same 1 million is concentrated in an area of a hundred kilometers, then that is “overpopulation.” Which means that the way the city is laid out population has become a problem.

The situation is bad enough but when local bureaucrats take pot shots at other countries environment policies that’s a little too cocky given the bad reputation that this country already possess in the international community. The bureaucrat should also quit commenting and making generalized statements such as “population has never been a serious condition to draw the interest of world environmentalists.” It sadly shows the very limited abilities of those governing this country. At the least, it also shows the lack of good background reading and research.

The point here is that we all need good resource management, (which includes human resource) as well as a good population distribution, more service oriented governance, and less personal politics.

Reckoning students

Its been four weeks since the second semester at the University of the East began. Immediately, there are differences that can be observed between freshmen and senior students comprising the communication and journalism courses that I handle.

I guess it has to do somewhat with maturity. The first year students usually have the following characteristics:

1. there’d be at least one male and one female class comedian (aka “the life of the party”
2. there’d be some who will instinctively laugh at their antics
3. there’d be students who will surely chat or mumble despite the teacher lecturing in front or a fellow student doing some oral report
4. there’d be students who will tinker with the computer games and ignore a more active role in class

Senior students though are more introspective and there’s a look of anticipation of an impending graduation from a four year course. The comedians will always be there, though, but only to a lesser degree.

Oh well, so much for being a professor in UE Manila!?!

Hello world!

Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!