Friday, July 11, 2014

Breaking the Chains of Environmental Ignorance


BREAKING THE CHAINS OF ENVIRONMENTAL IGNORANCE
by Antonio C. Antonio
July 10, 2014

Ten months ago, Michelle de Leon, Jabez Flores and I opened a Facebook Community Page called “Landscape Ecology UPOU” where we started posting pro-environment photos, articles and reports with the aim of popularizing landscape ecology principles as viable alternatives in solving our environmental malaise.  A month after, we also created another Facebook group called “UPOU ENRM UPlanders” as a venue to network environment-related information from our other colleagues who equally shared our passion in protecting Mother Earth.  These Facebook accounts are very active up to the present as we discovered that social media is the most cost-efficient means to popularize an environmental advocacy.  (“Social Media”, antonantonio.blogspot.com)

I should mention that before we embarked on this pro-environment journey, we (a select group of pro-environment advocates who bonded themselves in a group commonly called The UPlanders) conducted two extensive surveys to answer the questions: (1) “What is the level of awareness and understanding of Environmental Management?” and (2) “How do you popularize Landscape Ecology to the illiterate and ignorant?” (“Masdan ang Bukas Ko”, antonantonio.blogspot.com)  Guided by our survey’s dismal results on the aspects of awareness and knowledge on environmental matters, we now were better equipped to formulate cost-effective undertakings to popularize our chosen advocacy.

Seemingly restless and raring to do more, I personally segued to organizing to another Facebook community page known as “Pro EARTH Crusaders” as another means to expand the coverage of the advocacy.  The same posts were also made in two other Facebook groups, (1) ANTONIO Tribe of Tarlac and (2) Magallanes… not to mention other environment advocacy groups that have linked-up with Pro EARTH Crusaders.

A little over three months ago, on the suggestion of Jacqueline Baula (my niece), I also started posting pro-environment materials on Blogger under the blogsite: antonantonio.blogspot.com described as: "This blogsite contains articles, papers and reports on the subject of environment and natural resources management together with economic development and human interest stories every now and then. This blogsite intends to provide thought-provoking perspectives to increase the level of awareness on environmental issues and concerns aimed at inspiring individual and/or collective action towards protecting Mother Earth." (Antonio, 2014)  With this, I found myself communicating to a worldwide audience in about two dozen countries.  It’s amazing to note that environmental concerns are basically the same in all parts of the world although there are varying levels of awareness and knowledge of environmental matters.  But this certainly gives me the feeling that we (Filipinos) are not alone in this pro-earth crusade.

Now, after ten long months of posting and blogging, the reach and coverage has improved substantially.  Todate, using the above-mentioned Facebook pages plus the blogsite, I could effectively reach and spread the good word about Mother Earth to close to five thousand people.  I feel confident that the coverage will increase further in the coming months.  Well, five thousand may not be much to make a difference but if the ripple effect (“The Ripple Principle”, antonantonio.blogspot.com) is applied, the net effective reach will be 320,000 people (for now).  While there is more to learn and work to be done, I sincerely feel that this will be a fair start in breaking the chains of environmental ignorance.

Just my little thoughts…

REFERENCES:

·         “Social Media” https://antonantonio.blogspot.com/
·         “Masdan ang Bukas Ko” https://antonantonio.blogspot.com/
·         “The Ripple Principle” https://antonantonio.blodspot.com/

(Please visit, like and share Pro EARTH Crusaders and Landscape Ecology UPOU on Facebook or follow me at antonantonio.blogspot.com)


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