Proper waste management

This is our last blog for the the environmental engineering course and I want to give my best to it. Our professor asked to have an estimate percentage of different waste that we dispose everyday. I do some observations for three days to check what are common waste which I dispose. Well, here's my pictures of different waste I dispose for three days.

So more or less here's my waste different waste I dispose for the last three days. I have waste plastics, paper and biodegradable waste. So if I will get the percentage of these first, I can say that 50% of my waste are plastic because I always need some container for my things.. and I always use plastics and afterwards I will dispose it which I realize that I should not dispose it anywhere because it has long decay. Second, is paper which is 20% of my everyday waste because as a student I always use pen and paper. Whenever I make a huge mistake I will dispose it already inside the garbage which still I realize that it is wrong because my younger sister tell me that in their school, Marikina Science Highschool, they collect paper and plastic for recycling. Last but not the least is the biodegradable waste which is more or less 30% and everyone of us are disposing, only proper waste segregation is needed for a good disposing and management of it.

"Go through the flow"

Do you know that Phosphorus also circulates like other biogeochemical cycles?

Before anything else, let's just first define what is Phosphorus..

Phosphorus is an essential nutrient for plants and animals in the form of ions PO₄^3- and HPO₄^2-. It is a part of DNA-molecules, of molecules that store energy (ATP and ADP) and of fats of cell membranes. Phosphorus is also a building block of certain parts of the human and animal body, such as the bones and teeth. Phosphorus can be found on earth in water, soil and sediments.

How does phosphorus circulates?

It is in these rocks where the phosphorus cycle begins. When it rains, phosphates are removed from the rocks through weathering and are distributed throughout both soils and water like rivers and streams.

Phosphates make up an important part of the structural framework that holds DNA and RNA together. 

Phosphates are incorporated into organic molecules by flowing out of the water into plants that are consumed by animals.

The plants will take up the phosphate ions from the soil then it will move from plants to animals when herbivores eat plants and carnivores eat plants or herbivores. The phosphates absorbed by animal tissue through consumption eventually returns to the soil through the excretion of urine and feces, as well as from the final decomposition of plants and animals after death.

But what happens to the phosphates when plants and animals die?

Phosphorus cycles through plants and animals much faster than it does through rocks and sediments. When animals and plants die, phosphates will return to the soils or oceans again during decay. After that, phosphorus will end up in sediments or rock formations again, remaining there for millions of years. Eventually, phosphorus is released again through weathering and the cycle starts over. 

As you comprehend on how phosphates circulate, we should also be remind that even other living things find ways on how can they live long in this world. Also for us people, we should learn how can we comply to the flow of life.

Abundant biodiversity

Our class was asked to have a blog about protecting wet lands of the Philippines and the one assigned to me is Naujan lake.

When I read about Naujan lake, I feel a little disappointment because the human population around it do not care and protect the said lake. Also, I feel a little upset because I missed to see and experience in reality the beauty and hugeness of the Naujan lake.

The idea of Naujan lake I have read was, it is found in the northeast coast of the province of Oriental Mindoro on Mindoro Island. The lake is 14 kilometers long and 6 kilometers wide. The lake is home to rich ethnic and cultural diversity.  Naujan Lake is the fifth largest lake in the Philippines.

Naujan lake is a wet land rich in biodiversity. The lake is an important feeding or wintering ground for large numbers of ducks and other waterbirds such as herons, egrets, terns, rails and bitterns. The lake is rich in nutrients and supports a major fishery of both demersal and pelagic species. Most of the inhabitants of the region depend on the lake for their livelihood.

Because of the increase in the human population in the area, the demand on the lake's natural resources has grown rapidly. Fishing is intensive and there is continuing conflict between preserving the National Park for wildlife and development of the area for commercial and subsistence level activities by the local residents. 

October to December used to be the months when the catch was abundant, as water elevation would rise to the levels of the marshlands where fishes could hatch their eggs. It is also common practice during the rainy days for fishermen to drop their gill nets and screen traps right behind their houses, getting some catch for their meals at least. But since 2009, on these same months, the catch had been scarce.

As I was continue reading there was some issuances that include provisions for sustainable and equitable fishing. I was suddenly stopped reading and realized that our government were doing something protection against oppotunists people who abuses the beauty of the lake. Fishermen are completely aware of the prescribed fishing gears and the adverse consequences of illegal practices. The Fisheries Code iterates the penalty at Php 2,000.00 to Php 10,000.00 or one month and one day imprisonment to six months. The section, Obstruction of Defined Migration Paths, demands seven to 12 years imprisonment or a fine of Php 50,000.00 to Php 100,000.00, or both, for the offense of obstructing the migratory path of fishes coming to and fro between the lake and Tablas Strait.

