Tuesday, November 12, 2024

GARDEN - MICROCOSM OF THE BIOSPHERE

 GARDEN - MICROCOSM OF THE BIOSPHERE 

Dr Abe V Rotor

Nature keeps a dynamic order where unity resides in diversity. We will never understand this mysterious order. Perhaps it is better not to probe it at all - for it is our deep faith in the Maker of that garden that we earn our place there to live in harmony with all creatures.



A view of the UST main building from the botanical garden
framed by a deciduous narra tree and climbing Phylodendron.

Century old dita (Alstonia scholaris) dominates the UST Botanical
Garden. It towers over the surrounding buidings on the campus.


“To see a world in a grain of sand,
And heaven in a wild flower;
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
And Eternity in an hour.”

- William Blake, Auguries of Innocence

This verse captures the essence of the title of this article. It condenses the universe into its elemental symbols from which we take a full view of the world we live in. It reduces the complexities and vastness of both non- living and the living world into a microcosm that is complete in itself- a plantilla of creation all contained in the hand and experienced within a lifetime.

Lucky is the person who realizes this singular gift. Through this microcosm he can traverse the breadth of time and space, live with the myriad of life forms, and most important, he is blessed by the Great Maker to be part of the wonders and mysteries of creation.

So deep is the faith of the poet, William Blake, who wrote this verse more than two hundred years ago. Then, there were no computers, no television, no spacecraft and satellites. Could it be that in the absence of these modern tools that the mind could penetrate deeper, imagination soar higher, and faith stronger?


A fine arts student finds solace and subject at the UST Botanical Garden.


A. Garden as a Microcosm

The garden could have been the place where Newton formulated the laws of gravity and magnetism when an apple fell on his head, where Darwin developed his theory of evolution through natural selection, where Henry Fabre discovered organization intelligence among insects over and above mere instinctive behavior. It was in a garden where Claude Monet painted his masterpieces, capturing the essence of the natural beauty of wild flowers, such as the Nymphaea and the lotus.

We may not expect inventions and discoveries, and master’s arts, to creep into the mind of whoever spends time in a garden, or any similar microcosm of nature for that matter. But we are most certain that he finds enlightenment through the knowledge and experience he gains, and with these he develops in himself the discipline to discover new things, and to acquire values that help him live at peace with nature and himself. It is in keeping close to nature that we better understand the ways of the world in which we live.

When I conducted a lecture- demonstration at the UST Botanical Garden before my students, I was in effect simulating the scenario. Here I showed them the different parts of the Garden, starting with the basics such as, “ What makes a Garden?” I explained the composition of a typical rainforest ecosystem. The garden is precisely a pocket representation of this ecosystem, and, by dissecting it, we were in effect looking at its profile.


B. Deciduous Nature of Trees in Tropical Rainforest


Deciduous umbrella tree or talisay (Terminalia catappa) displays the color of autumn.

I gathered my students under a narra tree- Pterocarpus indicus. Trees belonging to the Dipterocrap group of family Legumonosae dominate the canopy of the tropical rainforest. Their leaves fall off completely at certain season so that the trees are bare for some time, thus allowing sunlight to penetrate and nourish the understory trees, ground plants, lianas and epiphytes.

The floor becomes covered with litter that nourishes insect, earthworms, fungi and bacteria. These decompose the leaves into humus that ultimately becomes soil while supplying nutrients to different plants in the forest. Because of the high precipitation throughout the year, the forest becomes lush and dense. The multi- story nature of the tropical rainforest makes it the richest biome in both diversity of species and number of inhabitants.


C. Gymnosperms and Angiosperms

These are cone-bearing and lowering plants, respectively. Gymnosperms are exemplified by pine cypress, and arios. I allowed my student to touch and examine these plants. Then they turned to examine the angiosperms that predominate the campus. Phylogeny shows that flowering plants are more “ modern “, which means that through evolution, the gymnosperms are older, and later gave way to the evolving angiosperms. Except in colder countries and in the taiga biome, the natural vegetation of forests is composed of flowering plants. The pine, cypress and cycad are the most common representatives of the cone-bearing plants in tropical gardens.

