Japan's Lessons on the Economy and the Environment: Our Pollution Experience

The Country That I Know As Japan

Japan, as many people perceive, is the most technologically advanced country in the world. For many Filipinos, especially the older ones, the Japanese are considered the models of discipline.

I have been one of the few fortunate Bosconians who was able to travel to Japan via the Salesio Polytechnic of Tokyo Exchange Student Program. I had a glimpse of how advanced and beautiful that country is currently. The environment is as clean as it gets and the technology well advanced than what I’m used to.

Of course, I can only compare to what I know. I lived in the Philippines my whole life and that trip to Japan was my first out-of-the-country experience. I do not want to compare and criticize my home country to that of a foreign one like Japan, but I have to say, there are certainly some better aspects of living there relative to what we have here.

Lesson Defined At Its Finest

Last Monday’s film viewing of a documentary entitled Japan's Lessons on the Economy and the Environment: Our Pollution Experience certainly opened my eyes on a few new things.

I used to think that Japan has always been the model that it is now since the start of time. However, I was gravely mistaken, dead wrong. After watching that documentary, it shocked me to know that it was only recently (a few decades ago), that Japan went through various challenges, fallen down, and tried desperately to get back up.

Focusing too much on improving their economy, they hurt their environment to its worst and by reaction affecting the health and lives of many of the Japanese natives. There was an outbreak of various serious diseases that seemed like the payback of Mother Earth for what was then the foolish ignorant Japanese.

Do not be mistaken that my regard for the Japanese went down, in fact it went up to an all-time high. They were able to remedy their problem in what I believe was a hopeless situation. Finding the right balance on economy and environment was key to their success and it is showing right now at this moment of time.

Hope for Us

Looking at our situation now, pollution is definitely getting worse. It may not be as worse as what Japan had experienced before but will we really wait for those things to happen? For the lives of many to be taken away by the revenge of our environment?

Surely, the time to act is right now. If we don’t then we have a perfect example of what our road will lead to and it is not a pretty sight. There is hope for us, if the Japanese did what they did, then I will be going out of my way and say that we can do it better. Rise up and become the number one environmental country, Philippines!

Caramoan Peninsula

The Secret Paradise - Caramoan Peninsula

Many tourists treat the many different islands of the Philippines as the best paradises of the world. Well, it is no new knowledge to us locals that our beloved country is as tropical as it gets, a characteristic that never misses out on everyone’s idea of the perfect paradise.

Filipinos can be really proud of their own habitat that many foreigners treat as paradise. Our place is well known for the white beaches of Boracay, Palawan, Puerto Galera and many more. But it often escapes the thoughts of many that we are composed of 1,700 plus islands, which also means thousands of beaches, caves and more that are yet to be known. One cluster of these not-so-famous paradises is the Caramoan Peninsula, a secret paradise as admitted by the very website of Caramoan.

Dreamlike and World-Class Beauty

Pictures say a thousand words, as the saying goes. No one can describe the beauty of these islands that will justify its value. It is the picture of our dreams, the perfect paradise that is seen only on Hollywood films. In fact, the Caramoan islands hosted many seasons for various countries of the reality show Survivor, a testament to show the appreciation of famous world-wide movie and television producers around the world.

Below are some images of the Caramoan Peninsula. Savor and admire these dream-come-true pictures of a worldly heaven. 

Author’s Notes

Though I’ve never been to the Caramoan Peninsula before (I didn’t even knew of the place before the blog assignment), I can say that those pictures above can compete with the famous white beaches of Puerto Galera where I’ve been to before.

Even if I’m not the adventurous type (I’d rather drink coffee in a place with a good view than do island and cave hopping), these new found information about the secret paradise certainly peaked some interest out of me. Hopefully, I would be able to experience these first-hand, and that’s coming from a guy who is too lazy to go out of the house.

References: < http://www.caramoan.ph/>

Transforming Cultures

There are 6.8 Billion people living in Earth right at this very moment. It is safe to say that most of which are living condensed in the fast-paced way of life of modern urban cities and communities. I admit that I am one of them.

Here, time is crucial. Productivity is key because money makes our lives go forward. We consume electricity for air-conditioning, television and many more other appliances. We eat instant and processed foods off the supermarket because they are cheap and easily accessible. We are consumers.

More Than OUR Earth Can Handle

In actuality, we are only one family out of millions worldwide living the same lifestyle. A lifestyle that does harm to the very planet that offered us shelter, a place to live.

We are extracting more natural resources that the Earth can handle. All to sustain a way of living that is frankly much too luxurious than what I think Earth originally planned for us.

