Stronger typhoons and ‘Bagyo Drills; Climate changer a growing threat

THE country, particularly a wide area of Luzon, suffers another major blow from typhoon Lando. PH has become the path of stronger storms. We have to prepare better on how to deal with them and other natural calamities. With the loss of lives and huge damage left, newly appointed DILG Sec. Mel Senen Sarmiento proposes the holding of “Bagyo Drills” nationwide.

Yes to “Bagyo Drills” and similar survival training, pre-emptive actions and faster post-calamity interventions. President Aquino surveys and expresses concern on the loss of lives and damage to property and agriculture in affected areas.

Time for speedy rebuilding and recovery, Mr. President.And no more political coloration, please. Politicians should now come out and fulfill their promises to help our countrymen, especially our badly affected kababayans.

No to artificial show of concern in times of calamities. Magpakatotoo kayo, please!

Typhoon Lando’s wrath reminds the country of the pains suffered from super-typhoon Yolanda which devastated Leyte and Samar a few years ago.

A lot of lessons learned. Time to act better and move forward. However, the typhoon fills the dams of Luzon with water we badly need against the continuing onslaught of El Nino.

The Catholic Church’s Oratio Emperata may have worked. God knows when to give much-needed blessings.

To improve weather forecasting, five more Doppler radars will be acquired by PAGASA.

Yes, let’s give Pinoys greater hope and chance of surviving typhoons and other natural calamities.

*** Likewise, the Philippines has recognized the threat of climate change and committed to UN efforts to help mitigate the global problem.

We’ll cut our greenhouse emission by 70% by 2030 with the help of the private sector, says Climate Change Commission (CCC) Assistant Sec. Joyceline Goco.

*** US Secretary of State John Kerry warns that climate change has become a threat to global food security.

Hence, a greater global action on how to cope with the problem becomes necessary. “Climate change is perhaps the most significant threat to global food security today. Make no mistake: the implications here extend well beyond hunger,’’ the AFP quotes Kerry saying close to a world climate conference in Paris.

“This isn’t only about food security; it’s about global security,” he warns. Kerry notes that it is “not a coincidence that, immediately prior to the civil war in Syria, the country experienced the worst drought on record’’, sparking the migration of some 1.5 million people ‘’that intensified the political unrest that was beginning to brew.”

“The devastating drought clearly made a bad situation a whole lot worse,’’ he points out. “Even if it doesn’t ignite conflict, it has the ability to fan the flames and to make situations much more complicated for political leaders to deal with.’’

Climate change is a “threat multiplier,” he declares. The US VP cites the mass migration to Europe as an example of a crisis provoked partly by climate change, warning that things will get significantly worse if large parts of the world become uninhabitable due to global warming.

Time for greater action against global warming – before it’s too late. After all, it’s easier and cheaper than Option Mars.