The oldest living organisms belong to gymnosperm - the Redwoods of California. And the Bristle Cone which is believed to be even older. Many of these trees were already bearing cones during the time of Christ. I have seen one in central Taiwan, estimated to have been two thousand years old, before it was struck by lightning. It still attracts many tourists who wonder at its massive size. One would associate it with legend or cartoon if he hadn't gone to the place. massive it is even after death. It takes


D. False flowers

Nature’s sweet lies have a purpose. The brightly colored leaves of poinsettia and bougainvillea attract insect pollinators and enhance fertilization and subsequent fruit and setting and seed formation, thus ensuring the perpetuation species how many plants are benefited by this special make-up.

The truth is that most flowering plant has designed attraction mechanisms. In general, flowers are made attractive, although the attraction that we know may not be the same as how insects perceive it. We know red as red, yellow as yellow, and so forth. But insect have different perception of colors. Nonetheless, the basic purpose is what counts - and is almost always achieved. Other means that guarantee pollination-fertilization are sometimes needed. For example insect are attracted by the obnoxious odor of Lantana camara, pollinating it in effect.


Pongapong flower is pollinated by flies

This is also in the cases of pongapong (Amorphophallus campanolatus), kalumpang or bangar tree - and, of course, the Rafflesia, the world largest flower that emits putrefying odor. They have one thing in common: they attract flies to pollinate their flowers.


E. Flowering Bamboo- Prophet of Doom

The old folks used to tell us, “Beware when the bamboo flowers.”

What is the connection of a flowering bamboo to a force majeure, such as drought? Old folks use it as a barometer of El Niño. Climatologists around the globe predict the coming of this phenomenon by observing plants, among them the flowering of bamboos. The cycle is ten years or closer. El Niño is accompanied by poor harvest, forest fires, death of livestock, spread of certain diseases that effect man, animals and plants.

Biologically, organisms subjected to stress tend to reach the reproductive stage earlier than usual. In fact, certain insects even skip molting just to be able to metamorphose into an adult and carry out reproduction while the environment allows. It is nature’s way of insuring the perpetuation of the species at the expense of the organism, so to speak.

So, when a bamboo flowers it ultimately dies. This is why the panda, which derives its food mainly on bamboo suffers. There are bamboo species that flower after fifty years or so, then die.

There are other plants that signal the coming of drought. One is kapok. A fruit-laden kapok tree means poor against harvest ahead. Even the sturdy kamagong or mabolo is stressed by drought. While it stops producing new leaves, the crown remains intact. This could be the reason why this tree produces the hardest wood. In the case of the narra, and mango, they show no apparent stress signal. It is because they have sturdy, long taproots that penetrate deep into the ground and into the bedrock. Old folks, however, warn us that no plant is spared from the worst kind of drought.


E. Trees are Sound and Wind Barriers

Have you noticed how the sound of traffic dies down in the dense vegetation of trees? Loud voice is muffled, blarring sound reduced to tolerable decibels, and music is more soothing to the ear. The trees at UST and in the Sunken Garden of UP Diliman are definitely for this purpose, in addition to being buffers against strong wind.
Windbreaks help reduce wind pressure. I saw a 10- row windbreak of different species of trees along the highway to the Beijing airport. Another windbreak made of agoho (Casuarina equisitifolia) is found along the coastline of Kaohsiung in Southern Taiwan which similarly serves to buffer winter wind. Woodland hedges along field boundaries in Europe serve the same purpose. The Indian tree is an effective sound breaker because of its thick, cone- shaped crown. It has also another advantage, that is, it grows tall and straight so that several trees can be planted close to each other.These man-made forests are a source of many valuable products and serve as a natural habitat of wildlife. It is no wonder why the Hanging Garden of Babylon was one of the wonders of the ancient World.



