Nowadays, everywhere you go the issue of global warming and climate change have been ringing and irritating (?) to our ears. But who cares climate change? Is it only for environmental scientists? Or simply it is an Al Gore’s personal crusade? Or an everybody’s concern? How can we consider climate change when there are more pressing problems we are facing nowadays? There is that world crisis- economic recession, unemployment; moral degradation, and health threat- just recently the swine flu virus; are some of the everyday issues, more urgent to be taken care of.
But we cannot ignore climate change. Everything is connected with the environment. Our food crisis is the result of changes in the climatic conditions making production more problematic than before. The climate that once supports a productive harvest cannot be expected today. The unpredictable weather in a season is more observable today. Have you noticed that our summer this year is so short? As of last week the PAGASA already announced that our summer was already over.
Did you enjoy your summer? Well, who would if you no longer have job because you are one of those employees of a company that declared bankruptcy or one of those laid off because of company’s way of keeping alive? Or if you do have the resources for a summer escapade, did you enjoy going out with a surprise shower or heavy rain?
I will not be talking here of the technical or scientific views about climate change or its effect to production or the combined effect of everything contributing to what we call as climate change. But I can say, this summer experience is one effect of the climate change.
UPLB’s centennial graduation was so memorable to me simply because I belonged to the UPLB centennial graduates. After long arduous struggles and desperate days and nights trying to beat deadlines, a moment to savor victoriously our feat has come. Yet, it was not the sweetest of all.
It was first of the UPLB history that on graduation it rained. Not just an ordinary rain but really raining hard. Although there were times when the rain would stop a bit but it was a hard blow to all who were at the ceremony. It was so timely that the School of Environment Science and Management always talk on the global warming issues. And on its centennial graduation, the Earth wanted to manifest that climate change was indeed a reality. It is not only some remote issues that are tackled in some scientific gatherings but is actually happening now. We can really feel how it works. Decades ago, summer was indeed a summer. But this year, April seems like June when rain did not stop to pour for a week.
The graduation ceremony was conceptualized and its preparation was laid out for a year, as I was informed. Two months ago, the lawn was already trimmed and maintained to show its glossy green for the graduation. Unfortunately rain was not cooperating with the celebration. You can see that everyone was disappointed but the show must go on.
If the stage set up for the UP system centennial graduation in UPLB last year was grandiose, as they said. It was much more grandiose this year. But its extravagance was not flaunted because of the rain. The tent covering the UP officials up on the stage blocked the background scenery of flowing waterfalls in a lush tropical garden enhanced more with the colorful lights. The walkway where graduates walked going up to the stage to be recognized and receive a diploma was covered with red carpet.
Despite the rain, everything went well. Not to mention that the red carpet was covered with mud. The cushioning effect of the carpet my made even softer by mud absorbed in it. The green grass at the place where everyone passed through was like a molested ground played with rodeo. The open Freedom Park was transformed into what like a carnival. Notwithstanding no contingency plan prepared if ever it will rain, the carnival-like ground was the best of all the preparation worthy of praise. At the end of the ceremony, a fireworks display brightened up the dark sky previously spurting out rain.
Even in the Convention I attended at Baguio, there was a separate day for plenary session which deals on the climate change, changing environment and microbial biodiversity. Yes, Baguio, ahhhh. The Summer Capital of the Philippines. But again, even if it was still summer yet, we were soaked with rain. In my 6 days stay, I only saw one day that had no rain at all. I even bought an umbrella because of intermittent rain showers. During our field tour, Emong joined with us by sending us a loving Signal no. 2. Our supposedly one day trip was cut into half day because of the forthcoming Signal #3. I intended to stay a day behind from the group to tour on sites that we failed to visit because of the typhoon that day. I thought it would be sunny then but in the afternoon a strong rain came. Disappointed and soaked with rain, I just considered it a nature’s way of expressing itself. Why fret? So I ended up early in the bus terminal, brought my Readers Digest and read there. From time to time I glanced on the TV screen showing Spiderman III (I guess), after a basketball game.
And this is my summer climate change experience.
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