Cutting Fluffy from "Climate Change" article

(25^th Entry to My 500 Words Daily Jeff Goins Challenge) 

Wow its just like cutting those excess fat getting rid of  fluffy giving you a breather.  Twenty Four  (24) fluffy on my count  tallied were the culprit.  Twelve individual adverb entries ending in “ly” were recorded from this.  The highest was “that” thing spread all over registering nine times.  Their and these registering twice and once followed far behind.  Below is the entire text.  Thanks it’s now a breeze reading, if I may get what this edited draft seems to be saying.  Read on.

Time is fleeting as the wind.  The same with climate change beginning in 1980 when our country was affected by El Niño.  The Philippines’ landscape was never the same again since then.

Recall those massive landslides in Ginsaugon, Southern Leyte and Legaspi, Albay, the world sending their contingent for the necessary lift helping us out recover casualties to no avail as they were buried deep into the ground beyond recovery despite earnest effort by international contingent forces.   It was such an immense catastrophe as the help was aggravated by still relentless heavy rains.  Far worse than volcanic and Mt. Pinatubo eruption, extreme weather have one thing in common – persistent torrential rains leading to flash flood, landslides killing people and destroying livelihood and property in hours - .

In the local front, we too were witnesses  of severe deluge for the first time water overflowing many of our residential areas in Cagayan de Oro City.  It’s just unfortunate many of these places were below sea level and therefore susceptible to flooding when water from Bukidnon watersheds cascading all the way to tributaries toward Macajalar Bay. Rendering great damage among its residents as water forcibly finds its own level pushing downward destroying property along its waterways ensued.

 The rest of the world suffered similar tragedy from tsunamis, forest fires, cyclones and flash floods.  The average global temperature went up by about 0.74 degrees Centigrade with land warmed more than ocean areas.  The average rate too over the last 50 years is nearly twice that for the last 100 years, the relevant statistics would show.

Such was the result when greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions equal or higher than current level ensuing occurrence of global climate change. Further results are great flooding in some are due to increased precipitation and more intense and longer drought in other areas. Other results are rising sea level, decreasing snow cover, melting glaciers and artic warming contributing to rising of sea level.  Thus said, climate change effect is comprehensive affecting not just biodiversity but also, earth’s system and processes, the study reveals.

Heavily affected is the agricultural sector brought by tropical cyclones.  The highest damage registered by far was 4.21% in 1990 followed by 4.05% in 1988. This further rose to 1%  of GDP in 1984, 1988 and 1990 registering 1.17%, the highest. Undoubtedly, the country’s food security is threatened by this unpredictable weather. Not only that, our water supply is also affected as our reservoir in various dams in the country are affected. Lake Lanao for instance in Marawi like all big bodies of water, is in critical situation prompting Muslim lawmakers in Congress and Senate to decentralize current tax system giving what is due for the province to secure survival of Lake Lanao whose tributaries pass to different Agus hydraulic system in turn generating energy for the province.

Going down in micro level, statistics I got from Dept. Agriculture on the extent of destruction of El Niño is so devastating many farmers are even getting zero recovery of their investment in corn production. Good if some could recover ¼ or 25% of their operating expenses. But easier said than done specially that rain would be normal by June yet according to PAG-ASA.

Given the tragedy climate change staring at us, it’s still roughly a month and a half before rain would be back to normal. No playing game however. Much could be achieved and contributed if we pool together our resources and address the issue at hand.

LGU, being the first line of defense have already came out with relevant statistics on top of introducing intensified El Niño mitigating measures like cloud seeding, mulching and desiltation. With NIA rehabilitating our canals and Presidential Task Force on Climate Change organized through Executive Order 171 designating DA, DOST, DILG, Dep’t. Ed, CHED and two representatives from private sector and civil society consolidating their efforts into one  cohesive whole, it’s not farfetched  we could mitigate or adapt to climate change.

Each according to your contribution, whether you’re a student, ordinary citizen or profession, your humble contribution would go long, long way for this project.