Part 7: BIOME Ecological Philosophy - “If a river dies – so with all the stars that shine on its waters.” 10 Important Concerns of Ecology

Dr Abe V Rotor

Catanduanes forest cover - how long will it hold on its balance state?

"Our living earth is shrinking, orphaned like this Rock Pool."
Acrylic painting by AVR

Dr Abe V Rotor

“Man has reversed the process of evolution and he has put into his hands the pattern and trends as he wishes, playing the role of his Creator.” - AVR

1. The world everywhere, from the tundra down to the rich tropical forests, faces unabated threats to wildlife destruction, as human activities continue to defile nature not only of its flora and fauna but of natural habitats.

2. While the target of conservation is the protection of plants and animals particularly those that are considered to be facing extinction and are being endangered, the greater concern of ecology is the protection of natural habitats and ecological systems.

3. On another front of human activities often characterized by man’s quests for the “good life” through industrialization he believes to be the prime mover of progress and development, the production of unwanted by-products threatens the earth’s dynamic processes, Already the emission of gases from burning fossil oil has resulted to two serious consequences; thinning of the ozone layer and the building up of heat of the atmosphere resulting to global warming.

4. As human population continues to escalate which is going to double the present 6 billion mark by 2025, more and more people now believe that only by heeding the Malthusian prediction that our world may be spared of unimagined scenario of mass starvation and death.

5. On the other hand, quests for new frontiers of science has led us to the fore – unlocking the code of heredity that may soon replace conventional breeding, resulting thus far in the production of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) and Genetically modified Food (GMF).

6. The other frontier is man’s interplanetary travel beyond the distance of the moon, and for such ambitious adventure, man will have to learn to adjust to life in space and in the planets he targets at visiting. Interplanetary travel takes years, many years. Into the unknown man carries the environment of the earth in a capsule or bubble. Space biology studies not only the effect on man but to plants and animals as well – some kind of man-made ecological system in space. We have virtually started a new field, space ecology.

7. If a third world war is to come, what kind of war is it? People are in a quandary, even those who are witness to the last world war and different wars after that. On media, a third world war if really global and the enemy stalks, respecting no boundaries of politics, culture and faith. It will be a war everyone is concerned of – real or psychological, covering the ultimate warfare materiels - nuclear, chemical and biological.

8. On the concept of human habitat, how ideal can planning get close to it has been demonstrated in some models, which is far from the answer of what a human community should be. The crux of the problem is in drawing up a treaty between nature and man. Could this be an alternative to cities and high rise buildings?

9. Terms like ecotourism, ecomigtration, ecozones, etc. are jargons often disguised economic programs, rather than ecological in purpose. As such, projects of this kind must be reviewed in the light of ecology rather than economics.

10. Zero waste management is ideal, it is a utopia of a modern world. But looking at the experiences of industrialized countries like Japan, Germany and Norway waste is just another resource waiting to be tapped. Why not? Isn’t garbage the excess of our wasteful luxurious living? ~

Poetry - Dewdrops of Meditation

Poetry - Dewdrops of Meditation

Dr Abe V Rotor

1. When the skies cry and tears fall,
The grass is greener, so with the soul.

2. The rain pelts on the faces of children
Turned heavenward. Look my brethren.

3. Walks he alone in the rain singing,
Whether the wind's cool or the sun peeping.

4. If I'm responsible for what I tame,
Would I have a choice of only the lame?

5. A gentle breeze came through a lid;
Where's the window when the wall's solid?

6. Pray, but if Thor holds back the lightning bolts,
We may not have mushroom and the jolts.

7. Hush! Suddenly the world became still;
Gone is the lark or the raven on the sill.

8. Saxon wall, each turret a guard-
Now empty, lonely is war afterward.

9. Radial symmetry starts from the center,
That balances an outside force to enter.

10. What good is a lamp at the ledge?
Wait 'til the day reaches its edge.

11. In seeing our past we find little to share,
If the past is the present we're living in.

12. In abstract art you lose reality;
How then can I paint truth and beauty?

13. Brick wall, brick roof, brick stair,
Glisten in the rain, dull in summer air.

14.What's essential can't be seen by the eye
Like the faith of Keller and Captain Bligh.

15. Similar is rainbow and moth in flight
When you see them against the light.

16. From respite in summer fallow,
The fields start a season anew.

17. From green to gold the grains become
As they store the power of the sun.

18. Not all sand dunes for sure
Ends up on empty shore.

19. One little smoke tells the difference,
Like a faint pulse is life's reference.

20. It's collective memory that I'm a part
To write my life's story when I depart.

x x x

Simplest Remedy for Diarrhea

Dr Abe V Rotor

Every year diarrhea claims the lives of 3 million people, with nearly 2 million of them children under five years old. Yet a simple and inexpensive treatment can prevent many of those deaths.

Here is a simple formula for oral rehydration:
fistful of sugar + a pinch of salt + a jug of water.

