Environmental tweets for UN Climate Change Delegations

This is a simple way to be heard by our world leaders. Send your messages while they are still listening on the final day of the Climate Change conference in Copenhagen (Denmark)... Click the image/photo above to be directed straight to the site. CCCC is an ongoing two-weeks event where leaders from 192 countries convene to discuss an overrated environmental problem, Climate Change.

Climate change is a 100-year problem we should not try to fix it in 10 years. (Cool it, Bjorn Lomborg)

Leaders of the world, there is so much time to do in so little time, so when you make this choice think about the world and how it should end. (Marcos Fernandez, Brazil)

Please expose the false science of global warming that was uncovered via emails sent by the scientists from the University of Anglia (Carlos A. USA)

Climate change is not an opportunity for profit. It is a call for developed nations to pay their historical ecologic debt. (Elysian Bukid, Philippines)

I do hope that the developing countries will get the fair financial deals in reducing the catastrophic effects of global warming (if this is really happening or this is a politically-created crisis). Truly, Im very skeptical about this environmental issue, but having this gathering might increase the awareness of the people to think about saving our Mother Earth's resources for the future's generations.

Higher Learning and Climate Change

WHEN I STARTED MY RESEARCH 4 years ago, one of the motivations why I decided to pursue higher education is to contribute to the knowledge-base on environmental management, specifically on how we could utilise land resource effeciently and effectively. In particular, I want to identify strategies on how to redevelop or regenerate underutilised/unproductive land (greyfields), the brownfields - properties that have been utilised for a single use (industrial, parking, etc) or simply to revitalise downtown areas or urban centres with derelict land and buildings to increase choice, convenience, and vitality resulting in social, economic and environmental benefits. This can be promoted by intensification of land uses through "mixed-use form".

MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT is considered as one of the mechanisms to regenerate these properties into liveable, attractive and sustainable communities. Mixed-use scheme is an integral ingredient of urban redevelopment to promote compactness, social equity, economic vitality and ennvironmental quality. Unfortunately, environmental quality is not directly discussed in my research, however, there are attributes or indicators in mixed-use scheme that are identified that influenced in the performance and optimisation of the mix" of use within the project. These attributes are included in the physical characteristics of the projects such as: functional and physical lay-out, type and quality of contruction materials, provision for parking, air conditioning system, cooling and ventilation, and energy effeciency rating. In addition, there are indicators that describe the environmental setting and condition of the sites (where these mixed-use schemes are located) which also indicate sustainability.

Im very honest in my previous journals that Im not an "avid fan" of Climate Change or Global Warming issues, however I do believe that we have our own little way to protect our Mother Earth. There are other issues that need much greater attention from both the communities and the government that influence the drastic change of our climate.

To this end, continuing higher education is one of the aspects that support environmental protection, preservation and management through the conduct of research in built environment (real estate, property investment, infrastructures, housing, etc.). Providing more funds and resources to pursue higher learning is one way of enriching the knowledge base and sharing information to the public as a whole.

Note: Some examples of mixed-use projects will be posted here very soon!

Losing shores, losing more...losing a living

THIS WEEK I RECEIVED EMAILS that informed me about the impacts of global warming, mostly in a negative way. I did write before about Al Gore's award from his documentary film and book, entitled the Inconvenient Truth. To be honest, Gore's projects brought inspirations and awareness to everyone, but I was not impressed with his documentaries, and I dont want to discuss it here, maybe in some other time! And besides I dont believe 100 percent with global warming or climate change. Please respect my judgment or my personal opinion about this - a politically motivated environmental agenda of the 21st century.

Yes, there are manifestations of the changes of our weather condition which the scientific community links it to excessive use of fuels from transportation and other factors coming from manufacturing. Early this morning I had a phone conversation with my friend in Manila using my internet connection with LowRateVOIP online provider and I asked him the present weather in the Philippines. He told me that it is raining in the early part of May! It seems unusual to me, because May is always the best time to travel in the country, and the start of wet season really comes only in June (school time). So, it somehow brought me to think that the 21st century is bringing change to Mother Earth!

Then at the later part of the day, I received three emails sent to my different email addresses. One email was sent by my former boss in AIT, Ma'am Teng Suselo (Musings of a Retiree). The message was sent to her and she forwarded it to her friends, including myself. It was not a serious message but it made me laugh - it composed of visual images. One of them is related to global warming effect - not negatively but positively. Look at the photo below (please when you laugh, do it quietly or maybe a smile will do to appreciate this).

The other email was sent thru my AIT Alumni Phillippines Association Yahoogroup account. One of the former officers of the association sent her congratulary message to her son who won third place in just concluded 2009 World Bank Essay Competition. The competition also asked participants to send photos and videos that focus on two themes: "how does climate change affect you?", and "how can you tackle climate change through youth-led solutions? My friend's son submitted a short video clip entitled as partly the same with journal post's title... Losing shores, losing more. It is a simple presentation but with a strong message to everyone. It struck me most because I came from a coastal town in the Philippines (Romblon) and fishing is the main livelihood in the area, and I understand what the video wants to convey to the viewers especially for the young generations. Also, marine ecosystem is a vital resource of the country especially conserving the coral reefs for fish and other marine life to grow and multiply!

This video also reminded me of my recent application to the Best Job in the World organised by Queensland Tourism - a job search for the Islandcaretaker of the Great Barrier Reef (world heritage site). I thought that having the job for six months could give me confidence to do the same in the Philippines to promote not only tourism but also to protect, conserve and manage the coral reef system of the 7,107 islands in the long term basis. Unfortunately, I was not shortlisted and not successful to impressed the organiser, instead the job was offered to a British adventurer last week.

Finally, the other email from a review site where Im a member too which contains the link of one of the members' recent post in the site. His article discussed the findings from the World Bank's study that climate change has a major impact to "The Coral Triangle" - being considered as the world's richest marine environment. This marine system encompasses the coasts, reefs and seas of Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and East Timor." Consequently, it affects the livelihoods of almost 100 million people on these areas.

Having these facts, what do you think, can we battle global warming or climate change? Or is this only a political propaganda? In what way you can help? At the end of the day, this is the way I think: There are more pressing issues than GW or CC such as poverty, hunger, education, toxic wastes, human rights, and terrorism!