F. Hantik Ants - Biological Control Agents


Nest of hantik ants (Oecephalla smaragdina)

My students studied the nests of the giant green tree ants or hantik. The older nests were built on the upper branches of alagao, while a newly built nest was on a smaller tree Ficus pseudopalma. It is not easy to trace which nest an individual ant belongs to, but each colony has a specific chemical signal called pheromone. This prevents members from fighting, and allows the colonies to co-exist with defined territories assigned to each colony. Scientist calls this territory as niche.


Hantik ants are notorious killers of other insects. This could be the reason I have not seen any need to spray chemicals. Hantik ants feed on grubs, caterpillars, aphids, scale insects, and many others. They carry off morsels to their nest to feed their larvae. They scare organisms several times bigger than themselves. In fact, one who happens to get close to their domain is likely to get a bite or two, which is warning enough. But they do not hesitate to attack once they are threatened or disturbed.

I demonstrated the ferocity of the hantik by crushing a member of that colony. Sooner than I expected other members came to the rescue and pheromone was immediately put to use in the coordination and division of work, and in the strategy of war.


G. Common Medicinal Plants

A botanical garden is not complete without a good collection of medicinal plants. Here I showed to my students examples of medicinal plants with their uses. UST Botanical Garden was once the pharmaceutical garden of the university founded by Fr. Rodriguez a century ago. It is one of the oldest phamaceotical gardens in the world.

Here are typical examples of medicinal plants found in backyard and home gardens.

1. Lagundi - fever and flu
2. Pandakaki- minor wound or cuts
3. Oregano - sore throat and cough
4. Ikmo - mouth wash
5. Mountain tea - health drink
6. Guava - body odor and skin diseases
7. Pandan - beverage and food additive
8. Alagao - fever and cold
9. Avocado - diarrhea
10. Banana - kidney ailment


H. Poisonous Plants

showed my students poisonous plants growing in the garden. But why do we have poisonous plants around?

There are plants which produce poisonous substances that are valuable as pesticide. Examples are neem tree, derris and makabuhay. These have been proved to be effective in controlling certain pests and disease of plants.

Botanical pesticides are generally safer than chemical pesticides. Studies have shown that neem (Azideracta asiatica), a native of India, has long been used as insecticide. It is widely used on field crops and against domestic pest like cockroaches, mosquitoes and bedbugs in many countries including the Philippines.

Makabuhay (Tinospora rhumpiana) is effective against a wide range of rice pests and the application is very simple. Fresh stems and leaves are finely chopped and directly broadcast in lowland ricefields. The active principle is also very effective on golden kohol, a major pest of rice of the Philippines.

Derris is the source of commercial rotenone insecticide. The concentration of its poison is in its enlarged roots.

Two poisonous plants grow in the garden. In fact they grow wild and have been persistent for a number of years now. Castor bean contains a poisonous substance - ricinin - for which reason castor oil is no longer prescribed as laxative. The other plant is Jatorpha curcas or tubang bakod. A few years ago a group of students from a Quezon City High School ate the seeds which taste like peanut. They were taken to the hospital for treatment.


Bangbangsit (Lantana camara) , insect repellant
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A garden harbors the inquisitive mind, the seeking heart, the longing spirit. It is a place of peace and quiet. Here the seasons of the year are best observed. As an miniature ecosystem it defines basic relationships between and among living things, including man. Never is a garden idle, nothing is waste, and time is never prodding yet never dull.
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I. Conclusion

The microcosm is far from complete. But it is the framework that is important, like building replica of a dinosaur from pieces of recovered fossil. Knowledge is like that. It starts with principles, but, before that, one must be inspired and motivated to learn. There is no true learning unless one labors for it to some degree. Even frustration that may threaten learning itself, could be, at the end, a motivating factor, a challenge and test of what one is really made of. The Great Maker just gave us the Plantilla from which we follow the way to learning and understanding. ~


Bust of the founder of the former UST Pharmacy Garden, Fr. Rodriguez.


Symbols of the UST Pharmacy Garden. Both
monuments grace the garden's central area.

