Environmental Tidbits

Natural Farming Technique

2010-07-04T20:31:00.000+08:00

For the non-technical person, the concept of natural farming may easily be confused with organic farming. Natural farming is a farming technique that brings the soil and environment back to its original form. Nature works for the production of its needs. Organic farming, on the other hand, is a farming technique that uses organically produced fertilizers as the means of fertilizing the soil. Pesticides and fungicides may also be applied when needed.

History of Natural Farming

Natural farming was advocated way back in 1935 by Mokichi Okada, a Japanese philosopher and holistic health advocate,... From: Facts About and Principles of Natural Farming Technique

Agricultural Practices to Mitigate Global Climate Change

2010-07-04T20:22:00.000+08:00

Billions of dollars were lost due to unpredictable climate changes all over the world. While debate rages on, whether climate change is man-induced or not, resolute actions must be done to mitigate the impacts associated with this global phenomenon. This is all the more significant because of the current El Niño onslaught that dried up once productive land and freshwater fishery areas.

It was originally pointed out by this author that the major contribution modern agricultural practices make to the global climate change scenario are emissions of greenhouse gases namely methane and carb... From: Eight Doable Agricultural Practices to Mitigate the Impacts of Global Climate Change

Agricultural Impacts of Global Climate Change

2010-07-04T20:00:00.000+08:00

Among the hard hit areas of global climate change is agriculture. This is a very critical area in modern civilization because agriculture plays a major role in sustaining development in densely populated and stratified societies. Agriculture creates food surpluses that enable societies to ensure food security.

How is agriculture affected by global climate change? Here are five agricultural consequences of global climate change:

1. Locust and rat infestations in agricultural fields

For unirrigated fields that are highly dependent on the rains like those found in Asia, drought especially duri... From: Five Agricultural Consequences of Global Climate Change

Conservation of Natural Resources Can be Personal

2010-07-04T08:07:00.003+08:00

Conservation of Natural Resources

Conservation of natural resources evolved from state controlled or the so-called Regalian doctrine approach in the early history of human civilization. As many governments (especially in an archipelago or countries composed of many islands) could not manage all areas under its jurisdiction effectively, decentralization of power and authority appears to be the only viable option to consider.

Community-based management or co-management schemes of natural resources management were born. People in the community were given more power and a sense of ownership over ... From: Family-Protected Reef: A Unique Case of Conservation of Natural Resources

Vertical Gardening: Innovative Use of Space in the Urban Areas

2010-06-29T06:51:00.006+08:00

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Space is difficult to come by especially in the urban areas. Many urban dwellers have only a few square meters available to them for other useful ventures like gardening vegetables. Vegetables are getting expensive nowadays, the reason why people are looking for ways to find cheaper alternatives or ways to produce their own vegetables to save on cost.

There is hope, however, to those people living in the urban areas who are eager to do something to improve their economic status through gardening even in the cramped spaces. If there is no horizontal space available in the urban areas, almost always there is space upwards or vertical space available. It is possible to start off a gardening venture using that available vertical space. A creative way of using that vertical space is by gardening using the principles of vertical gardening.

Vertical gardening is now popular in many urban places. The concept of vertical gardening originated from Patrick Blanc, a botanist who initially referred to the vertical garden as the living wall. This overrides the limitations imposed by horizontal space, as vertical space is virtually unlimited. Combined with natural farming, this approach can grow vegetables and other plants not only to provide healthy foods but also help filter pollutants. >>Read more...

Human Hair to Clean Up Oil Spill?

2010-06-28T22:34:00.005+08:00

Ever heard that the human hair could be a very effective material to clean up an oil spill? In Madison, Alabama, a hairdresser named Philip McCrory originated the hair-as-an-oil-adsorbent concept in 1989. McCrory experimented with human hair to soak up a mock oil spill in his son's plastic pool. In just a few minutes, the water was clean.

Excited with his findings, McCrory approached NASA scientists in Alabama. The researchers obliged and experimented with an oil filter made up of human hair. They confirmed the findings of McCrory. Human hair effectively reduced the concentration of oil to just 17 parts per million or two drops of oil per 55 million gallons.

The discovery was applied to the Exxon Valdez oil spill which achieved great results. Human hair sponges of about 1.4 million pounds have soaked up and estimated 11 million gallons of oil.>>Read more...

Six Endemic Animals Endangered in Palawan

2010-06-27T07:10:00.001+08:00

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Endemic Animals

Endemic animals are animals which are native or its distribution confined in only one place. The reason for their existence in only one location may be due to their specific feeding habits or those habitats provide the best condition for their survival. Because of this, the population of endemic animals are prone to disturbances occurring in their specific range.

Human Economic Activities

In many places, human economic activities and the hunt for food in places where endemic animals live could lead to reduction and even loss of population of these animals. Since their population is confined in only one locality, there is no chance that this population is replenished once the critical level of population to maintain the species is compromised.

Endemic Animals Endangered

Among those endemic animals endangered by human encroachment to their habitat as well as demand for their meat are the six mammals of Palawan. Palawan, located at the western section of the Philippines, is a long island where unique microclimates offer favorable habitat for the survival of these endemic species of mammals. Animals endangered towards probable extinction are the following: Balabac mouse deer, Palawan bearcat, Palawan tree shrew, Palawan porcupine, and the Palawan dwarf otter. >>Read more...

Plastics are Bad?

2010-06-26T16:10:00.001+08:00

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Plastics are a common part of our life. Their use is very convenient to consumers because these are made up of light materials and do not corrode easily like metals. This is why millions of plastics bottles, sando bags, toys, among others are produced.

The problem is that many of these plastics are disposed of improperly when these no longer serve their purpose. You can see plastics strewn all over in many places without waste management systems in place. Plastics clog drains and canals that cause flooding in the cities. Plastics make their way in the food chain, accidentally ingested by sea turtles. The plastic bags taken wrongly as jellyfishes. Plastics pollute the environment.

Due to the pollution caused by plastics, many environmentalists advocate banning the use of plastics. But is this move justified? Both sides are presented in "Are Plastics Really That Bad?"

By the way, sando plastic bags can kill geckos. So what, you may say, but geckos can help you get rid of pests in your home. Geckos are known to feed on mice litter, cockroaches, termites, centipede, among others. Geckos are friendly reptiles.

Family Protected Coral Reef

2010-06-26T15:54:00.000+08:00

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A family can be a strong advocate of resource protection. This is the case of a family of fishers in Honda Bay, Palawan, Philippines where the family, through the leadership of the father, took it upon themselves to protect a small patch of coral reef in front of their house. The area was once destroyed by the rampant illegal fishing activities in the area.

After more than a decade of successfully keeping the reef from harmful practices, the coral reef bounced back to life. The coral reef served as nursery and refuge area of fishes, and the coral colonies therein grew back and were revived. This attracted a lot of tourists that made the place all the more important to preserve.

Now, the reef is threatened with plans for development, and the future appears to be favoring the businessmen than the local folks who took the initiative to conserve a dwindling resource. More on this family's struggle on Family Protected Reef: A Unique Case of Natural Resource Conservation.

How Forests Provide Benefit to People

2010-06-26T06:53:00.000+08:00

Forests are an important part of our planet. Forests provide us goods like timber, food, animals as food, medicine as well as ecological services such as watershed for water storage, erosion prevention, and removal of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

But do people really understand fully well how valuable the forests are? Chances are that many people do not fully understand how much this resource is really worth. This is the reason why people tend to disregard the forests and favor its conversion into something else that they think will benefit them. The benefit that people may have gained from converting forests into subdivisions, stripping it to extract the minerals, cutting down the trees in favor of golf courses or airports, among others appear to be greater than keeping the forests intact.

In reality, destroying the forest for other uses may be a great blunder for many planners and decision makers. The costs and benefits of forest conversion may not have been fully studied and accounted for. How then should forest value be determined? There is a way to do it. The article "How to Determine Forest Value" explains how. Forests are worth trillions of dollars and even more. Read and find out how forests could be worth this high.

Consequences of the Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico

2010-06-23T14:07:00.002+08:00

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The on-going oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico caused so much uproar from many Americans because of the danger it poses to the beaches and wildlife inhabiting the wetlands along the gulf. The progress to prevent the oil spill from spreading appears to be slow. Despite the capping attempts of the oil spill using robots as well as forcing mud-like liquids through the leak, oil deep under the sea keeps on gushing out. Thousands of barrels of oil are lost in the sea threatening to bring oil price up.

Stopping the oil leak and cleaning off the oil spill is by far one of the most challenging jobs that many Americans are now preoccupied. Thousands of workers were employed to help clean up the mess that oil can do to the beaches, wildlife, and sea surface. The leak somehow has given unexpected jobs and added income to those involved in the clean up operations. To understand how benefits can arise from such a harmful incident, the article Positive and Negative Externalities of the Gulf Oil Spill explains how this could be possible. Crisis like this can become a window of opportunity for others.

The Endemic Scaly Anteater of Palawan: An Endangered Species?

2010-06-21T06:17:00.000+08:00

Photo by Alejandro Bernardo, Jr.

Endemic animals in the province of Palawan in the Philippines are gradually being overtaken by the economic activities of man. Although many of the animals are meant to be consumed by people, their continued availability in the future appears to be threatened.

Among these mammals, the Palawan pangolin or scaly anteater (Manis culionensis), is in grave danger of being wiped out from their range because of the demand, not only for their exotic meat but also people's belief that it is an aphrodisiac. It is a pity that these animals are captured by burning their habitat. This animal capture practice has been used by hunters of the wild pig decades ago that led to the deforestation of much of the Visayan areas in the Philippine archipelago.

Why is the pangolin better left in the wild and why should it be conserved? The scaly anteater has a major role to play in the ecosystem where it thrives. The scaly anteater works like a natural pest control agent, preventing the proliferation of ants and termites.

More about interesting details of how this wonderful mammal looks and its ecological role can be found in Facts About the Endemic Palawan Pangolin or Scaly Anteater.

Self-Mobilization: Highest Level of People Participation

2010-04-23T10:50:00.000+08:00

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People participation in any environmental project can spell its boom or doom. The cooperation of everyone is a very important ingredient to keep things moving, and achieve the purpose which the organization pursues and where the ideals of the organization are founded.

Participation of people range from being passive receivers of environmental information and initiatives to its highest form, i. e., self-mobilization. Self-mobilization is the ability of an organization to work without external forces prodding them, like a government regulation seeking compliance to certain rules.

The case of a marine area protected by a group of boat operators and fishers in Honda Bay, Puerto Princesa in the Philippines is a good example of how inner convictions among the members of an organization can achieve results. The main purpose of protection is to be able to extract economic use from the tourism value of a small reef, unwittingly discovered by a fisher in a well-traveled route in the bay.

More of this story here.

An Enchanted Forest of Balite Trees

2010-01-03T15:10:00.000+08:00

I always emphasize in my environmental science classes that the state of the environment is a result of how people regard nature. In other words, if somebody believes that nature is there to be exploited and is viewed as an infinite source of raw materials, his behavior will be to make full use of the resource without regard for the future. Trees, when cut may be renewable, but the extent of damage may not allow a forest to revert back to its original state.

In the Philippines, many of the old folks believe that the balite or banyan tree (Ficus benghalensis) is a favorite forest home for the enchanted. Its small leaves, twisted, and complex root system gives an eerie feeling. It's like a large bonsai growing in the forest. There were times when some people see enchanted lights in the forest and many saw them moving. And some saw half horse, half human creatures trailing behind them while walking near those trees.

These are the reasons why local members of the community in the rural areas would not dare topple the balite tree down for fear that supernatural beings living in it will get angry and punish them with some kind of unexplained illness. This belief was further reinforced when many of those who did cut the tree experienced some kind of unexplained malady.

To prevent harm, the babaylan or local psychics would advise those who pass by those trees to utter some words, in effect asking permission to walk through it. It is believed that people who prowl those forests may bump into an enchanted being unknowingly and earn its ire. Thus, the balite trees were left untouched in the forests.

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My graduate professor once remarked that it may be desirable to plant balite trees in the deforested areas of the country, as people believe it is enchanted and will not dare cut it down. It will be a good strategy to preserve the forests to maintain a desirable landscape.

Beside its ecological functions like preventing erosion as part of the forest, banyan is extensively used in creating bonsai. There may be other uses aside from this. Preserving the balite tree can provide future options for undiscovered qualities.

This idea may also hold true in the case of that island whose surrounding reefs were protected because of a fisher's snake encounter in that island. More of this story in my article titled "Marangas: An Enchanted Island".

Crocodiles Without Tails Are Aggressive?

2010-01-03T14:33:00.001+08:00

Talking about crocodiles, there was that legend that says a crocodile named "Putol" was notoriously ferocious. Putol is a local term that means that its tail was severed. It may be aggressive because it encountered someone in the past and got its tail cut off. So, the story goes that the crocodile attacks humans because of this. It's some kind of vendetta. Does this mean that crocodiles without tails are aggressive? I don't think so.

I was reminded of this story when I noticed my photographs of crocodile offspring with this condition several years back. The tails of these crocodiles did not develop during incubation. When they broke out from their thick eggshell, all of them have no tails.

The mother of this group of hatchlings was once reared near a plantation somewhere in Mindanao. The veterinarians pointed out that somehow, pesticides in the chemicals sprayed on the growing crops adjacent to the crocodile's pen contaminated the food of the mother crocodile. Feeding on the contaminated food, the mother crocodile ingested the harmful ingredients of the pesticide. These crocodiles were victims of pesticide residues that prevented the growth of their tails.

Crocodiles: Misunderstood Man-eating Animals

2010-01-02T20:32:00.000+08:00

A badly beaten and tightly restrained crocodile in a remote barangay south of Palawan.

Crocodiles are treated with scorn by many as these animals have a reputation of eating humans. But are these man-eating reptiles worthy to be treated with fear and hostility?

The most notable man-eating crocodile is the saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus). These animals can even travel via the sea. There was a report that even SCUBA divers encountered them underwater.

How well do we know these animals? I happened to engage in research about these awesome reptiles that didn't change much in it general bodily features for more than 200 million years. And I came to understand the important role they play in the environment and got rid of many of my misconceptions.

I wrote a detailed description of the important role these highly resilient animals play in my post titled "Dangerous Saltwater Crocodiles".

Although crocodiles play a very important ecological role, contact with these man-eating animals should be limited as much as possible. While many of them are not man-eating, at least two of them are. These two species are described in Man-eating Crocodiles: Dangerous Reptiles That Survived the Age of the Dinosaurs. A veterinarian working in the zoo was victimized by a nile crocodile. Luckily, high tech medical technology made possible the reattachment of his lost arm.

Heartbeats Unimaginably So Very Slow

2009-12-17T05:40:00.000+08:00

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I never knew before that some animals can have heartbeats unimaginably so very slow. The heart has to pump blood through its intricate system of arteries, veins and valves towards the lungs to remove carbon dioxide and to allow general blood circulation in an animal's body through a major artery, the aorta. This mechanism serves the following functions: provide much needed oxygen, remove carbon dioxide from the blood, distribute nutrients, and remove bodily waste in general.

Among those animals known to have the slowest heartbeat are the blue whales at four heartbeats per minute. It can afford to do so because of its big size. Browsing the internet, I discovered that a relatively smaller animal can even have a slower heartbeat at only two heartbeats per minute. These are the crocodiles.

Find out how crocodiles do it among other facts in a featured article titled "What Animal Has the Slowest Heartbeat Ever".

Blood-Sucking Vampire Bats

2009-12-17T05:22:00.000+08:00

Are vampire bats really blood-sucking mammals as its name connotes?

While looking for facts about this mammal, trying to verify if these animals are really blood-sucking like vampires are portrayed on stories and films, I discovered a lot of facts. While these animals are associated with the supernatural and treated with disdain, they serve some purpose to man. They are not blood sucking but may surreptitiously feed on any warm-blooded animal including man.

More on these remarkable animals here.

Palawan Bearcat: Neither Bear Nor Cat

2009-12-02T20:49:00.000+08:00

Palawan Bearcats (Arctictis binturong) exist only in Palawan in the Philippines as it is an endemic species. They are, however, neither bear nor cats as people might think because of its name. Locally named binturong, the bearcat belongs to Family Viverridae which includes civets and genets. Civets are small mammals frequenting trees (arboreal)which produce a distinctive musk. Genets, on the other hand, are catlike (but unrelated to cats) and likewise have musk glands. are Genets are superficially cat-like creatures, despite being unrelated to cats.

Notable among the bear cats are their prehensile tail which they also use to communicate. More on these animals here.

Visit Palawaniana for more information on Palawan's wildlife.

Wild Pigs and Pig Bombs

2009-11-29T13:55:00.000+08:00

Wild pigs once are abundant in the forests of Palawan. But with an ingenious device, the "pig bomb" as the locals call it, the wild pig population was almost wiped out.

Here's the story.

More on mammals in Palawan here.

Remarkable Family Protecting A Patch of Reef

2009-11-28T21:22:00.000+08:00

A family took the pains of protecting a patch of reef (or what's left of it after lots of destructive methods of fishing) in front of their simple home supported by posts piled through the soft sand.

After almost two decades of keeping the reef intact, marine life returned and thrived. Coral colonies grew and new recruits replaced the old ones. Likewise, reef fishes of various kinds lived and fed on the reef.

Family values do matter. More on this story here.

Symbiotic Relationship Between the Mouse Deer and the Python

2009-11-28T21:09:00.000+08:00

The Balabac Mouse deer or Pilandok is a major protein source for the native Molbogs of Balabac Island, Palawan. Generally shy, the mouse deer takes refuge in burrows dug under trees. These underground holes become favorite habitats also to pythons, which appear to be ‘friendly’ with the mouse deer. Natives described the relationship mutual. Accordingly, when the mouse deer is hunted with the aid of dogs, and when the mouse deer takes refuge in its hole, the python lies in wait to prey on the dogs. There is a symbiotic relationship between the mouse deer and the python.

More on this story here.

People's Beliefs Determine Their Behavior Towards the Reefs

2009-11-28T20:13:00.000+08:00

Once upon a time, when a fisher docked on Marangas Island to rest, a slither of snakes approached him and frightened the hell out of him. He was damn scared he jumped to his boat and paddled with all his might.

That incident went through the grapevine and from then on, nobody dared approached or fish near the island. The people believed that island was enchanted.

Recently, a group of SCUBA divers came to the area and noticed that rocky, but scenic island. Despite warning by the fisher-boat operator that the island is enchanted, the group explored the reef surrounding the island. Many large, tabulate corals were found, virtually untouched. The reefs were conserved because of people's belief that the place is enchanted. People's beliefs determine their behavior towards the reefs.

More on this story here.

How Much Can a Tourist Attraction Earn?

2009-11-27T09:45:00.000+08:00

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Now a famous vacation destination in Palawan and one of the New 7 Wonders of the World Candidate, St. Paul's Subterranean River National Park or simply Underground River to many, is a major tourism earner. How much can a tourist attraction earn?

Details on how much this world wonder is worth at Trifter.

More on tourist attractions in Palawan here.

Mini-Tubbataha of Palawan

2009-11-27T08:28:00.000+08:00

Once unknown to many, a reef thrived just a few minutes off a jetty in Honda Bay, Palawan. Now, it has become one of the major attractions of a day-long island hopping spree, a well-known itinerary of tourists. Visitors can snorkel and see what the local people dubbed as the Mini-Tubbataha of Palawan and rest on a sea turtle-shaped School-in-the-Seas project or Dalub-Karagatan of HOBBAI-ABS-CBN Project.

More on this new reef attraction in Trifter.

More about attractions in Palawan here.