What Kind of Air Do We Breathe?

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Two months ago, I had colds.  What struck me as odd was I was the first one to have it in the house.  Usually I was the last one to get it, that is after all the people in the house has been infected by it.  Days passed and I was already coughing.  I started taking medicines for both colds and cough so as not to be sidelined for so long.  The colds medicine worked but the ones for my cough did not.  I also observed a wheezing sound coming from my breath.  I immediately suspected asthma and my doctor confirmed it.  It was a bitter pill to swallow that I have asthma at this age, not when I was in my elementary days, but now.  Aside from my medication for hypertension, I am now taking one, rather inhaling one, for asthma.  I feel insecure if I don't have my inhaler in my bag when I leave the house.

What is asthma?  Asthma is the disease that affects the airways of the lungs and is caused by the on-going inflammation of these airways.

Asthma affects all ages, although it is more common in younger people. The frequency and severity of asthma attacks tend to decrease as a person ages.  Asthma is the most common chronic disease of children.  It cannot be cured but luckily, it can be controlled if diagnosed and treated early.  If you have parents who have asthma, chances are you will get it too.  Exposure to airborne allergens like dust mites, dander of animals and irritants like tobacco smoke contributes to making your airways sensitive when you breathe.

I asked myself why there are more cases of asthma nowadays.  Aside from the reasons above,  people tend to stay more indoor thus exposing them to indoor allergens like dust mites and molds.  People nowadays are also shielded from infection compared to the older generation thus the immune systems tend to be sensitive.  Lastly,  the air we breathe now is more polluted than before.  According to Secretary Paje of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the air pollution measured by total suspended particles (TSP) in the air, in Metro Manila has worsen since last year. TSP is the total solid and liquid suspended particles in air. The major sources are diesel vehicles and coal-powered power plants.  Last year, TSP was 134 micrograms (ug)/Normal cubic meters (Ncm) which was already 48% beyond the normal standard of 90 micrograms (ug)/Normal cubic meters (Ncm).  Early this year, TSP was at 163.  Now I understand why I belatedly got asthma.  The air that we breathe is getting worse.

According to a World Bank study in 2007, pollution is already the major cause of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases in the Philippines.  More than 50% of the medicines bought or sold in the country is for the cure of respiratory diseases.

Sec. Paje said that the main pollutants are the jeepneys, buses and tricycles or the transport sector which accounts to 80% of the pollution load.  The remaining 20% is by industries.  The DENR, bent on cutting down the TSP by 30% in 2011, said that it will be stricter in the conduct of emission testing by the Land Transportation Office.  Installation of CCTV cameras in the emission testing centers to ensure that all vehicles undergo the testing is one measure that will be undertaken.  Aside from being vigilant, the government can also encourage more motorists to fill their fuel pumps with biodiesel or ethanol and maintain same vehicles with green lubricants from vegetable-derived esters.

Though as ordinary citizens we are not in a position to rein in the irresponsible practices of the transport and power industries, we can do our share.  We can start with the vehicles in our garages by adhering to regular maintenance program and being sensitive to ways that contribute to pollution.

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• Common Asthma Triggers You Should Know About (brighthub.com)

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/asthma/article_em.htm
http://www.thepoc.net/breaking-news/breaking-stories/9751-denr-air-pollution-in-metro-worse.html
http://www.denr.gov.ph/article/articleview/5827/1/39/

No More Ondoy Please!

It's almost a year since typhoon Ondoy, the worst tropical typhoon depression to hit in recent years, struck Metro Manila.  It is still vivid in my mind how my husband Jun and daughter Nina were stranded in North Luzon Expressway and Ateneo, respectively.  How I almost submerged my father's vehicle when I fetched my other daughter, Kara, from school thinking that it was high enough to pass the flooded street near her school.  There is one song that figure prominently in my mind that encapsulates our worst fear should we continue to abuse the environment, Asin's Masdan Mo Ang Kapaligiran.  This song, which debuted in 1976, seemed very ahead of its time then.  It was Asin's social commentary on their experiences living in Mindanao with illegal logging happening so rampant.

If we continue to squander our natural resources, is it really possible that we will only be able to breathe clean

 air when we are in God's embrace?

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Do Your Share: Be a Responsible Car Owner

Nobody is spared from committing to do his share in making this planet clean.  The good news is it doesn't take a lot from us to do our part.  Take the case of the ordinary car owner.  CAMPI, the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, said that new car owners will breach the 170,000 mark at yearend way beyond their projection of 145,000.  This piece of news is both boon and bane.  It is a boon because old cars might be replaced with newer fuel-efficient models but could be a bane if the car owners act irresponsibly.

