Journalists In A Primate Crisis In The Midst Of The Climate Crisis? Rappler To The Rescue!

Wow! I am much surprised – and much pleased – that Rappler has produced journalism that Filipinos can subscribe to and help them thrive!

I must congratulate Rappler for reporting earnestly on Climate Change, the world’s enemy bigger than Capitalism or Communism. That, while institutions and individuals maintain their apathy towards the biggest enemy of all!

I’m reading John Leo C Algo’s 2-day old article, “No Room For ‘Business As Usual’ In Era Of Climate Emergency” (25 Jun 2024, Rappler, rappler.com). By title alone, I am heartened that Rappler has seen the enemy – and it is us!

Mr Algo says:

We are already experiencing firsthand what happens if we stay in a “business-as-usual” scenario. Record-setting heat indices, suspension of classes, and losses in agricultural production have dominated headlines in recent months alone.

When El Niño comes, can La Niña be far behind?

I repeat:

“We are already experiencing firsthand what happens if we stay in a “business-as-usual” scenario. Record-setting heat indices, suspension of classes, and losses in agricultural production have dominated headlines in recent months alone.”

I am an old agriculturist (UP Los Baños BSA major in Ag Edu, 1965, 2.36 weighted average), but even up to now, UPLB does not teach about agriculture contributing much to the generation of greenhouse gases (GHGs) that generate Climate Change! Now then, why not Rappler visiting UP Los Baños so that this school of learning would start learning from outside the classroom!

Says Mr Algo:

The Philippines’ contribution to global warming is also increasing. Its emissions have increased by 114% from 1990 to 2017. As of 2020, the country has a 0.5% share of the GHGs produced globally, making it among the 40 highest emitters worldwide.

Guilty as charged!

The Philippines is among the 40 highest emitters of GHGs in the world! The GHGs come mostly from Chemical Agriculture (CA), of course, from the continuous application of chemical fertilizers and chemical pesticides.

The Philippine private sector, especially those with adequate resources and capacities, must embrace current opportunities and perform its duties contributing to low-carbon, climate-resilient development.

The public sector no less, starting with the Department of Agriculture (DA).

After “climate-resilient,” I go for “primate-resilient” solutions – farmers as primates, thinking mammals, must start their Regenerative Agriculture (RA); farmers must stop applying chemical fertilizers and chemical pesticides to their fields and crops and start practicing any number of the following practices and methods (my list, based on Robert Rodale’s 1980s enumeration):

Regenerative Agriculture (RA):
1, Cover Cropping
2, Crop Rotation
3, Farm Crops + Tree Crops (Agroforestry)
4, Green Manuring
5, “Highly Ecological Rotavation” (HERo, FAH’s invention)
6, Intercropping
7, Multiple Cropping
8, No-Till Farming
9, Organic Fertilization
10, Ratooning
11, “Three Sisters” Planting
12, Trap Cropping
13, Trash Mulching.

No, Rappler does not have to master the world of Regenerative Agriculture; Rappler just has to muster more of its courage to encourage the agriculture sector to actively respond to Climate Change!

Before I forget, before anyone else does, I nominate Rappler for the Nobel Peace Prize 2024!@517