Greenpiece Volume No. 4 - Ethereal by Ang Pamantasan

The Official Eco Magazine

the

ethereal

volume 04

Greenpiece

may 2016

o f A n g Pa m a n ta s a n

issue f e atur i n g c l a ri s s e d inero s & a nn m a rg a re t m igue l

YO U R PIECE, IN GREEN

INSIDE

BEAUTIFUL BEASTS THAT BITE

THE BIGGEST MUSEUM EVER ON EARTH

CETâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S IGKNIGHTERS aLL FUELED UP, FOR NATURE

EARLY BIRDS OF ENVIRONMENTALISM

Greenpiece

FROM THE E DI TORS

GREENP IECE N

YO U R P I E C E , I N G R E E N

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Allaine Jolina Matic

Put away

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Pathrick Kyle Fernandez MANAGING EDITOR

Jonjielynn Ramos NEWS EDITOR

Jerica Veron Telesforo FEATURES EDITOR

Glendel Nazario FILIPINO EDITOR

Sofia Jan Manalapaz LITERARY EDITOR

Carl Jerome Velasco BUSINESS MANAGER

Raniel Lorenzo BOARD SECRETARY

Angelica Rose Quero CIRCULATIONS MANAGER

Pauline Jewel Sumayang

your phone for a moment We are all quite aware of all the beauty the world possesses, some are hard to find while others lie just within our grasp. There are countless ways on how things can be beautiful to someone, it may have something that makes it appealing to the eyes, to the mind, to the ears, and in some cases, even to the soul. But for something to be ethereal, it has to have not just those mentioned earlier but also a distinction that makes it unmatched, divine, and unfathomable. Nature presents various examples of mind-boggling and eye capturing beauty that cannot be found elsewhere. It may want you to think how creative our creator is, subjecting every being and living thing with some unique characteristics that makes them look excessively fascinating. There’s so much more in this world as you would know, you just have to open up yourself to the outside world and put away your phone for a moment.

COVER / BACK COVER / LAYOUT

Carl Jerome Velasco PHOTOSHOOT WARDROBE AND STYLIST

Allaine Jolina Matic PUBLISHED BY

Ang Pamantasan GUSALING VILLEGAS, ROOM 305 WE’RE ALSO ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER

Feedback angpamantasan1979@yahoo.com

2016 ANG PAMANTASAN

Glendel, Nazario, Features Editor*

Before you start to read this issue of Green Piece, I would like you to describe your ecological niche. A niche is your place in life. It seeks to find the answers to the questions about who you are, what you do, how you take care of yourself and how you affect the environment. Like other beings, we humans are bounded by our physiological needs. But unlike other species, humans have utilized the environment to its extent by allowing survival on inhabitable places. Much of extinction happens because of people’s selfishness. We take over lands and set foot on undiscovered waters of the planet. But the Earth is our home, so let’s all try to be good stewards and help our ailing ecosystem. Allaine Jolina Matic, Editor-in-chief*

*This magazine was developed in February, when much of the editorial duties and responsibilities rested on key people who might not hold the same positions at present. Ang Pamantasan abides by the editorial decision to publish this material without compromising the efforts of original artists, authors, and editors. As of May 2016, an interim period and an examination for new campus journalists are underway for Ang Pamantasan, the official student publication of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila.

