I Am The Walrus

I am so excited about this blog that I thought of three different intros which I will all do, as follows:

Intro 1: Me, I’m deathly afraid of water. About twenty summers ago, we were vacationing in Calauan, Laguna, swimming in a nearby river, when the current started to bring me to deeper waters. I distinctly remember the genuine fear of not feeling ground under my feet, and I also remember the rest of the universe disappearing under water. If it hadn’t been for my cousin, Eric, I would not be here. (Which is why he is Cojie’s ninong).

Intro 2: I’ve been thinking about buying a car. A nice, big, family car like an Avanza or an Innova, something cheap, under 1M. I thought it would be a good promotion gift for myself, or a 10th anniversary gift next year, when I celebrate 10 years working for GMA. (”Are you serious?” you’d say. Yes. Sigh.) I could take Cojie to school before I drive to work, I can sleep in my car during lunch breaks, I can just drive, drive, drive to wherever I want.

Intro 3: I’d like to think of myself as a political person. I have very concrete beliefs and opinions about poverty and war and equality and the economy. I know I am all for more laws penalizing against violence against women. I know I am against political dynasties. I know I am against tax increases while there remains clear evidence of corruption in every department of this government. And I also know a good cause when I see one.

(Here’s the rest of the blog)

This three-day weekend, I saw Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth”

Al Gore, if you remember, is the guy who could’ve been president of the United States. He was Clinton’s vice-president, and lost to George W. Bush via a questionable election (ring any bells? no pun intended, Garci). After losing to Bush, he had embarked on a series of slideshows all over the US and the world, talking about Global Warming.

Now, anyone with a highschool education knows about Global Warming. We, in St. Matthew’s Academy, in fact had a 2nd year course for it — Environmental Science. We all know the stories of photosynthesis, the water cycle, the greenhouse effect, etcetera etcetera. We all took the same fill-in-the-blank exams, made the posters, wrote the slogans. We segregated biodegradeable from non-biodegradable garbage.

And then we graduated. Finished college. Got a job.

The knowledge about Global Warming got shelved along with the names of the Katipuneros, types of polygons, Edgar Allan Poe’s Cask of Amontillado, and types of phrases. They’re all textbook knowledge, we say. What matters most to us now is that time is running out: “I need to buy a house by the time I’m 40″, “I need to get married before I turn 35″,”I have to get promoted”,”I have to get my US visa by the end of this year”….

…”I want a car”

And watching this film made me think, “How the hell am I going to enjoy everything I’ve worked so hard for if it’s all under water?”. I was most shocked at one part, where Al Gore illustrated that if all of the ice in Greenland melted, the world’s oceans would go up 20 feet, and a fourth of China would be under water. I wanted to pan up his map to see how we in the Filipinas would do, but I bet we won’t be doing too well.

I suddenly remembered Baguio. I wonder if it’s time to buy real estate there.

Like I said, I am deathly afraid of water. I would rather have the planet explode in one fiery ball than to have a hundred foot tidal wave consuming our neighborhood.

A hundred foot tidal wave. I will be the first to die, I swear.

So here I am, getting the word out. I know a lot of my friends find time to read my rantings and I’m hoping — for the first time perhaps, in the three years that I’ve been doing this — I could make a difference.

First, check out this website www.climatecrisis.net

Second, find ways to lessen carbon emissions. It’s so simple. DON’T BRING YOUR CAR ALL THE TIME! It saves gas, and sometimes even time! Try timing a trip from Timog Ave to Shangri-la by a cab and by the MRT.

And besides, you don’t know what you’re missing if you haven’t been on the commute in years. The people, the sights, the smells! (Haha) You are missing a whole other world locking yourself up in that car of yours. Just one less day of bringing your car is a world of difference.

Here’s another tip. WALK! Walk, for God’s sakes. I know people who take their cars to go to a bank three blocks away. For the love of God. How lazy can you be.

And finally — and most importantly — the next presidential elections is coming up. We should put in office a president who will put the environment right on top of his list. If I hear “Solusyon sa Kahirapan” one more time, I’m throwing dog-poo-grenades.

I wonder if Noli de Castro has Al Gore’s balls?