Everything Under The Tropical Sun

Two years ago, a bunch of us decided to go out of the city and do some sightseeing. First, we were only supposed to go to Dumaguete and stay at a friend’s farm… but that seemed too boring and we were aching to see something new. That was when Apo Island was suggested. None of us has ever been there so we all agreed to go on to a little adventure.

We still stayed over at a friends’ farm. Before you go on thinking that we were frolicking among chickens and cows. Let me get it straight that we were at a cock farm (shame on those who had naughty pictures in their heads!).

Cock-fighting, a brutal “sport”, is a favorite “sport” in most provincial areas of the Philippines (which is about 70%). Derby/ies (it’s like the Olympic equivalent for cock fighting) are held from time to time and big money could be won. Sometimes in the tune of P10 Millon. But raising fighting cocks doesn’t necessarily equate to big money… it’s more of the prestige of raising champion fighting cocks. And that was what the farm was all about.

So there we were, in Dumaguete, about 4 hours drive and 45 minute ferry ride from Cebu… and we had this whole plan of going about town and drinking to our hearts’ content but instead, we ended up staying at the farm and hanging out with each other. Which, in my opinion, is much more fun. The highlight of the day was the wonderful and yummy silvanas we bought locally. I never tasted something so yummy!

We woke up quite early the next day and headed for Zamboanguita. It’s about an hour drive from Dumaguete and there we were supposed to ride on a boat from the fishing village of Malapatay. I’m used to big pump boats from Cebu so imagine my surprise when we boarded a tiny fishing boat that’s supposed to carry all 6 of us excluding one boat man to the tiny volcanic island. One of us even had to stay at the front end because we lacked space.

But all is well. We made it to the island in one piece and to be honest, my first impression of a supposedly beautiful island wasn’t a nice one. I was mentally complaining that I didn’t think I’d have fun in a place that looked like that. It didn’t have a white sandy beach, instead it had these huge course broken corals from the sea… the ones that turn into sand. Maybe in a century or so, it’ll have a very beautiful sandy beach front. But not when we were there.

We then proceeded to Liberty’s Lodge. One of two (I repeat, TWO) resorts in the island… settled in and surveyed our surroundings. Our room was actually quite nice. It had a spectacular view of the sea. And best of all, we all fit comfortably! The first thing the boys did was to order a couple bottles of beer while talking over what to do next.

Two in our group were certified divers but one is pregnant. As for me and the rest… well, we’ve never tried. My husband wasn’t really in THAT an adventerous a mood so I backed out since I was the only one interested in learning. That leaves snorkeling. We all (minus the pregnant woman, of course) went out and snorkelled. I was so amazed on how many things we were able to see. And our highlight was a sea turtle! Our guide told us that we were so lucky because it was indeed a very rare sight.

We then proceeded to one of the many marine sanctuaries on the island. There we saw a school of jack fish, beautiful fan corals, other corals that are really very beautiful and colorful. It was so wonderful to see how the marine life in this little island is thriving.

We snorkelled the afternoon away and was understandable that by the time we went up to our room, we were very, very hungry. We made arrangements with the hotel that we’d get a package deal: the room + board. So they cooked for all six of us. It felt and tasted like home-cooked meals. Which was so comforting.

It was during meal time that we got to interview the people who lived there. We found out that the island is protected by numerous local laws. One being is only a person local to the island could own property and do business there. There’s also restrictions in fishing… they’re only allowed to fish a number of meters away from the island. Some species of ocean creatures are protected from being fished and no commercial fishing is allowed in the area.

Isn’t it wonderful that na island as small as Apo can be so aware of what they have and their responsibility to protect it? I remember why I haven’t given up hope on my fellow Filipinos. They’re out there, a great handful fighting to protect the oceans that feed us all.

My husband justified buying the almost-vintage 1.2.3 body (according to him it will become a collector’s item in a few years’ time) Mercedes Benz to me by telling me the following:

1. It runs on diesel (Diesel is cheaper than gasoline here).
2. It’s the ONLY car he’ll ever ever want to drive and therefore will NEVER want to buy a new car (Yeah, right! If he finds a ‘68 Volkswagen Beetle for sale… I bet he’d buy ANOTHER vintage car.)
3. It’s safe (It should! It feels like I’m inside a tank when I ride in it).
4. It’s value will appreciate in time (but what’s the point since it’s the ONLY car he’ll drive???).
5. He can convert to biofuel without tinkering with the engine later on (he wanted to concoct his own biofuel but time isn’t on his side – too busy).

