Atty. Gloria Ramos
Untangling knots — whether from your headphone or cell phone wire or thread — can only be done through a mind that is peaceful, focused and mindful. One cannot achieve it on frayed nerves and harried disposition.
The same “state of grace” is required when amid, or responding to, situations which are less than what we want it to be.
Being surrounded by the rumblings and discordant voices in the governance landscape including the fake news on social media or misleading utterance in radio, it takes a lot of effort not to give way to raw emotions.
But, patience we must have, and with it, the steely determination to do one’s share in enhancing the quality of the public discourse on issues that concern all of us, citizens who have a stake in where our country is going to.
There is much that need to be done — the most pressing of which is enhancing the knowledge of our people that they can be a force of good in protecting our environment which is under terrible assault from all corners by us, humans.
Single-use plastics, for one, are described as “a scourge on our seas and lethal to our precious environment and wildlife”, by the United Kingdom’s Environment Secretary Michael Gove. He adds that it is “vital we act now.” His government announced the plan to stop the sale of plastic straws, drink stirrers and plastic-stemmed cotton swabs in England last April.
Last week, the European Parliament voted to ban single-use plastics by 2021. These include “straws, plates, cups and cotton buds, and can take several centuries to degrade in the oceans where they are increasingly observed to be consumed by marine life.”
The good news is the Cebu City government is coming up with a proposed ordinance banning the use of single-plastics. Thanks to Pagtambayayong and the Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office for inviting me to speak on the Environmental Impacts of Plastic Pollution before various sectors. I stood as an inspired witness to the participatory process being initiated by the city.
Plastics have dominated our lives and choices. Many, if not most of them, end up in our oceans. In a study, it is estimated that 12.2 million tonnes of plastic enter the marine environment per year. Thus, it is not far-fetched for the day to come when there will be more plastics than fish in our ocean. It might just be happening now.
For residents in the city, take time to join the discussions on the proposed plastic ban ordinance which is under the Committee of the Environment under the Chair, Councilor Jerry Guardo, who was in the forum last week.
It is high time for other local government units and stakeholders to look for solutions in warding off the perils of plastic and do something to untie the knotty issue faced by all of us.
Opting for a more sustainable lifestyle and plastic-free day-to-day choices is one.