Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Are we really dying? Is Climate Change actually happening? Are we in for the worst? Yes, yes and yes. It is scarily true. People are so darn selfish that we neglect how important the environment is. I know, I know, most of you are most probably sick and tired of reading or hearing about “saving the environment” stuff but if you ACTUALLY listen or understand, then you should be taking action right now. Honestly, a few days ago, I was apathetic. I have my own list of random things to do to save energy but still, the ultimate blow still hasn’t sunk. Until last night…

The Age of Stupid movie (directed by Franny Armstrong) is about climate change, oil, war, politics, consumerism and human stupidity. I attended the screening at Glorietta 4 in Makati and when the movie was done, my friend and I realized that we are...well…stupid. The main actor, Pete Postlethwaite, uttered a couple of times, “why didn't we stop climate change while we had the chance?”, The chance he was referring to is NOW. Because if we do not do anything, if we continue living like this then by 2055, our beautiful world will be no less than an arid, ugly and lifeless land. Who would want to live in a place like that?? Our grandchildren would surely persecute us. The film showed people from different countries with different jobs and in different levels of the society. These people represented us, different walks of life. It showed how they are affected by climate change, what they do to prevent it and their knowledge about it. Here, we do realize how everyone in the whole world is interconnected. How the littlest thing like buying a plastic toy affects the underpaid Chinese factory workers and how these ridiculous plastic toy eventually ends up in a landfill and STAYS there for 50 years or so. Makes one think if bottled water is worth buying, huh?

But we do know about this problem. Most of us are familiar with climate change but we remain indifferent and unconcerned…even if we know the consequences, we choose to be stupid.

According to scientific and very reliable resources, by 2015, climate change would reach its climax, that is why as we gear towards that year, we should be able to reduce the impacts so that its effects would decrease and eventually save us! Pretty easy to understand, right? But it is not easy to act on it. All these activist organizations or groups like Greenpeace and Oxfam know what is in store for us in the coming years…and we better listen and act if we want to be saved.

Some of my friends give me this blank look when I mention something about saving energy or even when I was talking about this Age of Stupid film. They just don’t care. It’s just sad.

I am not here to reproach or tick you off, I may not be much of help but every step counts. I am also at fault here. Heck, I am an architect and we design carbon-producing monsters almost everyday! You would tell yourself, C’mon, We gotta earn a living! BUT we can go about our jobs WITH less negative impact on the environment. If you ask me what I do to help, my answers would sound silly but they are indeed helpful at the very least.

So, Do you want to remain stupid? I know I don't.

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