After asking him time and time again if he’s sure. Really sure that he can take the headaches (and heartaches) of restoring that car to its former glory. I mean, an old car will have its kinks and attitudes (every car has its own personality, I believe.) that he’ll have to deal with on a daily basis. He told me he was ready for it so, okay, fine. Go ahead.

Actually, he had me at “biofuel”.

Now, I’m thankful he did. We got rid of one car and is now using his beloved Benz. He hasn’t converted to using biofuel but it takes an aching wallet to spur us into action.

As you can see the image to your right, gas prices went up again. Diesel prices back in 2005 were at P25/liter (about $0.50/liter at the time)… now it’s practically doubled at P55.26/liter ($1.23/liter). Earlier today, we discussed that we’ll convert to using gassing up with biofuel. I’m all too aware that there’s still much debate on whether or not biofuel is as efficient as it is worked up to be but it costs about $0.22/liter less and for us, it makes a huge difference.

Whether or not biofuel is good alternative to diesel, its properties are more organic and less harmful to our ground water. Plus the fact that it’s much cheaper than the alternative. I’m happy to say that we are reducing our carbon footprint even though we’re mostly driven by cost. We have always intended to do so.

Good thing he bought that car. Though I was pretty much against it, I’m glad he did in more ways than one.

I got my 350 Challenge certificate the other day! Woohoo! This blog has helped me offset 350 pounds of carbon. I have officially stopped driving my car for two whole weeks!

I wrote about this challenge in an earlier post. I’m so happy they changed their mechanics! They’ve reached their goal of 350 bloggers and they’re not stopping there (i thought they would). For each blogger to post their badge, they will offset 350 lbs. of carbon in the blogger’s name (i wonder if i post another one, will they offset an additional 350 lbs for me??? ). Nah… I can’t just sit pretty. I’ll have to try offsetting carbon on my own. Too bad for my husband, he has to contribute too.

Anyway… come on you guys! They now have 400 bloggers on their list. Be counted! Go on and head on to the 350 Challenge by Brighter Planet website and get your badge. What’s that itsy-bitsy space anyway? You can even choose the size of your badge. You have total control in how much space it’ll eat up. Give a gift back to Mama Earth!

Calling on all bloggers! Help make a difference by simply adding the 350 challenge badge on your blog. It is called the 350 challenge because their goal is to offset 122,500 lbs. of carbon of the first 350 bloggers to submit on their site. That means, when you post their badge on your blog, they’ll offset 350 lbs. of carbon in your name. Isn’t that just COOL?

Let’s face it, reducing our carbon footprints on our own is somewhat very, VERY challenging. Humans, being creatures of habit, makes it almost impossible to reduce our current carbon footprints if we don’t make a conscious effort now. Even with the dedication and focus, there’s only so much we can reduce. Unless you want to fall off the face of the earth and not use any of our creature comforts like electricity, I commend you for being so supportive of Mother Earth. But seriously, that is not too realistic so every little thing helps. 350 lbs. of carbon is like using your car for two weeks. So, I say, yes, it could really help.

What they don’t make painstakingly clear on their website is that they’ll offset 350 pounds of carbon for THE FIRST 350 people who submit their sites (I had to find this out on the 350.org website). It also doesn’t say how many people have already submitted their blogs but since it’s a relatively new campaign, they can always change the rules at some point. I’m hoping they do.

After a few clicks, what I found was even more rewarding. I learned about 350.org and Brighter Planet. Check them out! Brighter Planet uses credit card points to fund and support renewable energy products while 350 is an organization that is campaigning for awareness. They want the word to spread out that we need to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from 387 ppm (parts per million) to 350 ppm to avoid any more drastic climate changes. Since we currently increase 2 ppm each year, this means we have to stop adding to our carbon footprints now and start reducing it.

Every little thing helps! I may or may not have been able to make the first 350 bloggers to post the badge, but the things I learned because of posting it here is even more invaluable to me. It has spurred me to write and help spread the word. As James Thurber once said: “Let us not look back in anger or forward in fear, but around in awareness.” So let’s stop laying blame or give up on our future, let’s use the awareness we gather and move forward. Reduce our carbon footprint now.