Photography by

Some -times

Jake Stangel

some tunes for some times compiled by allaine & carl

DRIVE

banana pancakes

the well pennies

jack johnson

little bit

down by the water

perrin lamb

the drums

twinkle lightly

elevate

talain rayne

st. lucia

kidnap me

lazy calm

cruiser

cocteau twins

sinag

the passenger

shirebound and busking

iggy pop

lost with you

GOLD IN THE AIR

eggboy

jesse woods

Legendary architect practiced green architecture canon before anyone else did

People have always been thinking of things that are unequivocally out of the box, often even without the box. They tend to be highly creative, resourceful, and they seek to promote the impartment of beauty to every structure or thing. One mutant of creativity and aesthetics is Architecture-the art or application of designing and constructing structures such as buildings and houses. The development of architecture piggybacks on society’s adaptation to new forms of technology and breakthroughs in design. Design experts work towards developing architecture as a concept of sustainability. Nature’s insertion into the field is nascent but promising. The concept of integrating ecologically visible outfits into architecture continues to be refined by the pioneers and proponents. This is how green architecture started and continues. Also called “Sustainable Architecture”, Green Architecture is a principle that seeks to curtail the negative impacts of construction. By imperative efficiency and moderation in the use of materials, they can create energy and development space without destroying. Its efficiency fuels the demands of many. Some examples of sustainable building materials include recycled denim or blown-in fiber glass insulation, calcium sandstone, sheep wools, Linoleum, concrete, stone and rock, wood, clay, and bamboo-a strong and fast-growing woody plant. Green architecture has become a legitimate soapbox for those who seek methods of continuing the development of construction without offending the very means that enable it—Mother Nature. With green architecture, people are given unique and innovative spaces that attend to sustainability of their surroundings. This approach lays the bricks in which future generations can develop further. But one man might have possibly beaten everyone at this concept early on. Many people say that this concept rooted from the ancient times. On the other hand, there are also those who believe that Frank

Lloyd Wright was the pioneer of green design. Considered as “The Father of Green Architecture”, Wright believed that designing structures must be in harmony with humanity and its environment. Some of his avant-garde works accomplish this philosophy: the Taliesin West, and perhaps his most pervasive work in 1935 called “Fallingwater” built for business owner and philanthropist Edgar Kaufmann. Fallingwater is considered to be the best all-time work of American architecture. His undying passion for defining creative and nature-friendly aesthetics earned him the recognition by the American Institute of Architects as “the greatest American architect of all time” in 1991. Wright once said, “The architect must be a prophet – a prophet in the true sense of the term – if he can’t see at least ten years ahead, don’t call him an architect.” It’s easy to imagine that a visionary like Wright could have very well altered the conventions of design. Wright had an astute self-awareness about the energy consumption in his designs. Wright utilized natural existing elements such as sunlight and wind, a marriage of sustainability and cost-effectiveness. In his world-building Wright had single-handedly overhauled the climate through which occupants perceived space, into something else. Something that heralded the use and integration of the surrounding environment. It also helped that Wright championed the use of landscape in considering the holistic ecosystem of his buildings and their design. To him each element precisely conflated with the proximity, a crucial achievement that always rewarded his designs transcendence, an effect which made form and function not separate entities to complement each other, but as a single approach in his art. This attention to harmony, coupled with 20/20 foresight given to spaces + nature, cast a siren on the upcoming movement for green architecture, before it was even a movement.

words by Pauline Jewel Sumayang Photo on right: Renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright Below: Fallingwater

F E AT U R E

architecture green

Frank Lloyd Wright 05

B EAT T HE M T O IT

by Carl Jerome Velasco

Daily Overview chooses aerial photographs that focus on provoking cognitive shift in the way we perceive our home planet; a roster of images th portray the effects of human species a modern civilization on Earth.

High on our own supply

Earth-

Located near Gordons Well, California, USA, The Brock Reservoir is used to supply water to nearby farmers via the All-American Canal.

g e hat and

The Grande Dixence Dam in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.

These works of Earth might fool even the trained eye, easily passing as an art project exhibited in a gallery.

