Plant trees or we all die

“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”

—Abraham Lincoln

By Alex P. Vidal

WE should have started planting trees massively at least 70 years ago.

And while doing it, deforestation should have been done sparingly if it couldn’t be avoided.

Life could not exist on Earth without trees because they produce most of the oxygen that humans and wildlife breathe. 

Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and release oxygen using the process of photosynthesis.

If we did, several towns that submerged in the fifth district of Iloilo when typhoon “Ursula” terrorized Panay Island on Christmas Day would have been protected.

Several lives would have been saved especially the six family members who perished in a flood in Batad, Iloilo.

Storms normally bring heavy rains and strong winds, but if our mountain slopes are surrounded by trees, water can’t easily inundate the villages below like what happened in Balasan town, where all of its 23 villages were reportedly flooded.

Iloilo Governor Arthur “Toto” Defensor Jr. was so disturbed and alarmed that he reportedly called for expansion of tree planting activities in the mountains to reclaim secondary forest lost in irresponsible and reckless deforestation.

This is a wise move. The governor may need the total support of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to pursue this herculean task.

-o0o-

We may be late, but it’s better to do something than crying over a spilled milk; it’s better to light a candle instead of cursing the darkness.

Sometimes only during calamities can our resolve be revitalized.

We are motivated to do something or spring into action with absolute urgency only after we have been caught off-guarded and unable to save lives and properties.

On the other hand, we can’t prevent people from cutting down trees. We need to build stores, houses, and other buildings. 

We also cut down trees to clear land for agricultural use. In some cases, trees are cut down for wood for fires to heat up our homes and cook food.

If we cut trees, it’s but logical that we also plant more trees. 

If we continue to be neglectful and irresponsible, we will wake up one day on the verge of being swept away by heavy floods to the kingdom come when heavy storms bombard us like a thief in the night.

Planting of trees is a responsibility that must be carried out by all people regardless of sex, economic status, age, religion and political affiliation.

We shouldn’t rely on our government alone.

We must think of what we can do for our environment, and not what our environment can do for us, to paraphrase JFK’s popular adage on government and our role.

-o0o-

Let me share this “Tree Riddles” from the Trees Group:

This is the place for the most interesting tree riddles, forest-themed brain teasers, and nature-inspired puzzles, as well as riddles about trees, environment enigmas, and woodland conundrums.

What weighs more, a pound of leaves or a pound of logs?

They both weigh the same.

Which side of a tree has the most leaves?

The outside.

What kind of trees do you get when you plant kisses?

Tulips.

How do you get down from a tree?

You don’t. Down comes from a duck.

What gets a year older whenever it rings?

A tree.

What can pass through a tree without rustling any leaves?

Sunlight.

The more of it there is in the forest, the less you can see. What is it?

Darkness.

What looks like half a spruce tree?

The other half.

How far can a monkey run through the rainforest?

Just halfway. After that, it’s running out of the rainforest.

What color is the rain in a painting of the rainforest?

Water color.

Which animals can jump higher than a tree?

All of them. Trees can’t jump!

How many oranges grow on a tree?

All of them.

What’s the same size and shape as a giant sequoia tree, yet weighs nothing?

A giant sequoia tree’s shadow.

What do you get when you cross a fallen tree with a very organized feline?

A catalog.

There are 52 birds perched on a single tree branch. A poacher comes along and shoots one of those birds twice. How many birds are on the tree branch now?

There are no birds on the tree branch now. The bird that was shot fell off, and the rest of the birds flew away after the first shot.

What tree has two eyes but can’t see?

White Pine.

Which is more likely to break one of the laws of nature, a large rock or a large tree?

A large rock, because it’s boulder.

What does a tree sapling become after it is 30 days old?

Thirty-one days old.

I’m the part of a tree that is not in the sky or under the ground. I can move throughout the day and change shape. What am I?

