Reflection on the Environment

When I was a kid, my parents had always taught me to throw the garbage at the
right place and to always conserve water and energy which I still brought up with me
until today. I hate the thought of throwing garbage, a piece of paper or even plastics
anywhere. I am a nature lover and I have a self-discipline on my own ways because I
always believe that the change for the better world or environment starts by doing the
right things for the goodness of the surroundings. My asthma gave me the range over
people who never gives value towards the environment. I have to endure every pollution
that had caused by different people and I have nothing to do about but prevent it on my
own. I sometimes tell my friends and families to never forget to give value to the
surroundings because only the environment can give us the real and fullness of life. A
human being can be nothing without God, so as a man without nature. During my
presentation as a speaker in Special Topic 2 which I was talking about the Environment,
I learned not just about the wonders of the world but also about the problems that the
world is facing in today. However, I learned that the Global warming and other
environmental problems are the only second cause of what we are facing right now
especially on the natural disasters and the mastermind of all disasters are the evil,
human deeds towards nature. I want to make a change in the world and by doing that I
know I have to begin with educating myself and help other people to educate the
importance of saving the environment as well. In addition, I would also like to join any
earth organizations that has an advocacy of saving the environment because by doing
that I am not only helping other people’s goal but also saving the land that was only a
borrowed one from God.

By: Barbara Nicole M. Jabal

 Reflection on Depression

Years ago, during my elementary days, I was a young girl who got bullied all the
time in every school I go. I always wonder what was with me that I was not being
accepted by the society but never have I thought of being upset nor depressed with my
situation because I never did understand it at all. But, as I grew older and the bullying
stops, now I am facing the situation where I usually gets depressed. It only started when
I am in my 2nd year in college where I was experiencing neglected between my best
friend and my cousin. I felt toxicated and by that time I was wondering why they had
broken the promise that I thought they would forever keep. As if I was dragged into hell
and all I wanted to do is either die or let go of them and I did decided to let go of them
because I know that they aren’t worthy of losing my life. Sooner and later, I got more
depressed when my mom always compare me to the cousin I hated now and it made
me feel terrible and suicidal at the same time again. Until now, I am a depressive
person but I know no one would like to listen to me and I don’t have enough wealth to
pay a visit on a mental health doctor I have to do self-healing. After listening to the
Special Topic 3 seminar, I have thought that I know, I may be faking or not, I have felt
all those symptoms whenever I feel bad but I know myself that no one can really help
me out except me or if possible, go to a mental health doctor where I know there is a
right treatment. The seminar taught me that even if I can never be the one who my
friends can help me, at least I can help other people in the future.

By: Barbara Nicole M. Jabal

 Objectives of the Seminar

The objectives of the seminar to the learners is to:

a. Know the importance of environment,

b. Aware them on how the environment faced the world problem caused
by humans,

c. View on the more possible effects and damages of the world and
what they can do to solve it, and,

d. Give sense of responsibility and urgency towards the environment so

as to ensure appropriate actions to solve environmental problems.
 The Environment

What is an Environment?

It's everything that makes up our surroundings and affects our ability to live on the
earth—the air we breathe, the water that covers most of the earth's surface, the plants
and animals around us, and much more.
Environment Before
• The air was fresh and crisp
• Birds flew overhead
• The clouds were pure white.
• Animals roamed freely and lived as one with nature
• Towering trees and rain forests were plentiful
The Environment Today

• When did the environment destruction started?

1800-1830

• First Industrial Revolution. Coal, railroads, and land clearing speed up

greenhouse gas emission, while better agriculture and sanitation speed up
population growth.
1870-1910

• Second Industrial Revolution. Fertilizers and other chemicals, electricity,

and public health further accelerate growth.
1914-1918

• World War I; governments learn to mobilize and control industrial

societies.
1930s
• Global warming trend since late 19th century reported.
 Today’s Environmental Problems

1. Air Pollution
Causes:

How Air Pollution Affects Human Health

• Breathing polluted air puts you at a higher risk for asthma and other respiratory
diseases.

• Air pollutants are mostly carcinogens and living in a polluted area can put people
at risk of Cancer.
• Coughing and wheezing are common symptoms observed on city folks.
• Damages the immune system, endocrine and reproductive systems.

• The toxic chemicals released into the air settle into plants and water sources.
Animals eat the contaminated plants and drink the water. The poison then travels
up the food chain – to us.

2. Water Pollution
Causes:

How Water Pollution Affects Human Health

• Diseases such as amoebiasis, typhoid and hookworm are caused by polluted

drinking water.

• Water polluted by chemicals such as heavy metals, lead, pesticides and

hydrocarbon can cause hormonal and reproductive problems, damage to the
nervous system, liver and kidney damage and cancer – to name a few.
 • A polluted beach causes rashes, hepatitis, gastroenteritis, diarrhea, encephalitis,
stomach aches and vomiting.

• Water pollution affects marine life which is one of our food sources. Remember
the stories of contaminated shellfish and how those who ate them died?

3. Land/Soil Pollution
Causes:

How does soil pollution affects the earth?

 Decrease in soil fertility

 Soil erosion
 Toxic dust

4. Deforestation
Causes:

The Effects of Deforestation

• Plants and Animals face extinction
• Increase in temperature
• Loss of biodiversity
• Floods
• Drought
• And more
5. Global Warming and Climate Change
Global warming refers only to the Earth’s rising surface temperature,
while climate change includes warming and the “side effects” of warming—like
melting glaciers, heavier rainstorms, or more frequent drought.

Environmental Cases
2004
First major books, movie, and art work featuring global warming appear.
2012
Controversial "attribution" studies find recent disastrous heat waves,
droughts, extremes of precipitation, and floods were made worse by global
warming.
2013
An apparent pause or ‘series or process’ in global warming of the
atmosphere since 1998 is explained; the world is still warming
2015
Researchers find collapse of West Antarctic ice sheet is irreversible, will
bring meters of sea-level rise over future centuries.
 2018
Damage from impacts — droughts, floods, tropical cyclones, wildfires,
decline of wildlife—is seen sooner and at lower CO2 levels than expected.

The Environment in the Future

The future is still unknown but can have the result of having flat forests caused
by the enhancement of technologies and a new rebuilt high tech cities, or a zombie
apocalypse or can be already the end of the world. However, some people just wants to
have the old environment back the way it was before and make chances for a better
world. People have supported change for the environment for some areas in the world.
According to Gandhi “Be the change you wish to see the world” and from Ernest
Hemingway “The earth is a fine place and worth fighting for” which defines that the
change starts within every human’s thought and how the view and see the world
according to their perspective because the world deserves to change and become a
better place.
Documentation