Way back when in the past generation, where people live much simpler than today, we can see from studies that there are exponential increases in the extraction of our natural resources. We need to know that Earth cannot sustain this rate.

Our population is increasing, and with every increase, the demand for resources to sustain the life of that additional person also increases.

Rich people has more ecological footprint than the poor ones basically because they are more capable. But in order for Earth to sustain the 6.8 Billion of today, all of us must live like poor people, consuming only what we needed to survive and stop living gallantly.

Action Generation

This time it’s crucial. Signs are showing and we cannot just turn our eye blind to these changes.

Our generation will be the key if we want our kids and future generations to live in the Earth that we know today. We should be taking actions and we should be taking it now.

The Meatrix

The Meatrix, an animated film aiming to increase awareness to us consumers about the harm meat and other processed goods contribute, is a good step forward in our actions for change.

The clip tells us that we should spread the word and individually apply these new-thought lessons. It starts with us, stop going with factory products and go with fresh local goods. We may not be as big a footprint with our actions alone, but combined with the rest of the world, we will be powerful enough to make a change.

Culture

This is our culture, no one can blame us for our past actions. That is what we’ve grown and used to doing. But at some point we need to change and re-shape our culture for the betterment of our species.

Personally, I do not think reverting back to the simple ways of life is the main answer to our problems but to find ways around our “necessities of today” such that our ecological footprint would never be a problem.

Year-End Zero Waste Christmas Party

The end for 2013 is nearing fast. Truly, there is a hint of validity in the saying “Time flies”.

I can still remember how we crammed for our requirements at the end of our 4^th year in college last March, or how nulled I was realizing that I was about to enrol my last semesters last June and November. It seems only a few weeks ago that those memories and many more cherished ones have happened.

Looking back, this has been a year of hard work and learning. School has been demanding much of my time all throughout the year that there was not much more left for other things. Having said all that, I’ve grown and gained much knowledge and that is all worth the sweat, panic and sleepless nights for 2013.

Environmental Science and Engineering has made a big impact not only on myself but on my friends and classmates as well. I find myself smiling when I caught myself unintentionally thinking about the environmental impact of my actions. Whether I was throwing some candy wraps on the road or thrashing barely used coupon bonds, I find myself mulling over the effect that I would make on the environment if I did otherwise. And I am really happy to have found and develop that conscience.

Integrating Lessons into Tradition

I was really very happy with how the class Christmas party went for Environmental Science and Engineering. It was a testament to how much we’ve learned in class.

The food was all fruits. There was nothing bought from the supermarket, all were from the fresh market in close vicinity of the school. We also didn’t asked for plastic bags and held the goods with our bare hands.

We played games, laughed about and really just had a good time. After the tiring games, we ate and disposed our garbage properly.

The food was delicious, we can eat as much as we can without worrying about the sugar and fats that we intake. We were so full and yet we felt so light and energized.

It made me realize once again about how The 11^th Hour told that people should go back to being part of nature and use only the energy of sunlight to live day by day. Furthermore, Engr. Llorente concluded the party with saying that we should all appreciate our immediate surroundings.

It was a simple party, not in anyways grand, but it will surely go down with me as one of the most memorable, meaningful and unique Christmas party I’ve ever been a part of. It’s not about the material things eaten and given away, but about the people you spend these precious times with.

The 11th Hour

The Impact of The 11^th Hour

Watching a documentary film might sound as dull and boring to your ordinary youth but The 11^th Hour is probably one of those few exceptions. When I look back at the film, the structure was kind of ordinary – interviews, graphs, and loads of information contained in an hour or so film. Now one has to wonder, “Why is it ordinary yet so different at the same time?”

The News I Should Have Already Known

Whilst the film made good to expound the issues and concerns of the environment I’ve already knew from various different other documentaries, some things are relatively new to me.

I used to blame the higher government for not implementing policies improving our environment. They are the ones with power and they should lead us. I was proven wrong.

The United Nations, a central organization that handles most of the countries of the world, actually has an agency named The United Nations Environment Programme, which deals with the improvement, restoration and sustainability of our environment.

I absolutely think this is fantastic. Finally, someone with power and influence is taking actions. I believe and I pray that soon effects and results will arise.

Exploration

As I have stated many times before, “I will stick with what I know and then proceed”. My thesis is currently related to the Shell Eco Marathon, where we particularly build an all-electric car.

An all-electric car doesn’t burn gasoline and therefore leaves absolutely no carbon footprint. We have that technology right now. Nissan, one of the leading car manufacturers worldwide, has marketed the Nissan Leaf, available in US, Japan, and some European countries. Leading automotive TV show, Discovery Turbo, reviewed the Leaf as a car comparable to petrol cars performance wise.