* Revised and updated articles 

Monday, November 11, 2024

Driftwood Art: Philippine Eagle - Descendant of the Archaeopteryx

 Driftwood Art

Philippine Eagle -
 Descendant of the Archaeopteryx 
On display at the Living with Nature Center, San Vicente, Ilocos Sur

"All available evidence indicates unequivocally that Archaeopteryx evolved from a small coelurosaurian dinosaur and that modern birds are surviving dinosaurian descendants. Stated simply, avian phylogeny was: Pseudosuchia Coelurosauria Archaeopteryx higher birds." - John H. Ostrom, Archaeopteryx and the origin of birds, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society,

Dr Abe V Rotor
                                              
Driftwood Figurine of the Philippine Eagle in different views
i         
 
Driftwood Figurine of the Archaeopteryx in different views 

Archaeopteryx, sometimes referred to by its German name, "Urvogel" is a genus of bird-like dinosaurs. The name derives from the ancient Greek ἀρχαῖος, meaning "ancient", and πτέρυξ, meaning "feather" or "wing". It lived 150.8 million years ago - 125.45 million years ago. Archaeopteryx had teeth and a long bony tail, just like other dinos in the theropod family, including Tyrannosaurus rex and Allosaurus. But it had characteristics of modern birds, too, like feathers and a wishbone, or furcula, which aids modern birds' flight. It also had wings—but with claws on them. Photo below, left.

 
Right, the Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi), also known as the monkey-eating eagle or great Philippine eagle, is a critically endangered species of eagle of the family Accipitridae which is endemic to forests in the Philippines.  (Acknowledgement Internet, National Geographic, Living with Nature series)
------------------
Annex
Archaeopteryx and the origin of birds
JOHN H. OSTROM
Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, Volume 8, Issue 2, June 1976, Pages 91–182, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8312.1976.tb00244.x
Published: 14 January 2008 Article history

                                                                     Abstract
The question of the origin of birds can be equated with the origin of Archaeopteryx, the oldest known bird. Analysis of the five presently known skeletal specimens of Archaeopteryx. and comparison with the skeletal anatomy of the several reptilian groups that have been proposed as possible ancestors of birds (Ornithopoda, Theropoda, Hseudosuchla and Sphenosuchidac), confirm the conclusions (long rejected by most subsequent workers) of Heilmann (1926), Lowe (1935, 1944) and Holmgren (1955), namely, that the skeletal anatomy of Archaeopteryx is extraordinarily similar to that of contemporaneous and succeeding coelurosaurian dinosaurs. Rejection of these similarities as adaptive structures only (parallel or convergent similarities), and therefore of no phylogenetic importance, is here considered invalid. Heilmann was the first to identify the only evidence that has been cited so far for dismissing coelurosaurian-avian ancestral–descendant relationships, the supposed absence of clavicles in all theropods, and on that basis suggested a common Archaeopteryx–dinosaur ancestry among pseudosuchian reptiles. That evidence is negative and thus inconclusive, and is now known to be false.

With the exception of fused clavicles and unique ischial morphology, virtually every skeletal feature of Archaeopteryx is known in several contemporaneous or near-contemporary coelurosaurian dinosaurs and many of these conditions are unrelated, specialized features (the detailed morphology of the manus, metacarpus, carpus, humerus, scapulocoracoid, pes, metatarsus, tarsus, femur, pubis, ilium, skull and mandibles). The presence of so many derived characters in common clearly establishes that the closest ancestral affinities ot Archaeopteryx are with coelurosaurian theropods. There is no contrary evidence and any other explanation is illogical.

All available evidence indicates unequivocally that Archaeopteryx evolved from a small coelurosaurian dinosaur and that modern birds are surviving dinosaurian descendants. Stated simply, avian phylogeny was: Pseudosuchia Coelurosauria Archaeopteryx higher birds. ~ (Acknowledgement with gratitude to John H. Ostrom Biological Journal of the Linnean Society

Saturday, November 9, 2024

Landscapes - Bridge of Nature and Human, Reality and Fantasy

Landscapes - Bridge of Nature and Human,
Reality and Fantasy

Paintings by Dr Abe V Rotor

 The Forest is a Natural Beauty in acrylic by the author , 2015

"I love the tranquility I feel each time I step into the forest. The forest has a calming and therapeutic effect on me. I enjoy listening to its music – the chirping of the birds, the trickling of water from the leaves, the sound of flowing streams..." - Tan Ee Long, The Forest is a Natural Beauty 

