Final Failure

“We are at the critical point of human existence.” So goes the words of former US vice president Al Gore during his presentation, An Inconvenient Truth. That was three years ago. How far have we gone? Can we face ourselves in the mirror and honestly say “We did our best?” Has there been any improvement? I doubt it. This is one of those rare moments when this writer must get straight to the point.

We are not doing enough to uphold Republic Act 8749 otherwise known as the Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999. In Legazpi City alone, there are still quite a number of motor vehicles belching out black smoke like there was no tomorrow. Any pedestrian would attest to the fact that there are still jeepneys and tricycles that have been granted franchises but are still perennial smoke-belchers. This cursed condition is not only limited to public transport but also to some private cars and delivery trucks. The problem persists despite the existence of anti smoke-belching stations and the pronounced firmness of the mandated agencies. Sadly, there are ailments from these offices that need to be cured.

In addition, the local governance seemed intent at first to fully implement an ordinance banning smoking in public conveyances. But even that is slowly dwindling. Some drivers and passengers still continue to violate this statute unimpeded. This writer is a witness to countless infringements of drivers and passengers alike. In one instance, a driver (Loop 1) immediately lit a cigarette while in transit the moment he reached Brgy. Bogtong, a spot which is still well within the city limits. There is an old saying, “When the cat is away, the mouse will play.” To field more enforcers may be a good reposition but not the final solution.

There are still other desecrations against the natural world and they do not need to be pointed out to make a statement. These two above-mentioned examples alone are basis enough to conclude that we still do not comprehend the crucial phase our environment is undergoing now. We still do not have the faintest idea of how dangerously close the human race is to extinction. The point of no return in which Gore so eloquently described in the film may be this moment. It is the condition wherein the damage to the environment is already irreversible. The polar ice caps will continue to melt at a faster rate. The sea levels will rise and the coral reefs would now be totally unsupportive of marine life. Natural calamities would keep on increasing in strength and frequency. New life threatening viruses and diseases would persist and repetitively plague the globe. And that will be just the beginning. What comes after that is too horrifying to picture.

If that is the case, then, we miserably failed. We failed not only ourselves but the entire existence of every living thing on the face of the earth. And that is the final failure mankind will ever commit. (Photo courtesy of www.sciencecastle.com)