This old home remedy is now recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) which claims that it has saved some 40 million lives, and hopes to demote diarrhea as the second leading cause of death among children.

Note: If symptoms persist, see a medical doctor. ~

x x x

 

Poetry - Noon Breeze

Verse by Dr. Abe V. Rotor

“To see the world in a grain of sand,
And a heaven a wild flower;
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
And eternity in an hour.”
- William Blake, Auguries of Innocence

I know not where this kingdom lies,
Or the boundaries of eternity;
For true faith is blind and never dies,
In our yearning for love and piety.

Go for the stars, though beyond your reach;
Imagination, its string in our hand;
Yet creation is at your fingertips,
But to write on the sand.

Omnipotent one Breath that be,
From clay to flesh to humanity;
Like breeze passing tree after tree
Sowing the seed of divinity. ~

A Self-Administered Test in Manners and Etiquette (with answer key)

By Dr Abe V Rotor

1. Talking loudly can be seen as overbearing and rude; it will also make people angry and upset, even before you can establish a good relationship with them.

2. Speak with respect; avoid negative remarks that may insult someone else. Exception: when you are in court or any investigative forum.

3. Don’t speak of bodily functions such as using the bathroom or telling crude jokes. This is however all right in casual conversation.

4. Terms like Thank you, Please, You’re welcome, I’m sorry – are said only on appropriate occasions. Just don’t say it for nothing.

5. Hold the door for anyone following you closely – unless he is able bodied, and perhaps stronger than you.

6. Speak highly of your parents, unless they are already dead.

7. It is okay to swear but not to use filthy language. Swearing is an act of affirming your innocence or sincerity.

8. Pay attention to how you carry yourself, such as in handshake. Shake hands firmly – not limply. People know you in how you shake hands.

9. Don’t interrupt, cut off or override unless you are the teacher or referee.

10. You can phone before 7 am or after 9 pm, if it is business matter.

11. It’s okay to spend an hour or more chatting with someone. It’s your private phone anyway.

12. Address older adults and professional seniority with the title Mr, Mrs, Miss, Ms until you are asked by them to address them by their first names.

13. Michael is Mike, Arturo is Art, Jaime is Jim, Vicente is Vic – why still ask his nickname when you have dropped formalities of knowing each other?

14. On the computer (e-mail) and cell phones, it is all right to use CUZ for because, U for you, DA of the, DAT of that. 2 for to etc )

15. It’s okay today, in texting and e-mail, to commit errors in grammar and spelling, and faulty sentence construction.

16. Always give gratitude and be thankful. If this is not enough just to say thank you, show how grateful you really are with say, a note, a flower, token or gift.

17. Some people feel than being “mannered” is “fake” or unauthentic. Instead, realize that manners are normal and healthy social conventions that make interactions easier and more pleasant.

18. If you are in school, make sure that you behave so that your teacher will speak highly of you – pay attention in class and do your homework. Treat your teacher with respect. Do all these with the end in view of getting a good grade and earning a good reputation among your classmates. Perhaps you will even get a medal for good conduct and behavior.

19. If someone else is speaking, try hard not to be domineering or overbearing by taking over the story or subject matter at hand, even if you feel that you can tell it better. Let him finish, then give your two cents worth.

20. Avoid annoying others with your cellphone. Be sure to turn off your phone. If by whatever reason your cellphone rings in the middle of a lecture. Stand up and say sorry, and erase any suspicion that it is someone else.

21. Etiquette is a French word and it origin was during the time of the French aristocrats – at the court of Louis XIV. This is the reason why in America, the notion of etiquette is occasionally disparaged – and looked upon as old-fashioned or elite.

22. Etiquette is a code that influences expectations for social behavior according to contemporary conventional norms within a society, social groups – in spite of the unique characteristics of these groups, there are etiquette rules that are common to them.

23. Etiquette in the Philippine has been greatly influenced by European Renaissance – but has lost must of its influence, except in high society.

24. Start showing your manners with your parents. They’ll be overjoyed that their children are speaking to them with respect, for respect shows that you have good manners.

25. Manners are little rules that help us all act with respect toward one another. If you are unsure what to do in a particular situation, remember that manners strive to make anyone around you feel comfortable, and take action based on this thought.
x x x

ANSWERS: 1t, 2f, 3f, 4t, 5f, 6f, 7f, 8t, 9f, 10f, 11f, 12t, 13f, 14f, 15f, 16t,17t, 18f, 19t, 20f, 21t, 22t, 23t, 24t, 25t

RATING: 24-25 Excellent; 21-13 Very Good; 18-20 Good; 15-17 Fair; 14 and below - listen regularly to Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid 738 KHz AM Band DZRB [www.pbs.gov.ph] 8-9 in the evening, Monday through Friday

A Test in Photojournalism

Dr Abe V Rotor

Part 1: True or False (Write T or F before each question)