If we can further explore this field, enhance and extract more performance from these cars enough to overthrow petrol cars, then it will surely be a huge step for our sustainable future.

With the use of programs like the Shell Eco Marathon, research and development continues to notch a higher level. Innovation continues to step up and very soon green will be the new norm.

Thinking About the Food You and I Eat

We should consider our environmental impacts even in the food we eat. Those supermarket stuffs - canned goods and instant foods, sad to say they are also a concern for our environment.

Imagine how the factories process these foods. They add preservatives and package them with those big machineries reminiscent of the industrial factories. The carbon footprint that is left with this mass production is massive. Not to mention the fuel needed to cover the miles needed for transportation and shipping of these products.

We should go green – fruits, vegetables, and meats produced in the local area. Not only are they more healthy but they cover less miles for transport. No preservatives and are fresh off harvest.

A Must-Watch

Everyone must see this movie. All of us are responsible for these issues so it is imperative that we be aware and responsible. No exception.

My Own Issue

It was stated somewhere in the film that it takes a sudden amount of consequence for us to finally take notice and proceed with actions. Then the question came to me, “Are we like frogs?”

When a frog is placed in warm water then heat it up slowly to boiling point, it dies without even noticing its environment is killing it. Will we be like that? People not noticing the gradual changing of the environment that is slowly killing us? Will we proceed as usual with our business not knowing that the environment is at its boiling point? Hopefully not.

Actions

A single person cannot do much but an accumulation can certainly make a difference. First off, I would like to share this movie to everyone interested. With the internet and technology of today, the voice of many can certainly influence others.

Second and more importantly, think about the environment in every little aspect of your everyday life then take actions. So that others may take actions too.

Root Cause Analysis

Main Problem

We always talk about how the environment is deteriorating and how mother Earth is dying. But has anybody thought about what the problem is behind it all?

We (along with my group Mikhael Martinez and Ron Cabungcal) agreed with each other that there is no one main problem that is the cause for all our environmental concerns. We believe that it is composed of a combination of many small bits. However, some concerns still stand out head and shoulders above the rest and leaves such heavy footprints and impacts on the dilemma at hand - OIL

Root Cause

Yes, a three letter word causes so much trouble for us in the present. Well, not really oil itself but the lack of it. This natural resource fuels our day to day mode of transportation; it is the source of energy for the power plants that delivers electricity to every household in the metro; and every other factories and industries of the present time rely on this resource for their continuous operation and production. But there is one big problem… it is non-renewable.

It has been harder and harder for oil companies to find this natural resource and we are being affected as they are asking more and more money for it. We can’t suppress our demand because we need it as it has become a human necessity, we have no choice.

Saying all that, do I believe that humanity is doomed?

Of course not! Humanity has risen through many setbacks in his history. This is just one more hurdle.

Solution

I am not trying to be a know-it-all but I am a student that will soon be a professional (same as my group mates). We know that we have enough knowledge to at least put up our solution opinions – alternatives.

Science and technology is growing by the day and we feel very confident that alternatives for fuel will come along and address this problem of the environment. There will come a time when an alternative is found as efficient as oil, but is renewable and green as well.

We already see them in some parts of the world. Car enthusiasts are already using other types of fuel instead of gasoline – (solar, water, hybrid, etc.); and some local power plants are implementing renewable energies (solar, tidal, geothermal, etc.). If we can exploit these green technologies and implement them worldwide, then the problem will be solved. It will be another crisis that has been overcome by the intelligence and grit of humanity.

Sustainability

The EVOLUTION of the Word

According to the Oxford dictionary, the word sustainable is defined as - able to be maintained at a certain rate or level. It is further described by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as - able to be used without being completely used up or destroyed.

Although for us students and professionals of the field of Engineering, sustainability became a word that meant something far more than what it traditionally was. It has surpassed its own meaning and has grown beyond a journalist’s mere arsenal of nouns, adjectives and adverbs.

The Ultimate Question

We know too well that the environment is our own Garden of Eden. It is the place that we ought to take care of, our habitat and our workplace. But here comes the ultimate question that lingers on the back of every man’s mind. Do we still have the right to claim those words?

Our environment is starting to fall. We have to admit that our very own Eden is starting to deteriorate. Reality is that it is starting to worsen and we cannot defy the fact that we are already feeling its effects.

The Start of it All

We used to be enchanted by the stories that our grandparents told us when we were young. They told us of their way of living and the place they inhabited in their time. It was always the same tale – green fields, crystal blue water and the perfect white sky. As children, we didn’t care as much to compare those narratives with reality. We just took them as it is and stored them as a picture of a fairy tale soon to be animated in the latest Disney movie.