A thought experiment in its vein alone, the project visualizes the impact of human involvement in our natural terrain. The complex and intricate geographical beauty of Earth is captured in one single photograph. It sharpens perspective in terms of size, making us realize how microscopic humans really are compared to the land mass surrounding them, yet we were able to haphazardly festoon the landscape as prescribed by our industries, exploiting nature into easy currency. But hey, if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not up for complicated sentiments, the views are pretty great.

work 07

It was the Overview Effect; the visual sensation astronauts experienced looking down on Earth and seeing it in its entirety, that inspired the Daily Overview project. The team working behind the Daily Overview project chooses aerial photographs that focus on provoking cognitive shift in the way we perceive our home planet; a roster of images that portray the effects of human species and modern civilization on Earth. The aim of the project with every photograph is to choose a location that has significantly changed over the

course of history because of humans.

more on dailyoverview.com 08

These four â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Overviewsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; show either 1) Ships 2) A Bus Terminal 3) 10,000 Heliostats or 4) A village destroyed by 2 collapsed dams. Guess which is which.

by Pathrick Kyle Fernandez

Faith Above the

Sea

â&#x20AC;&#x153;You might think I lost all hope at that point. I did. And as a result I perked up and felt

Yann Martel, Life of Pi

photo by 20th Century Fox

much better.â&#x20AC;?

C O N T IN U E D

FAI T H A B OV E T HE SEA

I’m on a

with a

boat

tiger?

The first time I saw Life of Pi’s trailer on the internet in year 2012, I was captivated by its magnificent animation. The vibrant clips of nature shown as part of Piscine’s unusual journey inspired me to read the book. I received it as a Christmas present later on that year and as I read it slowly, it change my life as a whole.

The story revolves around a boy and a Bengal tiger. Piscine Molitor S. Patel, popularly known as Pi Patel, is an Indian boy and was exposed to varying practices of faith. He was a son of a zoo owner and was about to migrate to Canada with his family. Unfortunately, a storm came while they were in the seas and he had been stuck on a boat with an unusual companion named Richard Parker, a Bengal tiger. His journey was very colorful that it would make you believe that it is possible for someone to survive a shipwreck in the middle of the ocean for 277 days with a tiger. What made it more interesting is that Pi had actually more than one practice of faith. Maybe it’s one of the many reasons he had for surviving such a terrible yet an unusually exciting journey - he never lost faith. Imagine if you end up on a boat alone with a tiger, you will never survive a single hour. But Pi has an extraordinary faith and his faith was rewarded with strength to tame a naturally impulsive and dangerous creature. Unexpectedly, Pi was able to build a relationship with Richard Parker more than that of a circus trainer and his animal. This world with the nature it has, is a big circus. You have to be dominant amongst everyone. It is always a survival of the fittest. But without faith to yourself and faith to the Almighty, you will never be able to conquer what to conquer, and tame what to tame. Being a student of a science high school back then, I was exposed to the world of reasoning – actual, solid, and substantive reasons – that I partly lost my faith. It was devastating for me to be confused at that time between explanations for the things that are happening and faith that I had ever since my childhood. But Pi’s account brought back what was lost in me. His story made me believe what I think I should believe despite every reason for each ambiguity that happened in my life. His story taught me that it doesn’t matter how strong or weak your faith is, as long as you have it, you will survive life.

Being on a boat with a tiger without any means of escape and other options, he has to hold onto his faith. That boat actually was a complete ecological system with prey and predator, it just so happens that miracles do exist and Pi was one lucky man to experience it. The movie focused on Pi’s journey: what he saw and experienced while he was stranded in the middle of nowhere. The heavenly beauty of the world that this man has seen alone is evidence to the power of God and the exquisiteness of His creations. The movie gave a glimpse of how miraculous our world is using one single boat. That there are things that happen unexpectedly every single day. Yann Martel said in his book that things have a bit of madness that make them do things in unfathomable means. It can be worth saving he said, and it is a process of adjusting of which is necessary for a species to survive. The book on the other hand emphasizes the lessons in Pi’s journey. From the moment he was being bullied, confused and is in search for his faith, up to the time he got separated from his family. It was more sophisticated than the motion picture but is at the same level of how they influence their audience. Pi, a Hindu, a Christian, and a Muslim at the same time, knew that his journey and survival is a gift for his unusual and undying faith and his bonus was to see the beauty of nature away from the city lights and experience it firsthand. And his mission after such amazingly uncommon journey, is to tell the world how this experience can be possible with any faith. And this taught me that I don’t need to have a definite faith above this sea of life, I don’t have to name my Creator. Only I have to know what I believe and understand it wholeheartedly, and never question what had happened and what is to happen. As Yann Martel said in his book, “If there’s only one nation in the sky, shouldn’t all passports be valid for it?” Hindu, Jew, Buddhist, Christian, or Muslim, it doesn’t matter who I am when I believe and have faith, it will always end the rightful way.