Isn’t it great that there are establishments out there that are really thinking and doing things out of the box? The Bronx Zoo, an advocate to wildlife preservation and education has a really cool restroom in their midst. Here’s the video of what they are doing:

New York City has one the biggest per capita water usage in the United States. So, every big or small effort in conserving water can make a huge impact. What they do not say in this video is that the toilet system was installed by Clivus Multrum Inc., a manufacturer of composting toilets and greywater irrigation systems and that it cost US$1.6M to install. I really don’t know if it was billed to the zoo but from what I know, it was the Wildlife Conservation Society who commissioned the work to Clivus Multrum.

I don’t really see it becoming a trend any time soon. The fact is it costs a lot to implement and it is difficult to go about and redo the plumbing of every existing building in New York. Plus, everything that goes down the drain or the toilets has to be non-toxic. It’s just not that realistic to get every household to change their cleaning materials and habits now. But it’s a start.

I came across a lot of blogs that are numb with the progress of eco-friendly technologies today. They think that the politicians only found a new platform to use in their campaigns and speeches. They’re usually people in their 50’s and up. I can’t really blame them because it was their generation that started the whole think green, save mother earth thing (you know, the hippie movement back in the 60’s?) and they do not have much to see now. I bet there were a lot of them who eventually just gave up and caved in to the daily routines of life. But it’s this very same generation that paved and are paving the way for us now. There are those who never gave up and as a result, awareness is here, it’s broad, and it’s unavoidable. Everywhere we go, we are constantly reminded of going green.

These eco-restrooms are just but one of the great technologies out there that can start helping mother earth today. The least I can do as an individual is to prepare for these toilet systems in case it comes my way any time within my lifetime (please let it be soon). The best thing to do is to avoid toxic cleaning materials in my own home. Which I have started, by the way. I used a combination of lemon (or lemoncito in our native tongue) and baking soda to clean my washing machine, stove, oven and refrigerator. It works like a charm and smells really great too. For more non-toxic cleaning ideas, go and visit Care2’s website. Let’s start doing our part now!

Living in a third world country, we are plagued by our inefficient garbage disposal. Although we currently have laws in place, instructing us to segregate our plastics, biodegradable and non-biodegradable garbage, but strict penalties are not enforced in case we do not comply. This is mainly because our friendly neighborhood garbage men takes care of it for us because there’s money in it for them. They get to sell the paper, aluminum cans, etc. for themselves. Yet, we still have loads of municipal wastes that are simply dumped in open fields. We do not have enough proper recycling centers, properly managed landfills or even incinerator plants.

Those three garbage disposal centers are the most common facilities throughout the rest of the world when it comes to handling your garbage. Recycling plants only handle about 30% (in the U.S.) and 40%-60% (in Europe) of the total garbage generated. Landfills take forever to decompose garbage. Plus the fact that if it’s not handled properly, there is a danger of it contaminating the ground water. Although incinerator plants seem ideal because they get rid of trash and at the same time generate electricity, but they emit huge amounts of carbon monoxide in the air thus converting our beloved garbage into something we could literally breathe in and adds greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

When it seemed like there is truly no hope of ever getting rid of our trash problem, here comes a new addition to the list of garbage disposal facilities created by the Plasco Energy Group. It is a waste-to-energy plasma gasification plant. Basically, what it does is it uses plasma to not only effectively decompose garbage at a fast rate and reduce it to 1.3kg of heavy metals and activated carbon per tonne, it also produces synthetic gas which could power engines to produce electricity (or can produce fuel gas like hydrogen). The ashes generated from the plasmagasification of the garbage creates slag which could be used for building materials, road bed aggregates, insulators and even jewelry. To top it all off, instead of the city paying for garbage disposal services, it can actually earn from getting rid of it. Thus, making garbage in itself, a commodity.

Their ingenuity has filled me with hope for my own country. If a third world country like ours cannot afford to buy a plasma gasification plant, then it is possible to sell our garbage instead of paying someone to get rid of it. Then, maybe in time, we would be able to afford one. It could in turn help bring down electricity costs, help us convert to hydrogen powered vehicles easier and soon after, could bring down costs of basic commodities and goods. It could also bring so much needed focus on conserving our beautiful tropical country with its gorgeous scenery, dive sites, beaches and wonderful people who deserve much more than what they have now.

I know I am over simplifying things and we’re still a long way off since the plasma gasification plant is still in its testing and approval stages, and the fact that my government has to sort through a lot of internal problems, I can’t help but feel hopeful that I might be able to see a huge environmental transformation in the world within my lifetime. It may be, that the very garbage we are using to harm our earth might be the very same thing that can help transform it.