What does it take to be responsible?  First and foremost, new car owners must follow regularly the periodic maintenance schedule to ensure engine efficiency.  Fuel mileage is improved with regular tune ups which translates to savings on fuel.  Make sure that the right engine oil is used.  Tire pressure should be checked regularly specially if one is going on long trips.  It would pose a big problem if a flat tire happens in the middle of nowhere.  Plan your trips.  Careful planning spares one the unnecessary turns and trips.  Be familiar with the traffic situations of unfamiliar destinations.  Constant driving, sudden stops and turns eat up a lot of fuel.  When driving to the countryside, turn off the air-conditioning and by all means roll down the windows to let the fresh breeze in.  Lastly, always drive with a smile.  Unnecessary braking, brought about by a foul mood, consumes more fuel.

It is to everyone's advantage to be responsible.  Not only will there be savings on fuel costs, it also benefits the environment.

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How big is your carbon footprint?

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Do you know that one doesn't have to be a rabid green advocate to be able to contribute something to the preservation of Mother Earth? One just have to know the concept of what carbon footprint is.  It shows one's impact on the planet. Carbon footprint is what scientists call for the total amount of greenhouse gases produced to support human activities, whether directly or indirectly, and is expressed in tons of CO2 (carbon dioxide).  Greenhouses gases trap energy from the sun and prevent the trapped energy from escaping back to space.  As a result, surface temperatures rise and gave birth to the climate change/global warming phenomenon.  Carbon footprints are of two types – primary and secondary. When one drives his car or uses his appliances, carbon dioxide or other green house gases released directly affect the environment thus the primary carbon foot print. On the other hand, whenever one buys food and stuff, manufacturing and transporting these goods entail the use of electricity as well as vehicles that emit carbon dioxide.  This process 

releases greenhouse gases which are measured as secondary carbon foot print. Though 

you may not be directly releasing these gases, the indirect use of these products adds to the carbon foot print.

It is interesting to note that the average Filipino has a smaller carbon footprint compared to his First World counterpart.  This doesn't mean though that he is more environment-conscious than the Westerner rather his lifestyle is less energy dependent.  The most common appliances that can be found in a typical Filipino household are radio and TV.  These do not emit a significant amount of carbon emission.  Refrigerators on the other hand eat up a lot of energy as these have to be plugged in 24/7.  Air-conditioners, water heaters, flat irons and microwave ovens suck up tremendous amount of energy but these amenities are not yet staples in Filipino homes.

The challenge to all of us nowadays is to shrink the size of our carbon footprint.  How big is big?  Here is a link to a Carbon Footprint Calculator: http://www.earthlab.com/ecp.aspx.  Sheer awareness of how big one's carbon footprint is the first step to effect a positive change.  It also pays to use resources (electricity, natural resources and water) wisely, support cleaner technologies, practice public transport and carpooling, and switching to renewable alternatives when available.  To cite an example,  there are already available renewable alternatives to petroleum-based fuels (biodiesel, ethanol) and lubricants (ester-based  lubricants).   Going green is not a fad, it is a commitment.  A commitment of love.  As the saying goes,  "We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children."

http://www.brighthub.com/environment/green-living/articles/72761.aspx

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/special-report/10/03/08/pinoy-carbon-footprint
http://www.wwf.org.ph/newsfacts.php?pg=det&id=58

An Afternoon with Aileen

Last week, I had the privilege of meeting with Aileen Apolo, Philippine Country Consultant of Google, Inc.  I picked her as my mentor for the Integrated Marketing Campaign (IMC) that I will be submitting for the Digital Marketing Diploma Program. Between sips of my coffee and Aileen's green tea, we were able to plan a strategy for my IMC plan.  The meeting was not your usual stiff exchange of ideas but rather a casual tete a tete. 

Making an IMC plan doesn’t necessarily mean that all offline and online channels should be used.  Just choose the channels that are relevant to the brand.  Another revelation is that an IMC or any marketing campaign is only for the big brands.  Aileen explained to me that there are ways or channels that are affordable to SMEs.  Do you know that you can run paid ads in Google for as low as P50 a day?  That you can do directory advertising for free?  Why pay when you can have it for free though there are advantages if you pay. 

On a lighter note, Aileen and I share one common passion. We both love to blog.  She found her calling, her love for writing, when she was only 8 years old.  At that age I buried myself in reading books that girls older than me by 5 to 10 years would usually read.  I was ahead of my time in terms of my reading materials.  I started my love affair with blogging in 2008 but I only took it seriously this year.  Nowadays, I don’t find it hard for things to write for my blog.  It is a challenge though putting all those ideas in my blogs as I attend to family, business and school as well. 


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