Is Mother Nature Out Of Control?

JRM Youth ServiceMarch 5, 2010

What’s Happening to the World?

• Very Strong Earthquakes• Movements Of Earth’s Crust (Tectonic Plates) • El Nino Phenomenon (Extremely Hot Weather)• Droughts (Result of El Nino Phenomenon)• La Nina (Unusually Strong and Prolonged

Rainy Season)• Erratic Climate Changes• Increasing Consequences of Global Warming

Let’s Look at Some Headlines

Environmental Refugees

• People who are forced to leave their countries/homes because their environment has become un-conducive to living.

• Examples: Maldives, Carteret Islands, Canary Islands

Carteret Islands

• Belong to a larger group of islands which we know as Papua New Guinea.

• Formerly known as a paradise for summer tourists, but is now part of the endangered islands because sea water level rises consistently.

• Elevation is only 1.2 meters above sea level.• Many citizens are already being planned for

evacuation. The number of environmental refugees from these islands will dramatically rise in the coming months.

It's a cruel irony that the people with some of the lowest carbon footprints are already paying the price for the emissions of far

richer countries, and are forced to leave their homes for an uncertain future.

"I wish that the people causing the melting of the icecaps would do something to help us stay in our homes," says John Sailik from Han Island, Carterets. "Because we love living on our little island."

Meanwhile (as the rich nations talk about curbing CO2 emissions), back on the Carteret Islanders time is running out and an entire cultural group needs relocating because of rising seas. –

CNN (March 16, 2009)

Cabinet in drowning Maldives met underwater

Maldives• The president of Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, proposed

relocating his entire country and conducted an underwater Cabinet meeting October 17, 2009 to highlight the threat global warming and rising sea levels pose to his low-lying nation.

• They (the President and 14 Cabinet ministers) donned scuba gear and descended to a table 20 feet (6 meters) underwater.

• It's definitely intended to bring attention to how climate change will affect us and to call upon the entire world to come up with a concrete solution

Maldives• Maldives is grappling with a very likely possibility that it will go

under water if the current pace of climate change keeps raising sea levels.

• Most of the archipelago of almost 1,200 coral islands, located south-southwest of India, most of it lies just 4.9 feet (1.5 meters) above sea level.

• The country's capital, Male, is already protected by sea walls. But creating a similar barrier around the rest of the country will be cost-prohibitive.

• Soon after his election last November 2008, Nasheed raised the possibility of finding a new homeland for the country's 396,000 residents.

Maldives• The tourist nation -- whose white sandy beaches lure well-

heeled Westerners -- wants to set aside part of its annual billion-dollar revenue into buying a new homeland, he said at the time.

• "We will invest in land," he said. "We do not want to end up in refugee tents if the worst happens."

• Nasheed's government said that it has broached the idea with several countries and found them to be "receptive."

• Land owned by Sri Lanka and India were possibilities because the countries have similar cultures, cuisine and climate as the Maldives. Australia is also being considered because of the vast unoccupied land it owns.

Greenhouse Effect (Global Warming)

Insert Notes From PAGASA.pdf

Is Mother Nature Out Of Control?

Experts say what is happening to our climate (whether caused by CO2 emissions or some other things) is nature “balancing” itself into

equilibrium.

Reminders from Ondoy• One of our fundamental planning problems is that most of what we

now use as residential areas in Metro Manila were parts of floodplains and riverbeds. Subdivisions were built on former wetlands, rivers and creeks, which were “forced” to become straight, or cemented over to become roads or to create more space for sale.

• People cement over open spaces and natural vegetation, destroying the earth’s capacity to drain storm water naturally.

• Simply put, we are in the way of the natural landscape processes in our very fragile and geologically young archipelago.

• Flooding is a natural process. Floods bring nutrients to ecosystems along waterways and make it possible for various forms of life to thrive.

Reminder from Ondoy• Problems start when settlements sprout on floodplains, or when

people insist on tampering with the natural shape of rivers and tributaries. Builders insist on making water travel in a straight line instead of slowing it down by following the river’s natural curves.

• When we cover the earth with concrete, it loses its ability to absorb rainwater. It is not only trees that help us prevent floods; water runoff is also absorbed by the various types of indigenous vegetation, like grasses and shrubs that grow along riverbanks.

• Tropical storm “Ondoy” is a reminder that rivers have been here before us. It reminds us that we’ve been remiss in trying to find long-lasting solutions to the problems of urban settlements. We’ve simply allowed developers to cover too many wetlands.

Reminder from Ondoy• We’ve also allowed ourselves to buy into their concept of

development and be seduced by the idea of the “house-and-lot” dream.

• This dream made our cities sprawl out and obliterated natural waterways with the roads that had to lead to them. These very roads made us buy cars so that we could get to our homes. This increased pollution, carbon emissions and caused more roads to be built. Subdivisions near the hinterland and in former agricultural lands or wetlands even displaced rural people and increased land prices.