Clouds Over the Mountain in acrylic by the author 2020

“The air up there in the clouds is very pure and fine, bracing and delicious. And why shouldn’t it be?- it is the same the angels breathe.” -  Mark Twain

The Rock in the Sea,  in acrylic by the author, c 2005

"Think how we sailed up-wind, the brine
  Tasting of daphne, the enormous wave
  Thundering in the water cave—
  Thunder in stone..."
         Archibald MacLeish, “The Rock in the Sea” 

White Doves and White Ducks in a Pond, AVR c 2026

“Every man takes the limits of his own field of vision for the limits 
of the world.” - Arthur Schopenhauer

Nesting Eagle, mural detail by the author

"Eagle nests are constructed with large sticks and may be lined with moss, grass, plant stalks, lichens, seaweed, or sod. Nests are usually about 4 to 6 feet in diameter and 3 feet deep, although larger nests exist." - Internet 

White Doves at Morning, wall mural detail by the author
San Vicente, Ilocos Sur

Yes, white doves exist, they are symbols of peace. 

A Field of Wild Lilies in acrylic by the author, 2015

A lily of a day
Is fairer far in May,
Although it may fall and die that night,
It was the plant and flower of light.
In small proportions we just beauties see,
And in short measures life may perfect be.
- Ben Jonson

Ebb of Life wall mural in acrylic by the author at his residence, 
San Vicente, Ilocos Sur. 
When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves. Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” - Victor E Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning

Friday, November 8, 2024

Usapang Bayan 4th Session (Nov 8, 2024): Disaster Preparedness, Response, and Recovery (Handa, Laban, Bangon - at Pagbago)

Usapang Bayan, 4th Session Nov 8, 2024, 2 to 3 pm, Friday
Disaster Preparedness, Response, Recovery
- and Resolution
(Handa, Laban, Bangon - at Pagbago)
Typhoon Marce satellite image Nov 8 2024
Ms Melly C Tenorio, host, and Dr Abe V Rotor, guest 

Review and Reference Articles
Part 1 - Always Be Prepared: Typhoon, Flood, Tsunami,
             Earthquake, and Other Disasters
Part 2 - Thirteen (13) Frankenstein monsters roaming in our midst 

------------------------------------------------
A series of typhoons and floods - Kristine, Leon, Marce - caused tremendous loss of lives and properties.  Northern Luzon is still currently being affected as of this broadcast by Marce. (See satellite image above)
 
Recently, in the Philippines, super typhoon 'Carina' damaged 45 schools, disrupted  school opening. In the previous school year, at least 32 teaching days or a month’s worth of class instruction were lost due to climate-related events, including the soaring temperatures that scorched the Philippines during the dry season. 

In Afghanistan, a series of earthquakes on October 7, 2023, killed 2,400 people.  Several hundreds were reported missing, 1,714 houses destroyed, and 11,066 people left homeless. 

On September 8, a 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck central Morocco, with more than 3,000 people  confirmed dead, and thousands injured.  The disaster was Morocco’s most powerful earthquake in more than a century and its deadliest since 1960

More than 33,000 people have died across Turkey and Syria since a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake on February 6, 2023.* The quake is one of the strongest to hit the region in more than 100 years. Thousands of buildings collapsed. 


 
Typical flood scenes 

This article is an update of an earlier post on how we prepare, respond and recover, in times of calamity. Here is a checklist to follow.  Add to this list other necessary measures, particularly those that fit into the conditions of your place.

1. Keep informed and abreast – Radio, TV, Internet, Telephone, neighbors, cellphone. Social media in action.

 2.  Know at fingertips emergency numbers for disaster, fire, earthquake, police, NDCC, DECS, DOH, others. Be emergency response conscious of evacuation sites, fire exits, hospitals and clinics,
Secure appliances and items (furniture, documents, books, toys, etc) on second floor or on safe area. Move heavy objects away from harm’s way, these include apparador, potted plants, heavy tools, etc.

