December 04, 2004
OK in Bohol.
Sorry for long time, no update. I promise one very soon, like tomorrow or the day after that.
(Source: Philippine Air Force via AP Caption: Carried by floodwaters, thousands of illegally cut logs are lodged between homes in Real, a Philippines town hard hit by this week's landslides.)
The devastating typhoons and flooding here in The Philippines have made international headlines. A few people have emailed to see if I'm alright. Thankfully yes. If you look at a map, you can see the island of Bohol is pretty well shielded by other islands. However, there are fellow Peace Corps Volunteers and many people I know who have relatives in the hardest hit places. Let's pray for them, and for an end to environmental destruction.
Here's the word from the world-famous home of gloom and doom with a sense of humor, a bacon in the smog, Grist Magazine:
PHILIPPINE PHILIPPIC
Illegal logging in Philippines contributes to flood devastation
Recent storms in the Philippines have wreaked havoc on the country, with hundreds killed or missing in landslides and floods, and enviros and government officials are both taking aim at what they call a principal culprit: illegal logging. Though unusually high rainfall and the geography of the region contributed to flooding, it didn't help that forest cover on the islands has gone from 64 percent in 1920 to less than 18 percent today, making the hilly land vastly more prone to erosion, mudslides, and flash flooding. "Illegal logging must now be placed in the order of most serious crimes against our people," said President Gloria Arroyo in a statement. Problem is, the country's people are driven to logging by persistent poverty, and with the population (84 million) expected to double in the next 50 years, some enviros predict that primary forest cover could be effectively eliminated within 20 years if logging continues at current rates.
straight to the source: MSNBC.com, Reuters, 03 Dec 2004
straight to the source: Terra Daily, Agence France-Presse, 01 Dec 2004
Posted by dbs at December 4, 2004 05:30 PM