Reminder from Ondoy• * Do not build up to the edges of your property. Make sure you have soil

and vegetation all around you so that the soil drains properly. Resist the temptation to pave everything on site with concrete. Consider using stepping stones or grass pavers instead.

• * Do not assume that it is safe to build on the edges of any waterway. • * If you have empty lots in your vicinity, work with your neighborhood

to plant them with appropriate vegetation, which prevents erosion, helps in water absorption on rainy days and lessen heat radiation in the dry season.

• * We said it before and we’ll say it again. Reduce, reuse and recycle. Learn how to compost, so you’ll have a healthy garden. Do not be afraid of vegetation and the insects and creepy crawlies that come with them. They will be your early warning system for approaching calamities.

Is Mother Nature Out Of Control?

This is nature’s way of “righting” itself because it has been abused by the “developments” made by man.

EARTHQUAKES

Earthquake at Concepcion, ChileMagnitude 8.8

February 17, 2010

Police assessing the damage after the quake and tsunami

House destroyed

Police helps establish order as chaos erupted after quake

Chileans moving through the rubbles hoping to find those who are still buried

Police stop looters

Police patrolling streets enforcing curfew

Big ship carried up to the concrete by tsunami

Boat swept to the middle of the city by tsunami

Dogs used to search for buried people

Coffins needed to give dead a decent burial

Rationing for food

Rationing for food

List of missing persons

A whole street of rubbles

The city of Concepcion in Chile is now known as the city of chaos.

Chile Earthquake May Have Shortened Days on Earth

• The massive 8.8 earthquake that struck Chile may have changed the entire Earth's rotation and shortened the length of days on our planet, a NASA scientist said Monday.

• The quake, the seventh strongest earthquake in recorded history, hit Chile Saturday and should have shortened the length of an Earth day by 1.26 milliseconds, according to research scientist Richard Gross at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.

TheBiggest Earthquakes

Since 1900 (based on magnitude)

COUNTDOWN

11. Magnitude 8.5

Southern Sumatra, IndonesiaSeptember 12, 2007

52,522 buildings destroyed

10. Magnitude 8.6

Andreanof Islands, AlaskaMarch 6, 1957

Extensive damage to property

9. Magnitude 8.6

India and TibetAugust 15, 1950

8. Magnitude 8.6

Northern SumatraMarch 28, 2005

1,400 people dead

7. Magnitude 8.7

AlaskaFebruary 4, 1965

No reported death or injuries.

6. Magnitude 8.8

EcuadorJanuary 31, 1906

Unknown casualties

5. Magnitude 8.8

ChileFebruary 27, 2010

4. Magnitude 9.0

Kamchatka PeninsulaNovember 4, 1952

Extensive damage to property but no lives lost

3. Magnitude 9.1 Sumatra, IndonesiaDecember 26, 2004

1.7 million people displaced by earthquake and subsequent tsunami in 14 countires in

South Asia nd East Africa

2. Magnitude 9.2

AlaskaMarch 28, 1964

15 killed in earthquake, 113 killed in the resulting tsunami

1. Magnitude 9.5

ChileMay 22, 1960

1,655 killed, 3,000 injured, 2 million people homeless

TheDeadliest Earthquakes

On Record (based on number of casualties)

COUNTDOWN

10. Magnitude 7.9

Eastern Sichuan, ChinaMay 12, 200887,587 deaths

9. Magnitude 7.5

HaitiJanuary 12, 2010

More than 100,000 killed

8. Magnitude 7.2

Messina, ItalyDecember 28, 1908

70,000 – 100,000 deaths

7. Magnitude 7.3

Turkmenistan, USSROctober 5, 1948110,000 deaths

6. Magnitude 7.9

Kwanto, JapanSeptember 1, 1923

143,000 deaths

5. Magnitude 7.8

Gansu, ChinaDecember 16, 1920

200,000 deaths

4. Magnitude 7.9

Tsinghai, ChinaMay 22 , 1927

200,000 deaths

3. Magnitude 9.0

Off west coast of Northern SumatraDecember 26, 2004

225,000 deaths

2. Magnitude 7.5

Tangshan, ChinaJuly 27, 1976255,000 killed

1. Magnitude 8.0

Shansi, ChinaJanuary 15, 1556830,000 deaths

El Niño, La Niña and Droughts

The El Niño Phenomenon

• El Niño is an abnormal weather pattern caused by the warming of the Pacific Ocean. It is characterized by climatic aberrations around the world — warming in South America, torrential rains in North America, and drought in Southeast Asia and Australia. This phenomenon occurs every two to seven years.

Climatic Indicators of El Niño in the Philippines

• delayed onset of the rainy season• early termination of the rainy season• weak monsoon activity• isolated heavy but short downpours• weak tropical cyclone activity• far tropical cyclone track• fewer tropical cyclones entering the Philippine area

of responsibility• less intense tropical cyclones

Worse than 2008

• This year’s dry spell, which might last until the second week of May, is worse than 2008.

• In 2008, the dams’ water levels did not drop to such low levels.“

• The hottest day so far this year – registered on March 3, Wednesday, at 35.5 degrees Celsius.