The

Words by

Evolution more on http://www.yirego.com/

Allaine Jolina Matic

‘a washer that helps to protect the

In 1851, James King patented the first hand-powered washing machine using a rotating drum to clean laundry. It was later in 1910 that the first drum-based electric washing machine called Thor was invented by Alva J. Fisher. Now an innovation called Drumi, a washer that helps protect the environment by providing a sustainable solution with a low environmental impact that saves time, energy, and money. This washer uses 80 percent less water than the regular washing machine. Drumi uses only five liters of water to clean clothes. The Drumi is a 22 inch tall foot-powered washer that can handle 6 to 7 garments (estimated 5lbs of clothes). This product does not require energy consumption and is powered entirely by foot pedal. The Drumi needs a two minute pump on its foot pedal to rinse and another minute of foot pedaling to rinse off the excess water. This innovation helps lower a person’s carbon footprint-the total sets of greenhouse gas emissions caused by an organization, event, product or individual. Yirego, the makers of Drumi, focuses on creating environmentally sustainable solutions, ethical and eco-friendly household products to provide better everyday living and simple solutions for household tasks.

Washing

collage includes ‘chille cheese to go’ by Andy Lee, and other photographs from Google.

environment’

beautiful beasts that bite

The B e a u t y of ch a o s

As you can see, the animal kingdom has their own fight for survival on who’s going to be on top though they don’t actually care. All they know is that they need to hunt, to eat, and to reproduce. These predators are equipped with different unique capabilities to win over the trials of the wild. Like us, we are given various talents and knowledge and it is only up to us on how we will use it. It’s a beautiful battle of skill and wit, of chaos and death.

images from google

by Glendel Nazario

Nature always has its ways of making our hair stand. It is less likely that we favor to see the chaos that spreads within its boundary. We are also victims of the life-threatening things nature can throw back at us, but it is safe to say that it is just the way the ball falls. Well in truth, I am not here to talk about the disasters and havoc it wreaks during calamities. We are going to look at the top apex predators that Mother Nature let loose and marvel at the beauty of their bestial structure. I also placed their corresponding bite force on PSI. (That’s pounds per square inch you dummy!)

JAGUAR / PSI: 220

TIGER / PSI: 1050

Yes! There will be a lot of cats on the list. So we should never underestimate our cute little felines at home for their bigger brothers and sisters have jaws made of toolboxes. This big cat looks a lot like a leopard with its spots but it’s a lot more complex than that of its sibling, it’s a highly powerful animal having a large head together with thicker chest and legs. A big jaguar can grow to 8 feet long, nose to tail-tip, and can reach a weight of 250 pounds. It eats almost everything it crosses its path with, including a full grown rhino. Its jaws are powerful enough to crush through prey with a thick shell like a turtle. It will take on some of the jungle’s mighty predators like the caiman and the anaconda just to get his lunch. What a bully.

So why am I not surprised? No it’s not Tigger! It’s sitting deep in the forests of Asia prowling and boasting its big-ass formidable body as the largest cat in the galaxy. An adult male Bengal tiger can reach sizes up to as large as 227 kilos. So if you think your Simba is the king of the jungle then guess again. There are two reasons why not. The lion does not live in the rainforest or “jungle” and prefer living in open habitats such as the African desert, and the other reason is that the tiger exists. So back to our reigning MVP, tigers have muscular bodies with powerful forelimbs, large heads and long tails. Tigers are one of the species having stripes rather than spots for complete camouflage within vegetation. Trivia! You can look up Calcutta, said to have devoured over 200 men and children before capture. Yikes.

