Friday, June 15, 2007 Peña: Seacology By Rox Peña E-ssue
FOR every environmental issue, there's an NGO advocate. There's even one that focuses solely on conserving the environments and cultures of islands throughout the globe.
This group is called Seacology, the world's premier nonprofit, non-governmental organization with the sole purpose of preserving the highly endangered biodiversity of islands throughout the world.
According to this group, Earth is home to over 100,000 islands. The 150 largest have a landmass equal to the size of Europe. The world's biggest island is Greenland, while Luzon and Mindanao are the 17th and 19th largest respectively. One in every 10 people on Earth is an islander. More than 600 million people live on the islands.
Because of their isolation, islands have a disproportionately high number of endemic (native) species. Cited as an example is the island of Madagascar, which has 8,000 endemic plant species. We are lucky that the Philippines' 7,100 islands contain more endemic vertebrate species (460) than anywhere else on Earth. The bad news however is that our country, along with Indonesia, has more species threatened with extinction than any other nations on the planet.
Because of their rich biodiversity, islands have to be protected. Seacology came out with tips to help preserve islands while enjoying them. I simplified and revised some of them.
1. Encourage the creation of eco-resorts: Let's encourage lodges, hotels and resorts to be environmentally friendly. They can start with simple things like waste segregation, recycling, composting, energy saving, wastewater reuse, avoiding disposables etc...
2. When enjoying our beaches, take nothing but pictures: A seashell plucked from the sands may seem like a great souvenir, but it might also be the future home of a hermit crab. Personal photographs and postcards will secure your vacation memories just fine.
3. Save energy, take advantage of natural ventilation: Many tropical islands are adequately cooled by trade winds. Shutting off the air-conditioning will not only save energy, but allow you to hear the chirping of sea birds and the breeze through the palm trees. If conditions are sweltering and you simply must use air-conditioning, please turn it off when you leave your room.
4. Respect and appreciate the diversity of island cultures and languages: The devastation of island cultures occurs at an alarming rate. Before you go, learn a little about the culture and language of the island you plan to visit. The smiles that greet you when you use the local language will be worth the price of your ticket.
5. Mind the underwater life: When scuba diving or snorkeling, do not touch anything. Coral reefs are extremely fragile and take a long time to grow. A no-touch policy will also save you from nasty stings, scrapes and bites.
6. Patronize locally produced products and foods: Buying local goods will stir economic activity in the area. It will provide income to the local folks.
7. Support environmental activities: Participate in coastal clean-ups, mangrove planting and eco-tourism projects.
With blessings comes responsibility. It is our duty to protect what God has poured unto our beautiful islands.