• PAGASA said that with the El Niño phenomenon threatening the coming summer, 40-degree weather in some parts of the country may be possible.

EFFECTS OF EL NIÑO BEING FELT ACROSS THE COUNTRY

• The El Niño dry spell has been causing losses to agriculture and tourism across the country, from farmlands up north to poultry farms and tourist destinations down south.

• In Benguet in northern Philippines, water sources for mountain farmlands planted with potato, cabbage and other temperate vegetables have begun to dry up due to El Niño, threatening the country’s “Salad Bowl.“

• In Ilagan, capital town of Isabela province also in northern Philippines, the Pinsal Falls in the Ilagan Sanctuary, a popular tourist attraction among locals, has begun to dry up also due to El Niño.

• Before, the falls were as wide as a curtain. Now it’s probably just half-a-curtain wide. It’s like half of the water has been lost," said Billy Perez of the Ilagan Sanctuary.

• A seven-foot-deep swimming pool inside the sanctuary, which used to be open to the public, has been closed after the spring where it gets its water supply dried up.

EFFECTS OF EL NIÑO BEING FELT ACROSS THE COUNTRY

• As of March 2, Magat dam was already 26.51 meters below its average level of 183.29 meters, about half a meter below its 157.19-meter level on March 1. The level of Magat is critical. As a result, upland agricultural areas can no longer be supplied with water. Only low-lying areas will be served.

• Magat Dam is a major source of irrigation water for Cagayan Valley provinces and supplies additional hydroelectric power to the Luzon grid.

• Angat Dam in Bulacan province was already 6.07 meters below its normal level of 197.78 meters.

• The water level of Ipo Dam, also in Bulacan province, went down further to 100.63 meters on Tuesday from 100.75 meters the day before, while the La Mesa dam in Quezon City fell by about a centimeter to 79.89 meters.

• The Angat-Ipo-La Mesa water system provides irrigation to Bulacan and Pampanga provinces and supplies potable water to Metro Manila.

EFFECTS OF EL NIÑO BEING FELT ACROSS THE COUNTRY

• Meanwhile, the water level in Binga Dam in Benguet province has dropped to 562.55 meters — 11.45 meters lower than its average level of 574 meters. The Ambuklao Dam, also in Benguet, was 11.72 meters lower than its normal level of 752 meters, while the water level of San Roque Dam in Pangasinan was 2.71 meters short of its normal level of 250 meters.

• All three dams are major producers of hydroelectric power for the Luzon grid, and San Roque also provides irrigation to hundreds of square kilometers of farmlands.

• Meanwhile, the current level of Pantabangan Dam in Nueva Ecija province was pegged at 202.3 meters — 6.14 meters short of its normal level.

• All dam levels were “below normal and near critical“ adding that the steady decline was a "critical trend" because the country has yet to feel the drought’s full effect.

Lake Chad decreasing

Lake Chad• The lake borders on Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria,

one of Africa's most populous countries. • In 2001, lake was one-fifth of 1963 size. It measured about

25,000 square kilometers (9,652 square miles) in 1963 and 1,500 square kilometers (579 square miles) in 2001 -- just under 17 percent its size 38 years earlier. Lake Chad could dry up in 20 years.

• Up to 30 million people are facing "a humanitarian disaster" as one of Africa's biggest lakes shrinks.

• Climate change, population pressure fuel lake's decline, agency says.

Euphrates River Drying Up

‘I have never seen a storm like Pepeng’ By Alcuin Papa

Inquirer Northern LuzonFirst Posted 05:11:00 10/08/2009

“Relative to the 20-year period from the mid 1970's to the mid 1990's, the Earth has been more active over the past 15 or so

years," said Stephen S. Gao, a geophysicist at Missouri University of Science & Technology.

What Is The Bible’s Stand in This?• Mt 24:3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, h the disciples came

to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming i and of the end of the age?” j

• Mt 24:4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. k • Mt 24:5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ, 104 ’

and will deceive many. l • Mt 24:6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you

are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.

• Mt 24:7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. m There will be famines n and earthquakes in various places.

• Mt 24:8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.

What Is The Bible’s Stand in This?

• Mt 24:9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted o and put to death, p and you will be hated by all nations because of me. q

• Mt 24:10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other,

• Mt 24:11 and many false prophets r will appear and deceive many people. s

• Mt 24:12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,

• Mt 24:13 but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. t

Creation Groans For Its Liberation• Ro 8:19 The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of

God t to be revealed. • Ro 8:20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by

its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it,

u in hope • Ro 8:21 that 37 the creation itself will be liberated from its

bondage to decay v and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. w

• Ro 8:22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning

x as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.

Lessons

• Let’s do our part in conserving nature. This is God’s gift to us and we are mandated to take care of it. (Book of Genesis)– Conserve water and use of energy.– Keep surroundings clean, develop good waste disposal habits.– Patronize “green-friendly” products and services.

• As you tackle the natural, practical issues, share the Gospel and disciple the nations.

• Always anchor your faith and hope not on this world but on the hope which God gives.