3. Prepare for power cut off. Set your freezer to the coldest temperature setting to minimize spoilage if the power is cut off. Have on hand flashlight, candles, batteries, etc. Charge cellphones and emergency lights. Have enough LPG during the emergency period. Keep a spare tank. In the province be sure you have sufficient stock of dry firewood.

4. Have your car, motorbike, ready for emergency. If water rises, secure them to higher ground.
Always see to it that they are at tiptop condition.

5. Check windows and doors, walls and roofs. Reinforce and seal them if necessary. Have handy towels, rags and mops. Seal leaking walls and roof even before the typhoon season.

6. Stay at the strongest and safest place in the house if the typhoon gets severe. Keep away from flood water, electrical outlet and wire, china wares and glass windows.

7. Seal off broken window or door with mattress or sofa over as typhoon gets severe. Secure it there with a heavy piece of furniture. Dra
w curtains across the windows to prevent against flying glass. Release trapped pressure by allowing it to escape opposite the direction of wind. My experience is to open a window just enough to maintain equilibrium.

8. Remember that a typhoon has an eye of calm. 
Don’t be deceived; it may appear that the typhoon has passed. It is only half of it. The winds then pick up again, now in opposite direction.
 
9. When the typhoon is finally through, check for hazards - broken glass, fallen trees and downed power lines, dangerous damaged structure.


10. Observe hygiene during and after a typhoon. Make sure your drinking water is not contaminated. Boil if necessary. Make sure that food properly prepared and stored. Avoid eating food from roadside vendors. Protect yourself from WILD, acronym for Waterborne, Influenza, Leptospirosis, and Diarrhea. Include Dengue, and other diseases.

11. Give priority attention to infants, children and the elderly. Provide them with whatever measures of safety and comfort. Keep them out of danger. Evacuate, if necessary, before the typhoon strikes.

12. Get rid of breeding grounds of mosquitoes, flies, rats and other vermin. Drain stagnant pools, dispose containers with water. Dispose garbage properly. Use pesticide only if necessary. Application of insecticide, rodenticide, and fumigant needs expert’s supervision.

13. Protect yourself from toxic waste if you are living in an industrial center, these include toxic metals (mercury, lead, cadmium), hydrocarbon compounds, pesticide residues, oil spills.

14. Wear protective clothing like boots when wading in flood water, raincoat, jacket, had hard during clearing and construction, gloves, etc. Be careful with leptospirosis, a disease acquired from rat waste through flood water.

15. Protect yourself from road accidents. Chances are higher during and after a calamity because of fallen trees and poles, damaged and slippery roads, non-functioning traffic lights, obstructions of all sorts.
  
16. Have your damaged vehicle repaired and cleaned as soon as possible to prevent further damage, specially those submerged in flood. So with other appliances – refrigerators, TV sets, furniture, etc.

17. Have an adequate supply of food and water for the foreseeable period of emergency. No panic buying, please. 

18. Medicine cabinet, first aid kit.  Check regularly and replenish the needed medical supplies, principally for the treatment of common ailments, and victims of  accidents.

19. Protect your home from burglars (akyat bahay).  Don't fall unwary victim to rogues.  Bad elements of society usually take advantage on the hopeless, like refugees in a calamity. 

20. Keep in touch with loved ones, relatives, friends to relieve anxiety. It is timely to text some kind words to the the infirmed, lonely, aged.  Offer whatever help you can extend. These are times to exercise neighborliness in action.~

Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda), the strongest storm to make landfall in recorded history, flattened coconut trees like match sticks. 2012

Deadliest Cyclones

Rank
Storm
Dates of impact
Deaths
1
September 1881 typhoon
1881, September 27
20,000
2
Haiyan/Yolanda 2013
2013, November 7–8
6,241
3
Thelma/Uring 1991
1991, November 4–7
5,101
4
Bopha/Pablo 2012
2012, December 2–9
1,901
5
Angela Typhoon
1867, September 22
1,800
6
Winnie 2004
2004, November 27–29
1,593
7
October 1897 Typhoon
1897, October 7
1,500
8
Ike/Nitang 1984
1984, September 3–6
1,492
9
Fengshen/Frank 2008
2008, June 20–23
1,410
10
Durian/Reming 2006
2006, November 29-December 1
1,399

       Typhoon Lando - Oct 22-28, 2015 - In terms of sheer strength and scope of destruction, Typhoon Lando (international name: Koppu) was the worst storm to hit the Philippines, with USD11 billion loss, 464 death.

