Watermelons

Lei Almero

Watermelons, mangoes, and bananas are selling like hot cakes downtown. Without any prodding from the vendors, people who pass by the stands knock on the solid skin of the watermelons, listening to the density of these mouth-watering tropical fruits some of which probably came from my Tito’s farm. For the über-religious, the harvest signals the start of the Lenten season; to the beach deities, the bikini season.

But just two weeks before the scorching heat started burning my skin, the wind brought the cold front into our very own backyard, making the wind frost feel closer than my very own skin.

This fickle temperature, however, is not something to be happy about. After all, it shows the delicate situation our planet is in. The Siberian wind that usually comes in the last days of January and lasts until the early days of March stayed only for a very short time this year. Two weeks at the most, if my memory serves me right. The changing of the wind, and the season it seems, is not a cause for rejoicing. It shows us nothing more but the volatile state we are in at the very moment. It is a state that would get worse if we remain apathetic and do nothing about it--however, small; however seemingly insignificant.

But perhaps the most distressing thing about this whole situation is not the sudden shift of the temperature this time of the year. What is alarming is that the earth’s temperature continues to rise, albeit imperceptibly to us humans, and with it the continued rise of the sea level.

This is global warming, ladies and gentlemen.

Again this gradual rise in earth temperature and the slow rise of the sea level may seem so inconsequential, so ordinary. But the inconvenient truth is that if we do not do anything about it the human race may be in danger of becoming history. This may sound apocalyptic and inconceivable, but scientists agree on this possibility.

You may ask: can the human race disappear just because of this temperature change?

Yes, most probably.

The melting ice caps in the north and south poles lead to the rise in sea level. Though the rise of sea level seems to be imperceptible—and scientists have varied opinions on how fast the level will rise—still the inevitable fact is: it will definitely rise.

A segment in the national news program has already featured the president of Kiribati appealing to the world that they are facing an unavoidable sinking of their small island country. This may not happen in years—nor decades probably—but, again, it will happen. With the way things are going, we might be facing a water world period; if not in our age and time, in the age and time of our children

The rising of the sea level is not the only thing that makes global warming a moral issue. With the melting of the ice caps, the composition of earth’s ocean is itself changing. It is elementary that ice is frozen fresh water. The salinity of our ocean dictates its temperature, if my science teacher taught me right (feel free to correct me if this information is wrong). Thus with the melting of the ice caps, the salinity of our oceans would change to, well, less saline.

I am not very much well-versed with weather science. My meteorological knowledge after all was fed (and is still fed) by local weathermen whose primary sin is their utter disregard to fashion and just looking plain and, god forbid, ugly on camera. But I digress.

With the saline composition of the ocean changing – its temperature invariably changing as well – the volatility of weather is becoming pretty variable.

We are now facing the age of Remings and Katrinas, the wind speed of which can topple not only inconsiderate billboards but also small houses. It can tear down roofs and knock down concrete walls with its sheer wind power. With the changing ocean temperature, the Pacific region itself would literally cease to be pacific. Not only will howling winds tear the silence of this weather-forsaken region but the nights will be filled with weeping parents and children.

Yes, I am probably exaggerating. But this is something I would rather be faulted than be said to have stood idly by.

We had enough of super typhoons and hurricanes to last our lifetimes. But Mother Nature may not be thinking the same way. Not until we do something about it.

And we can definitely do something about it.

The first thing in the list is to reduce carbon emission. We can do this in so many ways: patronage of power-saving devices and earth-friendly air conditioning systems, use of public transportation, support of alternative energy resources, and probably, in our own little way (and I am guilty of this) not smoking.

The second thing we can do is to rally our governments to sign the Kyoto Protocol (or at least those countries which have not yet signed the treaty) and, if our countries have already signed the instrument, then to encourage our foreign friends (if any) to pressure their governments to sign the protocol. The foremost uncooperative country—perhaps not too surprisingly—is the United States.

Being the country which has the record high carbon emission, it is imperative for them to signify their intention and willingness to reduce their carbon emission. At the very least—and probably in the near future—the New York sky will clear and star-gazing would be possible in this city. (I, however, doubt that New Yorkers actually stop and smell the flowers and gaze at the stars. You can rebut me on this Jory)

Although signing the Kytoto Protocol is not the end-all be-all solution to the global warming situation, it is still one heck of a huge step in helping Mother Nature heal herself. We very well know that typhoons and hurricanes are nature’s way of healing itself. And the worse the sickness, the more aggressive the treatment must be.

The visit then – if global warming remains unabated – of Reming’s and Milenyo’s cousins may not only be less frequent and unpredictable; it may very well be regular and devastating. Thus the urgency of signing the Kyoto Protocol can never be given enough emphasis. When the United States signs, others will follow.

This is especially true in the Philippines whose past and present administrations were, and is still, the eager chihuahua of the United States. But perhaps, at least for this one instance, the squatter in Malacañang (yes dear reader, I will always go back to her illegitimate rule) would show concern for the country and sign the Kyoto Protocol.

But perhaps the most potent action we can do to stunt the effects of the seemingly irreversible global warming is to vote wisely this coming midterm elections. With our votes, and perhaps the vigilance in guarding our votes, the right people espousing environmental legislation and inter-generational concerns would be elected to Congress and the Senate. A damn good number of environmentalists in Congress, or those who are, at the very least, concerned politicians may be able to railroad the signing of the country to the Protocol.

Just one seemingly insignificant act would do the trick.

Also posted on www.leialmero.blogspot.com