Its shadow.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo)

‘Ursula’ unites Ilonggos

“Human misery must somewhere have a stop; there is no wind that always blows a storm.”

—Euripides

By Alex P. Vidal

IT has been proven once again that typhoons respect no season; they can lash at any city and province in any occasion, including the most precious Christmas Day.

Death and destruction became the order of the day when “Ursula” struck hard just when everyone was celebrating the birth of Jesus, the son of God in the Christian community.

It united the Ilonggos, among those badly affected in the Visayas area, even if their noche buena and actual celebration of Christmas Day had been interrupted and ruined.

Assistance poured in from fellow Ilonggos in other provinces and overseas as soon as it became known that “Ursula” nearly equalled the ferocity of “Yolanda”, one of the most destructive super storms to hit the region many years back.

 “Ursula”, named after the popular Swiss actress Ursula Andress, now 83, was out in the West Philippine Sea, 300 kilometers northwest of Coron, Palawan, or 295 km west-southwest of Subic, Zambales, as of 4 p.m. December 26. 

It reportedly moved toward Vietnam at 15 km per hour with winds of up 120 kph and gusts of up to 150 kph, weaker than winds of up to 140 kph and gusts of up to 195 on Christmas Day.

Confirmed killed in villages and towns in central Visayas, as of this writing, were at least 20 people mostly in Panay island. Most of those killed were due to drowning, falling trees and accidental electrocution, according to disaster officials.

-o0o-

We’ve been told not to do the following during the strong typhoons:

Don’t tape windows. Tape does almost no good — and it’s a mess to remove;

Don’t open a window away from the wind direction. Any opening can allow wind inside the home, and the wind can shift;

Don’t go near windows or glass patio doors during a storm;

Don’t empty an in-ground pool. The water table can rise from the rain and force the pool up, perhaps out of the ground;

Don’t use candles for light if the power goes off. The danger of fire is too great;

Don’t use a charcoal or gas grill to cook indoors;

Don’t approach animals wandering after the storm. Even docile pets can be unnerved by a storm and could bite;

Don’t connect a generator directly to your home’s electric system. It can electrify lines outside and endanger neighbors and utility workers;

Don’t drive through moving water over a road. Even six inches of flowing water can cause a car to float;

If returning after an evacuation, don’t stay in the house if you smell gas. Open windows and leave;

Don’t let your pets out after the storm without a leash. With landmarks gone, they can get lost and perhaps encounter displaced wild animals.

Don’t sightsee in damaged neighborhoods;

Don’t stay after an evacuation is ordered. Rescue workers will not try to reach you at the height of the storm;

Don’t bring guns, alcohol or pets to a public shelter;

Don’t touch metal fences after a storm. They could be touching downed power lines.

-o0o-

A day after “Ursula” annihilated Panay, Mindoro, and other nearby islands, a powerful tremor hit Iloilo.

In fact, more Ilonggos posted their reactions to the quake in unison in the social media than they did during the “Ursula” carnage.

A strong typhoon followed by an earthquake shifted our attention to the Climate Change.

According to the Science For A Changing World, these are some of the signs of the Climate Change:

— Temperatures are rising world-wide due to greenhouse gases trapping more heat in the atmosphere.

—Droughts are becoming longer and more extreme around the world.

—Tropical storms becoming more severe due to warmer ocean water temperatures.

—As temperatures rise there is less snowpack in mountain ranges and polar areas and the snow melts faster.

—Overall, glaciers are melting at a faster rate.

—Sea ice in the Arctic Ocean around the North Pole is melting faster with the warmer temperatures.

—Permafrost is melting, releasing methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere.

—Sea levels are rising, threatening coastal communities and estuarine ecosystems.

Scientists have predicted that long-term effects of climate change will include a decrease in sea ice and an increase in permafrost thawing, an increase in heat waves and heavy precipitation, and decreased water resources in semi-arid regions.

Scary indeed.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo)