“Let it be said that in our time and during our watch, we did our share,” said Atty. Antonio Oposa Jr., 2009 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee for Public Service, an authority in environmental law and author of Legal Arsenal in Environmental Law, as a wakeup call for everyone at the 77th general membership assembly of the Department of Science and Technology-National Research Council of the Philippines (DoST-NRCP).

As the guest speaker, Oposa questioned the concept of revenue, profit, progress and development which only consumed and wasted the earth’s riches and caused various pollutions, leading to many crises.

The country has so much to offer but much of it is wasted, Oposa said. According to studies, the Philippines is the center of the world’s biodiversity but sadly, the country’s ecosystem is being destroyed day by day, he said.

According to the UN FAO study by Dr. Kent Carpenter, the Philippines is the center of the world’s marine biodiversity.

Central Philippines has the highest diversity. The top 2.5 percent of species richness is found in the central Philippines. Up to 1,736 species or nearly 60 percent of all species in the study are found in this area.

However, destructive forms of fishing caused the collapse of many marine ecosystems in the country.

To date, 16 rivers have already been considered biologically dead.

“In the laws of nature, there is no right or wrong. There are no rewards of punishments. There are only consequences,” said Oposa.

There are things such as weather changes which are beyond man’s control.

But most of what is happening in the world is caused by humans.

“Climate change is the consequence of our excessive extraction and consumption behavior,” noted Oposa.

However, there are things man can do to hasten it or develop measures to survive the crisis. Sustainable agriculture, urban greening, water recycling, and green architecture are just some of the advocacies of many environmentalists. But for all of this to transpire, people must be educated.

This is where environmental groups enter the picture. To be able to promote environmental advocacies, the society especially the youth must be informed. Oposa, a member of the School of the SEAs (sea and earth advocates), have travelled around the nation to spread awareness regarding
environmental issues.