Most destructive


Rank
Name
Year
PHP
USD
1
Haiyan (Yolanda)
2013
89.6 billion
2.02 billion
2
Bopha (Pablo)
2012
42.2 billion
1.04 billion
3
Rammasun (Glenda)
2014
38.6 billion
871 million
4
Parma (Pepeng)
2009
27.3 billion
608 million
5
Nesat (Pedring)
2011
15 billion
333 million
6
Fengshen (Frank)
2008
13.5 billion
301 million
7
Megi (Juan)
2010
11 billion
255 million
8
Ketsana (Ondoy)
2009
11 billion
244 million
9
Mike (Ruping)
1990
10.8 billion
241 million
10
Angela (Rosing)
1995
10.8 billion
241 million



Indian Ocean Tsunami, Dec 26, 2004 (Christmas Tsunami)

The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake occurred  on 26 December with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia resulting a disastrous tsunami killing 230,000 people in 14 countries, and inundating coastal communities with waves up to 30 metres (100 ft) high. Hardest hit are Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand. With a magnitude of  9.1–9.3, it is the third-largest earthquake ever recorded on a seismograph.  Photo of a village in Sumatra

The earthquake had the longest duration of faulting ever observed, between 8.3 and 10 minutes. It caused the entire planet to vibrate as much as 1 centimetre (0.4 inches) and triggered other earthquakes as far away as Alaska. A worldwide humanitarian response amounted to US$14 billion in humanitarian aid.

Fukushima, Japan, Nuclear Disaster, 2011, caused by a massive tsunami 
triggered by an earthquake with a magnitude of 7+ on the Richter Scale

Fukushima Japan Tsunami,  March 11, 2011

It was a city known for its beautiful beaches and boasts one of the longest cherry blossom tree tunnels in Japan. But after a tsunami and a nuclear disaster both struck in the space of 12 months, Tomioka near Fukushima was turned into a ghost city.

More than 15,000 residents living in 6,000 houses were forced to evacuate in March 2011 because of safety fears concerning dangerous radiation levels. Three years on, schools and business are still prevented from returning while parks, playgrounds, roads and the city's train station have been left covered in overgrown grass.

A total of 300,000 people have been evacuated from the east coast of the country since the disasters and 15,884 have died. (Photo shows a boat left on a highway for three years on the outskirts of the deserted city, which was evacuated because of radiation fears following the nuclear disaster.) Acknowledgement: Internet, Wikipedia
-----------------
*Do you believe in miracles?
A 10-year-old girl named Cudi was rescued after spending 147 hours trapped under rubble in southern Turkey’s Hatay province. In the same region, a 35-year-old survivor identified as Mustafa Sarıgül was freed from the ruins of a six-story apartment building after 149 hours.

Part 2 - Thirteen (13) Frankenstein monsters
roaming in our midst

"The coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic is the defining global health crisis of our time and the greatest challenge we have faced since World War Two." 

Anyone who has read Frankenstein cannot forget the frightful scenario of a monster created in the laboratory that eventually turned against his master and terrorized the world - a reminder of the unpredictable consequences of science-on-the-loose. We have revived the Frankenstein monster in many forms, such as these.

1. The invention of the atomic bomb and its subsequent progeny - hydrogen bomb, neutron bomb and cobalt bomb - that are far more deadly and destructive, and their stockpiling into a power keg that still exist today even after the Cold War has ended in 1989.