Looking back, we know that it is different today, much more different. Now that we are able to comprehend complex mathematical equations, statistics, theories and different kinds of phenomena, I would like to put this idea in mind – Lolo’s world and my world are exactly one and the same, yet why does it feel so distantly connected?

Many believed that the fall of the environment started in the late 18^th Century, also known as the start of the Industrial Revolution. Factories emerged along with trains and cars. Oil became the number one demand and everyone was fighting for it.

There was plenty enough back then. It didn’t even occur to mankind that soon it will be harder and harder to find. We took our natural resources for granted. We used them without any thought of replacing them. We have to admit that we didn’t care back then, and all I could say was, “What a big mistake!”

The Sustainability of Today

I practically defined Sustainable and its variants at the last paragraph. Our natural resources, is it sustainable? Can it be maintained at a certain rate or level as Oxford defined? Or can it be used without being completely used up or destroyed by the words of Merriam-Webster?

The answer is a big NO (As it stands today at least). Crushing as it may seem, that is the exact truth.

Ever wondered why the price of gasoline is ever increasing? Or why every other goods and services are inflating? All these occurrences are happening because oil and other natural resources are becoming more difficult to find. As their demand increases, those who supply them are asking for more and more currency.

We are affected and we need to solve these problems. This is where sustainability comes into picture.

Sustainability has become a very big word in the world of today. It has developed into a reform of sorts, an agenda and a campaign.

“This word has become the trademark for restoring the world that was then into the world that will be.”

The Western Move

Fortunately, professionals (more specifically in the western part of the hemisphere, which composes of the European countries and the Americas) have already taken notice and are doing something to make a change.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has become the US nation’s “environmental watchdog”, aiming to protect and ensure their countries of a green environment. They state in their official page, “Although we can do a lot to clean up pollution after it's in the environment, preventing pollution in the first place is even better.”

With advancements on science and technology on a much steeper slope as time passes, they tend to make use of these advances to help aid their cause. “Today EPA aims to make sustainability the next level of environmental protection by drawing on advances in science and technology to protect human health and the environment, and promoting innovative green business practices.”

Surely it has been inspiring to know that these kinds of organizations are formed and are presently taking measures and actions. But they are the US government, and it is kind of their job to ensure their nation of a better environment. However, things turn now to a more motivating set of facts – students, much like myself and my friends are also engaging in the pursuit of sustainability.

Indiana University, Keele University, Oregon State University, University of Michigan, Georgia Tech, and many others are already making their strides in this subject. These are schools that I’ve seen play basketball on TV and it is good to know that they’re not all about sports.

The universities of the US are implementing environmental friendly practices to implement in their own grounds. Along with organizations built by the students promoting a more stable and healthier environment to live with, they work together to ensure that they are helping, and not hurting, mother Earth.

A Time to Reflect

Then it dawned on me, I am a student, those Americans are students still, not much difference in between but why has the approach and awareness level in a much wider gap.

We are students and we can only do so much individually but as our national hero once said, “Ang kabataan ang pag-asa ng bayan!”. If we put our personal efforts into helping attain sustainability, and accumulate it, then it is bound to be something that can make a difference.

What better way to pursue this matter than approach it with your profession. Engr. Llorente brought the idea to incorporate these aspects in our theses.

I, along with my partner Jean Claude de Villeres, are currently working on the Battery Electric Car that will compete in the Urban Concept of the Shell Eco Marathon (SEM) Asia to be held next year here in the Philippines.

The Urban Concept Category aims to showcase cars that are much like the ones that are already on the road but runs solely on electrical power via a battery. If there is enough mileage on a single set of charge enough to overthrow the current gasoline-powered cars, then car manufacturers may finally take notice.

Manila Bulletin's Photo of PH Representatives for SEM

Once we don’t need oil and gasoline for our cars anymore, then it can really be a big push for a greener environment. First, there is no more need for gasoline on cars which is the primary mode of transportation in the world and also air pollution will substantially be reduced.

Not only that, there are also many other approaches on finding a replacement for fuel on a car. There are used cooking oils as fuel, hybrid electric, solar powered and many other forms. They are being implemented today in a small scale worldwide, but once these technologies are fully developed feasible enough to be licensed and put on the road, then that will surely be a one big step for sustainability.

The Right Time

Finally, I want to say to everybody reading this blog not to waste time anymore. We should all start to consider the world we live in and implement these concerns in the most simplest of things we do every day.

All these needs to be done, so that when the time comes and it is our turn to tell our grandchildren of our very own tales, we can say – We made the difference!