LEOPARD / PSI: 691

SHARK / PSI: 669

So as I’ve mentioned before, lions don’t live in rainforests so in Africa at least, the king of the jungle by default is the leopard! They are no lightweight cats. They can grow as large as 140 pounds and known to do battle with adult male gorillas who we all know can clobber you to sleep though jaguars prefer not to do so. These dudes hang their captured prey on trees to prevent scavengers from getting their hands on them. Imagine someone who kills and showcases the fresh corpses outside his house! Leopards have a widespread habitat and share some with the tiger but give the mighty ones a vast berth.

To the sea! The list of course won’t be complete without Neptune’s very own version of the hellhounds. There’s no shark out there that doesn’t make you flinch like a cockroach exposed to the light. They have teeth embedded to the jaw that are automatically replaced every time they lose one. Some are even serrated to saw through flesh. Aside from all their combat abilities, their greatest hunting gift is the ampullae of Lorenzini which sends out electromagnetic fields for them to detect prey. They can even detect those who are hiding under the sand by detecting the electric fields that they produce. Sharks have the greatest electrical sensitivity of all animals. Bite force don’t matter to them because they can tear flesh like a katana to paper.

CROCODILE / PSI: 3700 Enough with the cats, let’s move on to our massive reptile friend famous in the Nile! There are an awful lot of these in the Philippines, actually, not to mention the ones having suits. Even the largest one ever caught, named “Lolong” was found here. Crocodiles have vertical-slit shaped pupils, similar to domestic cats. One explanation for the evolution of slit pupils is that they exclude light more effectively than a circular pupil, helping to protect the eyes during daylight. On the rear wall of the eye is a tapetumlucidum, which reflects incoming light back onto the retina, thus utilizing the small amount of light available at night to best advantage. The best night stalker ever, I guess. Their extreme and most formidable weapon of choice is their powerful jaws with an astounding bite force rivaling even of the mighty T. Rex. Ouch, that sounded like bone.

EAGLE / PSI: ?

Enough with the land, let’s go up! Ever since I was a kid I always wanted to have a pet eagle. I mean it always looked good in my mind having their talons perched on my arm like I’m some veteran martial artist/cowboy of the old west. That all changed when I learned their claws can pierce through my humanity in one clasp. Often regarded as the leopards of the sky, the eagles measure around 90 cm long and has a 2 meter wingspan. However, it has been known to hunt animals up to 35 kg! They’re strong enough to kill a monkey instantly as its eyes even pop out of their heads once it gets a hold of this. I’ll just stay in the house now.

Restoration

An Imaginative

Ilkka Halso

Nature Canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Endure Everything

Kitka-river, 20 183 cm x 300 91 cm x 150 c

words by

art from ‘Museum of Nature’

Kitka-river, 2004 (triptych) / 183 cm x 300 cm edition 6 / 91 cm x 150 cm, edition 10

Carl Jerome Velasco

004 (triptych) 0 cm edition 6 cm, edition 10

by Ilkka Halso

We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Display Case

Museum I, 2003 100 cm x 135 cm edition 6 50 cm x 68 cm, edition 10

Theatre II, 2008 125 cm x 190 cm edition 6 60 cm x 80 cm, edition 10

more on

http://ilkka.halso.net/

Theatre II, 2008 125 cm x 190 cm edition 6 60 cm x 80 cm, edition 10

“I’m looking into the future. I don’t like what I see.” Ilkka Halso exploitation and abuse. All of these take concrete form in visual cues embedded in the photographs. Nature is compacted inside a museum, through the eyes of an audience, the meditative theatrics of human involvement in full display. Ilkka Haso has a disconcerting notion of what nature is becoming. He wonders whether nature is being evacuated for better times or being simplified into merchandise and absurd tableaux.