__1. Adjust shutter to B and mount camera on tripod when shooting night scenes – a busy street, Christmas lights, stars, constellation, etc.
__2. Today’s digital camera is more versatile, relatively cheaper, easier to operate – but not necessarily superior in quality - to film camera.
__3. Some digital cameras can used the lenses of film cameras, particularly SLRs.
__4. The most advanced digital cameras are made by Kodak.
__5.When a close up of flower is blurred, the subject is too close.
__6. Basketball player in air totally blurred – shutter speed is too slow.
__7. Sunny outdoor view is rough, with dot matrix like in “pointillism.” – ASA/ISO value too high.
__8. Photo is too light all over, no accent, clarity poor/ insufficient light, lens opening too small, or both.
__9. When having your picture taken, relax your shoulder and your face muscles will also relax.
__10. “Honey I Shrunk the Kids” and “Micro Safari” have one in common – micro photography.

___11. For best results there is no substitute to having a manual camera with semi-automatic system for photographic art – kahit digital camera pa.
__ 12 . When taking pictures, the rule is that the source of light must be at the back of the photographer.
___13. The lens opening of a camera is like the pupil of the human eye.
___14. Single lens reflex (SLR) means you are looking at the subject through the lens of the camera.
__ 15. Satellite imaging can detect weather disturbances, pollution; it can predict crop yield levels, and in fact even hideouts of terrorists.
___16. Satellite imaging is used in cartography, that is, the science of mapping the features of the earth.
__ 17. Deeper interpretation of contrast is in the subject of the photo, rather than interplay of light and shadow, colors and lines.
__18. The larger the lens opening the better is the depth of field.
__19. If the background is bright and your subjects are posed against it, what you can do to counteract glare is to use flash.
__20. Filters emphasize outlines, increases contrast of light and shadow, warm and cool and colors. It is also used in silhouette photography.

__21. Light microscope reveals the world of microorganisms – countless of them in a single drop of water.
__22. Electron microscopy produces photographs of extremely small objects up to 5,000 times in a myriad of colors like a rainbow.
__23. Radio telescope enables the human eye to see very far objects like stars using the same principle of lens telescope.
__24. One area of photography that enables us to see fast moving objects normally invisible to the eye is through slow motion photography.
__25. The aura emitted by our body is visible through photography.
__26. Photography brings to the eyes of the world good things to appreciate, and evil things to correct.
__27. Photojournalism is a risky profession, like other media men, they risk their lives. In fact the Philippines has the most number of fatalities among media men, second to Iraq.
__28. War is the arena of photography – war against poverty, graft and corruption, environmental degradation, diseases, ignorance, terrorism, and the like.
__29. Yet photography offers the newest, most modern, technologically advanced, now popularized to be enjoyed by millions of people everyday.
__30. Photography is the extension of our eyes and other senses, in fact our intellect, our feeling and our soul.~

__31. A famous photograph – a naked young girl, her body burned by napalm (Orange Agent) running along a highway with other children, while soldiers simply didn’t mind, was taken during the recent Iraq war.
__32. A lone man standing in front of a column of tanks was taken during the Vietnam war. The photo freezes the action as if the man succeeded in his suicidal act.
__33. Today, photography – from shooting to printing - can be done in a home studio, and therefore offers a good business opportunity. In fact documentaries and short movies can be done.
__34. Composition is the key to telling a story, be it a painting, a poem, a novel – or a photograph.
__35. The elements of art – are also the elements of photography.
__36. Foreshortened effect is shown on traffic signs written on the highway.
__37. 400 ASA/ISO/DIN film is more sensitive than 100 ASA/ISO/DIN film, in the same way as 4 megapixels is more sensitive than say, 2 megapixels.
__38. As the number increases - 30, 60, 100, 250, 500, 1000 – it means the shutter mechanism proportionately slows down or decreases speed.
__39. Here are three ways to improve your photo when lighting is poor: use tripod, use flash, increase ASA or DIN – in any combination, or all of them at the same time.
__40. You can get multiple exposures in a single shot of fireworks even without a tripod.

__41. The opening of a flower bud step by step is recorded by means of time lapse photography, a technique that compresses time to enable the eye to witness the event in a short time frame.
__42. Buildings appear in concentric circle converging at the top if you use fisheye lens.
__43.When using a wide angle lens for a group photo, those on the sides appear to be very thin while those at the center are fat.
__44. Telezoom lenses extend the view, compressing distance, thus they are used in war zones.
__45.Allow the pupil of the eye to narrow down by sending a series of faint flashes before the real flash is made. This is to prevent red eye in the photograph.
_ 46. With the state-of-the-art digital photography, a poorly taken photo can be edited anyway - so, why worry?
__47. Black and white photos are simpler to process and print than color photographs.
__48. The computer is equipped with a software to correct blurred, burned, incomplete and misaligned photos to appear normal.
__ 49. As a rule do not retouch a historical documentary photos; they are more authentic in their original state.
__ 50. It is easier to photograph emotions rather than features, because they come naturally, while you have to do a lot of script in the latter.