Fukushima Nuclear Disaster, 2011
  
Hiroshima atomic bombing, and aftermath, 1945
Holocaust, Nazi Concentration Camp in Auschwitz,1944
2. Medical breakthroughs in saving lives and extending life span contribute to the population explosion and demographic imbalance where societies are burdened by too many young who are unproductive and highly dependent, and elderly group, with increasing healthcare-dependent members.3. Organ transplantation and replacement which is leading us farther and farther to a new frontier called bionics; a combination of the rational being and the robot, natural and artificial intelligence.4. Genetically modified organisms (GMO) whereby it is possible to combine genes of organisms outside their kind, irrespective of species - or kingdom, for that matter. Bt Corn carries the gene protein of a bacterium - Bacillius thuringiensis - that parasitizes caterpillars that feed on corn crop. New strange life variations are sprouting defying identity and classification. They are nameless like the monster created by Frankenstein.


5. Mega-industrialization that has resulted not only in the demise of natural environments (ecosystems) and many species of organisms, but the destruction of the ozone layer and the gradual and steady buildup of atmospheric gases and temperature known as global warming. Global warming has alarming effects in changing climate patterns worldwide, spawning more frequent and more destructive force majeure from drought to flood to  typhoons and tornadoes.  

6. Urbanization leading to the growth of megacities which continue to destroy the homeostasis of rural-urban relationship, spawning poverty and leading to the degradation of human life at the source of migration on one hand, and at the burgeoning centers on the other.

 
7. Population explosion setting a record of 7.7 billion people today and doubling in less than fifty years if left unchecked - indeed a grim reminder of the ghost of Malthus two hundred years ago (Malthusian Theory), and a proof that the natural laws that govern survival has been radically changed. (Internet photos)

8. Consumerism on which capitalism flourishes in the guise of progress and the good life, but in effect creates massive pollution, imbalance of the economy of nations, dividing them into power-wealth categories, and have and have-not, loss of values, and abusive exploitation of resources at the expense of Planet Earth.

9. Gold rush syndrome resulting in the Tragedy of the Commons, a principle that is based on Chaucer's Pardoner's Tale, a story that illustrates that greediness and wanton destruction has always a tragic end, as evidenced today by the declining fish catch in the ocean, dwindling freshwater supply, logged over forests, spent farms and pastures, near exhaustion of fossil fuels, and the like.

10. While ecumenism bridges religions, cultism is divisive and segregative. There is a rise of the so-called hybrid religions which have lost their dogmatic identities, and are gaining popularity as a kind of religious liberation. On the other hand, more and more people around the world are drawn into the world of nones (people who have lost faith in organized religions) - if not the atheism, particularly those overwhelmed by the influence of postmodern living.

11. Substance Abuse comprises of prohibited drugs, alcohol and tobacco. 
 

12. Corona Virus Pandemic (COVID-19) 
Coronavirus pandemic continues to grip the world

"I don't believe that this infection really is being transmitted in waves. It's more like a coronavirus forest fire where in fact, it just burns, burns and burns. But then as soon as you let up the break, then it all comes back again." CBS News, Oct 13, 2020

13. Massive pollution worldwide on land , water and air as a result of population explosion, rapid industrialization, rise of megacities, destructive agriculture, unabated affluence, among other factors in the way we live today in a postmodern world, seemingly untenable by present governance and management.   

  
Industrialization greatly contributes to climate change, acid rain and health problems; plastics being non-biodegradable "survives the age of the earth." 
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“One of the first conditions of happiness is that the link between man and nature shall not be broken.” —Leo Tolstoy
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These 13 attributes of a modern Frankenstein haunt modern man and his society today exacerbated by his aim at globalization. The shrinking of the planet into a global village so to speak, through scientific breakthroughs, expansion of commerce and industry, opening of new frontiers of human settlement and habitation which sooner or later include the building of cities under the sea and in space, and the proliferation of multimedia making information accessible anywhere in any place of the globe - all these make the avenging monster closer to his creator, and therefore making him vulnerable to its evil intent. Such is the story of Mary Shelley's fiction that has a tragic ending - the destruction of both monster which never bore a name, and its creator - the young genius, Frankenstein. ~