CLIMATE CHANGE is the buzz word that we always hear, read from any media out fits today and even one of the top issues in any meetings, conferences conducted by any government and non government organizations all around the globe.

Yes, it is really a hot topic because of what we are experiencing today, calamities after disasters.

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Compared with previous years, people would always expect that strong typhoons will only occur during rainy season. This time, we are no longer safe because strong typhoons with heavy rains will come at any time of the year.... even during season of festivities.

The Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) defines climate change as "a statistically significant variation in either the mean state of the climate or change in precipitation, temperature and wind, persisting typically for decades or longer." On the other hand, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) describes climate change as the "change in climate attributed directly or indirectly to human activities, in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods".

In one of the Rotary Club of Baguio North weekly meetings, which this writer is a member, invited Pagasa Meteorological Office Chief Salvador Olivares. He shared his expertise on climate change and other extreme weather events.

Mr. Olivares said, climate change is indeed upon us. It is one of the most serious environmental challenges facing each and everyone, our country and the whole world. It is really a global problem.

As industries, the transport sector and other human activities continue to pump more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the planet is now becoming more vulnerable to potential impacts, which the experts called the "greenhouse gases (GHS) effect". This will allow sunlight to pass through but traps infrared radiation or heat that warms the atmosphere.

However, human activities are causing greenhouse gases level in the atmosphere to rise above optimum point. For example, when power plants burn fossil fuel or when trees cut so that housing projects may be built, carbon dioxide increases in the atmosphere.

Experts further observed that since the late 19th century, global average temperature has already increased. This resulted in the melt down of glacial ice causing sea level to rise by 10 to 20 cm. as well as the increase of ocean water temperature. It has decreased snow cover by 10 percent since the late l960s and brought about the increase in the frequency of extreme weather events.

These events are evident in the Philippines as Mr. Olivares mentioned. These are changes in wind pattern, changes in cloud and humidity, changes in rainfall, global warming and changes in soil moisture. The temperature trend in our country is also disturbing. There is a significant decrease of cold days/cool nights or La Nina and significant increase of hot days/ warm nights or El Nino.

Pagasa has also predicted that there will be changes in precipitation. There will be more frequent strong rainfall incidence and longer dry period in between. There will be heavier rainfall, more intense and longer droughts.

The most apparent impacts of climate change may be felt on water sources, agriculture and food security, forest, coastal areas, species and natural areas and human health.

These disasters greatly affected the socioeconomic development of the country. These phenomena not only stunted production, they also stranded food supplies, displaced and endangered families, have taken lives and even worsened the plight of the poor. This was demonstrated dramatically by typhoons "Ondoy" and "Pepeng".

We are set to face the challenges on environmental problems if you and I, everybody, will do our part in adapting good practices and strategies to prepared for future changes in climate. It is only then that we can successfully address the great challenges ahead of us.

By the way, President GMA declared November 19-25, 2008 and every year thereafter as "Global Warming and Climate Change Consciousness Week" by virtue of Executive Order 1667.