Talk on Ecological Awareness-content

8/3/2019 Talk on Ecological Awareness-content

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TALK ON ECOLOGICAL AWARENESS(Roel L, Vera Cruz, OFM )

I. SESSION I: LEVELLING OFFINRODUCTION: OUR WORKING PRINCIPLES

A. Scriptural Reading:

Then God said, ³Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over the cattle and over all the wild animals of the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.´ So God created them, male and

female He created them. God blessed them and God said to them. ³Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the

earth.´ Gen. 1:26-28

B. The Things We Learn

1. Atom is the smallest unit particle of matter.2. M olecule is the basic chemical unit that makes up the parts of the cell. 3. Organelles are the parts of the cell. 4. Cell is the smallest unit of living things. 5. Tissue is a group of similar cells. 6. Organ is a group of differentiated tissues doing the same work (e.g. liver, pancreas, etc. ).

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System is a group of different organs performing different functions (e.g. muscular system). 8. Organism is an individual living thing either plant or animal. 9. Population is a group of similar organisms occupying a definite area. 10. Community is a group of different populations interacting with one another. 11. Ecosystem is a group of communities interacting with one another and their physical

environment. 12. Biosphere is all ecosystems on earth with the physical environment. 13. Earth is the planetary environment.

C. The Seven Environmental Principles.

1. Nature knows best.2. All forms of life are important.3. Everything is connected to everything else.4. Everything changes.5. Everything must go somewhere.6. Ours is a finite earth.



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7 . Nature is beautiful and we are stewardsof God¶s creation.

We all learn the same thing here on earth. The facts never change even if we are allconfronted with changes. The principle behind us is still a principle. We accepted it from the

beginning and up to now is still an acceptance. We find it hard to put all these things into action.We cannot bridge our words to our deeds even in reality we are fond of building bridges. Wheredo think the problem lies? Is it on the nature we have or on our very nature as human?

On the scriptural reading in the beginning we have, try to focus on the two verbs cited, subdue and dominion. Mr. Dictionary says, ³ subdue is to bring somebody under forcible control;and dominion is to have control, power or authority over somebody or something else. And itseems we are very faithful to the definition. But remember the two verbs are just Englishtranslations. Those terms subdue and dominion s have their own particularity. Meaning thoseterms have cultural and historical background.

Translating those terms into our world, subdue and dominion are equivalent in saying, ³ O sige, ikaw na ang bahala dyan.´ Meaning ipinagkatiwala sa iyo lahat! If everything is entrustedto you, you are held responsible to it.

II. SESSION II: JU M PING BOARDSEEING THE REALITY: GLOBAL SITUATION

A. Ozone Recovery is Slower than Hoped

Earth's ozone layer is finally on the mend after decades of damage, two United Nations

agencies reported. But recovery has been slower than experts had hoped, the WorldMeteorological Organization and the U.N. Environment Program said. The ozone layer filtersdangerous solar radiation. By 2049, the protective layer will be back to pre-1980 levels over huge areas in the Northern and Southern hemispheres, the agencies said. That's five years later than forecast in the last major scientific report, in 2002.

Over Antarctica, where ozone holes have grown over the last 30 years, recovery isn'tlikely until 2065, 15 years later than previously hoped. The new assessment is in a summary of areport by 250 scientists to be issued next year on the effects of the 198 7 Montreal Protocol,which committed signatory nations to ban the use of ozone-depleting products. "The delayedrecovery is a warning that we cannot take the ozone layer for granted," said the U.N.

Environment Program's executive director, Achim Steiner. The ozone layer blocks harmfulultraviolet rays, and holes in it have been blamed for increased risks of skin cancer and cataractsin humans. The holes may also harm crop yields and sea life, according to researchers. Thelayer's depletion is mainly caused by the release of man-made chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs,which are used in some aerosol sprays and cooling equipment.





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IV. A SUBJECTIVE REFLECTION

St. Francis of Assisi has been declared as Patron of Ecology by the late Blessed John PaulII. Perhaps, it is good to ask ourselves what he did to preserve nature and maintain ecological

balance of his time. We know already then, that he did not lead a crusade against wantondestruction of nature. I was not his concern to fight against illegal logging and exploitation of nature which is our concern today.

As a lover of nature, St. Francis of Assisi is always portrayed talking to the birds and tothe fierce wolf of Gubbio by his biographers and famous artists. He called the sun, the moon andthe stars as brothers and sisters.

Perhaps, St. Francis of Assisi knew very well the Scriptural passage from the Book of Genesis which you have heard in the beginning. He begun a new lifestyle that of a radical

discipleship. Francis did not pretend to know that his simple and joyful lifestyle if followedreligiously would later provide a radical solution to injustices, wars, hostilities and globalwarming.

The information presented above is just a parcel of the reality where we are today. For instance, in school, we already know what is ecology, environment, etc. We have already aconception of what is is, and what is, is not . We have already a picture of what is whole andwhat is broken . We have already felt how it is to be connected and be separated . We havealready seen and experienced what is arranged and disarranged.

I have stated a while ago, that human has already taken a big leap in terms of improvinghis life. We succeed in life prolongation while on the other hand; many are dying which arecaused by catastrophe- natural and manmade. We are all busy using our hands perhaps incommunicating but sometimes we failed to communicate with our neighbour. We have improvedour food but many are starving because our resources are inadequately distributed.

Nowadays, we are fond of instant...Anything but instant- instant noodles, instant coffeeand even instant relationship like the email bride or groom later on. Our attitude adapted also tothese phenomena. We find it hard to wait like for example 20 years ago, before we eat chickenmeat we have to wait at 5 months, now only 30 days.

2005 and 2006 I was assigned in Payatas Dump Site B and I have observed that most of the garbage is diapers and sanitary napkins. Next are the sachets of shampoo and coffee. I said tomyself, ³are we run out of lampin and pasador? Are we tamad or because we are influence bythe media.´ Media nowadays are the one creating our needs. We have no control of ourselves.We become impatient to wait. We like to collect of is best. We like that everything works just inone click!



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In all our activity, nature is always affected because nature does not like what we want.

V.

WORKSHOP 1: JUDGING THE REALITYGLOBAL AND LOCAL

(The participants are grouped according to their place of origin)

A. Guide:

1. Enumerate some of the ecological problems in which our world is facingtoday.

2. Enumerate some of the ecological problems in which our place is facing

today.

VI. WORKSHOP II: ACTION: OUR CONTIRBUTION TO GLOBALSuggestions to the Global Community

VII. WORKSHOP III: ACTION: OUR CONTRIBUTION TO LOCALConcrete Campaign, Workable Solutions

The participants are requested to make workable action plan.

VIII. SYNTHESIS:

People who capture Francis¶ spirituality would not engage in accumulation of wealth and property anymore nor lust for power and control which brings a devastating effect on our planet.Instead, without anything to hide, anything to protect, they would go around without fear

proclaiming the reign of God, calling each creature as brother and sister thus restoring thehumankind to its original image and the harmony in the garden of Eden.

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Talk on Ecological Awareness-content