Environment or Politics

ENVIRONMENT AND POLITICS

by Anton Antonio

July 17, 2015

Can environmental concerns and politics work together?

With the 2016 elections just around the corner, people are so fixated (meaning: to acquire an obsessive attachment to someone or something) by it.  It’s indeed the season when other issues, environment included, will always be viewed with a political eye and mind.  This is the reason why we always come up with bad decisions since our objectivity (meaning: a lack of bias, judgment, or prejudice) on the real issue is more likely clouded by politics.

Let’s take this little case as an example.  In June 2013, fifty (or more) container vans of garbage arrived at the Manila port.  At first, everyone, including government, wanted this unacceptable cargo shipped back to Canada where it came from.  Two years passed and this shipment of trash is now acceptable as deemed by government.  Ergo, the Canadian garbage is now being transported to a landfill in Capas, Tarlac.  Environmentalist groups were up in arms over this decision and Tarlac Local Government Units (LGUs) joined the protest.

I have published several blogs about this problem for over a year now plus Facebook articles and infomercials to create awareness on social media about this Canadian garbage mess… the last one of which is also posted with this blog.  So what happened? My last post was “shared” by a fellow netizen with the statement: “Tarlac politics feeding on Canadian waste.  Why not go to media also so that the issue can be milked for the elections?”.  The following Facebook comments and narratives will give you a clear picture of what ensued…

ME:  “Thank you, (name deleted), for sharing this post.”

FACEBOOK FRIEND:  “Got my goat!  Happy day, Anton Antonio.”

ME:  Hi, (name deleted)… I am just a little environmental advocate and activist who doesn’t care much about the “politics” of politicians.  I believe that politics and concern for the environment should never be intertwined… but there’s nothing we can do if the politicians grab the limelight because they run things around here as they have duties to fulfil.  So, we just have to work within that system… until a better system is institutionalized.  Things (perhaps) will always depend on the influence of our viewpoints… if we view the environment within the ambit of politics, then we will eventually be in trouble because the environment can never be a subject of compromise which is what politics is all about.  But if we view environment by itself and not shroud it with the trimmings of politics, then we can better serve the present and future generations of this country.  Thank you for supporting our environmental efforts and initiatives.  God bless you.  Stay well… (smile emoticon)”

Going back to the basic question: “Can environmental concerns and politics work together?  I must say, based on experience, that they COULD… but they SHOULD NOT.  These are fairly different realms (meaning: fields or domain of activity or interest) that, more often, result to environmental degradation when combined.  Please… Let’s not mix environment and politics.

Just my little thoughts…

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