As I conclude this blog, I realized that whatever body of water we have in this world or in our country we should care and protect it for this is also God's creation like us. 

If ever I will be given a chance to be in this place I will feel very happy because I experience and see in reality the beauty of the NAUJAN LAKE..

Eco foot print analysis

        The Philippine resident’s ecological footprint in 2008 was 1.3 global hectares (gha) while our household has a foot print of 1.3 ha per capita. The major contributors to the 1.2 hectare footprint per capita of our household are food ( 10,280 sq m) and housing (1,704 sq m). For electric consumption, we pay an average of Php 3000 for 275 kWh consumed per month. This is the highest consumption of electricity we met for the last 5 years. Hence, we are trying to lessen our consumption of electricity by reducing the use of appliances that has a high consuming power like air-conditioner and iron flat. We know that in order to achieve this, we should use more efficient appliances with less consuming power.

In our food, we consume 10, 230 sq m. The majority of food served in food chains is meat-­based, which requires a relatively larger land area. We should vary choose carefully what kind of food we eat.

It is fine that we are footprint is only 1.3 ha per capita. But still, we should improve our way of consuming things in the environment. We should always be remember that this practice is important in our environment.

Revenge of Nature

Last September 26, 2009, I recall my first experience in removing lots of water in our house because of flood. It was a tropical storm ONDOY that left 80% of the city underwater, dozens dead and hundreds of thousands of people displaced.  Although it was 4 years ago already, it leaves me and my father a mark that we should protect and care our environment for our own good also. 

After that, I realized that still more people take advantage of what nature can give them but they don't care to protect it much. The condition of our environment is becoming worse and worse. People produce a lot of pollution and wastes that destroy our natural environment. Many of us do not imagine what nature can do to us. The survival of all living things and the well-being of all communities depends on the conservation of our natural environment. The most common environmental problem that we encounter are floods.

According to PAGASA, flood is a natural hydrological phenomenon. Floods make an enormous impact on the environment and society. Floods destroy drainage systems in cities, causing raw sewage to spill out into bodies of water. But, what are the causes of this environmental problem??

Some causes why flood happens were because the rains and the typhoons that bring them have increased in magnitude. We all know that Philippines is like a road that passes through by the typhoons, so every year there are minimum of 20 typhoons that enter in the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR). It also floods because the rain comes down from removed uplands. It is because we have lost almost all of our original forest cover from illegal logging. 

Also, it floods because many of those esteros, canals and waterways of our metropolis we have left are chock-full of informal settlers. There are many informal settlers because of poverty in life. Since before, many of our citizens were not able to go in school to study. Another reason why flood occurs is that the main flood control system started in the 70’s was never completed because of lack of funds by the government.

Illegal Logging are somehow one of the cause why overflow of water pass through our houses. Because of the gradual vanish of our trees in forest, we are experiencing this kind of environmental problem.

The most reason why we experience flood is ineffective drainage. The urban development is unplanned and unfettered. But why does drainage becomes ineffective, yet it was given a fund by the local government? Probably, most drainage systems in the country cannot handle the amount of water because they are blocked due to the trashes of people throw on sidewalks. Also, the Metro Manila Development Authority is unable to cope with the tons of trash being disposed daily. But then again, why do people throw trashes on sidewalks if there is a right trashcan? May be some people say that there’s no near trashcan in their place so, they will throw it somewhere. Nonetheless, why do people find a trashcan to throw their waste in the right place? I notice most people are lazy and inconsiderate in their own actions especially the children. Nevertheless, why does people are being lazy and inconsiderate in their actions, yet it is for their own good? Most likely, people are lazy because they don’t want to take responsibility, and they feel that it is just a waste of time and effort.But why does people hate responsibility, yet it is a sense of accomplishment and leaving dependency. Perhaps, most people still want to be dependent in their elder love ones or most probably the things they want to do are limited once they commit responsibility.

Most likely, this is the root cause why does floods happen in our community. People avoid responsibility because they are lethargic to their own abilities and skills. Don’t be afraid to take responsibility because it will help you to be independent and mature enough to take decisions that you will encounter in the future.

Let us protect our natural environment because what we make to it will come back to us whether it is good or bad.

Now, can you give your own causes why flood happens in community? Are you able to give its root cause analysis?