It's hot

Is it just me or is it getting hot in here? As in literally sweltering hot.

Having grown up here, I'm accustomed to the tropical climate but lately, my highly sensitive sweat glands have detected a rise in temperature that can surprise even a native. In short, it's getting hot and I might as well carry around a sponge to dry myself. I dread to think what summer will be like.

I'm sure the people at Killer Bee also noticed. That's the FM radio station I listen to and recently they've been having this sort of public advisory in between songs. The advisory segment starts off with emergency sirens and then the female voice-over begins talking about a certain global emergency, which consists of two different but intertwined concepts. I'm sure they're familiar to you - the ever-alarming depletion of the ozone layer and the heated issue of global warming.

If you're clueless or if you just need a review, here are the basics: I read that the ozone layer is like the Earth's sunglasses. It protects life on Earth from the glare of the sun's strongest ultraviolet rays, which can cause premature skin aging, immune system suppression, eye damage and other harmful effects. The UV-B rays can affect even wildlife and plants, such as inhibiting their growth. Since the 1980s scientists have noticed that manmade chemicals in the atmosphere damage this protective ozone layer, thus allowing the sun's harmful UV rays to hit the earth.

More than 20 years later, in 2005, a hole detected over Antarctica was one of the biggest ever, spanning 24 million square kilometers in area. That's nearly the size of North America - huge. Ouch. However, the good news is that somehow the ozone layer seems to be repairing itself these past years, but that's a different story. Ozone depletion is not the root cause of global warming though. While the ozone holes allow entry of harmful UV rays, global warming- as the name suggests - traps our atmosphere's heat.

Gases in our atmosphere like water vapor, carbon dioxide, CFCs and other substances trap some of the heat from the sun, thus retaining it in the earth. This phenomenon is called the greenhouse effect. Global warming is the increase in the earth's temperature caused by excessive greenhouse gases. This results to changes in climate, which may lead to changes in rainfall patterns, a rise in sea level (think of all the arctic icebergs melting) and drastic consequences on humans, wildlife and plants.

We may not feel the effects all at once but actually, they have started creeping up on us already. Is it just my overactive imagination or do I get sunburn and freckles more easily now and squinting in the sunlight is starting to sting my eyes? Now I know what the magazines mean when they say a bottle of SPF 15 (at the least) and a trusty pair of UV resistant sunglasses are essential.

Digging at the roots of the ozone depletion and global warming, I read that the two share the same roots: CFCs, HCFCs, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and other such gases are Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) and greenhouse gases at the same time. And these are very common chemicals found in pesticides, spray cans, refrigerators, fire extinguishers, etc.

Not that I'm suggesting we boycott all those things now. But we might as well be aware of such environmental issues and the little things that cause damage and delay the solutions. Awareness is the first thing; action will follow suit. There are many non-CFC products being sold in the market today. We could support those instead. It is also essential to stop burning plastics and rubber. The government also has some related environmental programs and supportive organizations, which you could join. It's the little efforts that really matter, just like how a single mosquito could affect an entire bedroom.

In the meantime, I'm not feigning comfort in the stinging heat. I surely hope we're not going to wait till we start wearing special suits to fend off the UV rays and the heat. Let's start small na lang, with enlightenment at least. It reminds me of an old Indian proverb that goes like this: "After the last tree has been cut, after the last river has been poisoned, after the last fish has been caught, only then will humans realize that money can't be eaten." I hope you see as much truth in these words as I do.

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