Finnish photographer and artist Ilkka Halso combines landscape photographs and computer-generated 3D models to create his imaginative restoration of nature. ‘Museum of Nature’ puts natural objects and elements in the centerpiece, the scope of which is preserved by means of engineering and technology. In his bleak vision of the future, the breadth of nature is congested inside warehouses and scaffoldings, protected from threats of pollution and human interference. Massive buildings house forests and independent ecosystems. The visual irony is immediate and intuitive. Natural objects and landscapes are conserved and eschewed from harm’s way by man-made infrastructure—the collapse of nature prevented by the very means that cause it. Under strict observation in this project is the relationship between humans and nature. “It’s typical for humans to mould nature,” Halso says. “But nature can’t endure everything”. Human’s aesthetic and economic aspirations shape the health of nature, as it suffers from the delicate panache of human

F E AT U R E

by Pathrick Kyle Fernandez

CET’s Igknighters all fueled up for nature

PLM Shell Eco-Marathon Team while building SULO 2.0, an eco-friendly vehicle that competed against other vehicles from other countries last March. (Photo courtesy by PLM Shell Eco-Marathon Team.)

The time has come for us to witness a change. Now that we have met the pioneers of innovation, salvation is nearly possible. Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila is proud to have students like Orven A. Gutierrez, Paolo Teodie B. Salas, Mark Anthony B. Abaincia, Jeab A. Fabre, Nathaniel P. Rivera, Albert Vhener L. Ocampo, Paul Kevin Petines, Benjamin P. Legaspi III, and Charles Allan D. Juan who emerged to be successful innovators in the field of automobile development as they have completed another prototype of an environment-friendly fuel-efficient vehicle. As our society continues to grow in different aspects, cars are a must-have among every person to be able to go with flow of extreme competitions and fast changing lifestyles. However, having cars does not only gives us the luxury and convenience but also threatens the condition of our environment in the future. This is what these fine young men are trying to solve, if not, at least lessen the impact. Their burning passion in dealing with

The concept of PLM’s Shell Eco-Marathon Team for the prototype of their fuel-efficient vehicle that they hope to be a stepping stone for other innovators that aim to make a better community. (Photo courtesy by: PLM’s Shell Eco-Marathon Team.)

“ O ur e n v i ro n m e n t today i s v e ry vu l n e r a b l e du e to t h e h a r s h s t e p s m a n h a s m a d e to i mprov e h i m s e l f a n d his way of living” Albert Vhener Ocampo

A nature-friendly vehicle saves. It does not only save the environment for being eco-friendly, it also helps us save costs. It utilizes fuel’s full potential to run distances, in which we could travel farther BY using less fuel.

PLM Shell Eco-Marathon Team 2016

Nature this problem helped them to cooperate and work effectively with each other in creating SULO 2.0 towards achieving greener and smarter mobility and inspiring other young innovators to take leaps and risks in saving our environment. Though they don’t consider themselves as environmentalists, saying that it is human nature to care and protect our surrounding, we may call them as true knights who stepped forward when called to save Mother Nature. Orven Gutierrez -“Yes, our country is not yet ready for a transition from dependence on fossil fuels into renewable ones but I hope someday we will...” Nathaniel Rivera - “It was better yesterday, so we need to take action no matter how small it is or how long it will take effect to help the environment

regenerate to its original state”. Albert Vhener Ocampo “Our environment today is very vulnerable due to the harsh steps man has made to improve himself and his way of living…” Paolo Teodie B. Salas “Our environment is really deteriorating now and I can’t see any concrete actions being done by our government to lessen the effects of human activities in our environment...” These fine young men hopes that their work may inspire other young people to dedicate their skills and talents in doing causes like saving the environment. They know that if this kind of vehicle is to be used in every day’s work, people will have to adjust and undergo a transition from conventional to eco-friendly automobiles which will surely take a long period of time.

The Beasts

of Nature

EARLY BIRDS

Words by Angelica Rose Quero

OF ENVIRONMENTALISM

TURN TO CONTINUE STORY

Typical people often compare what nature was before and how it’s looking now. They also seem to be tirelessly saying the simple ‘what ifs – the ‘what if’ of what it could have been if people have started taking care of nature earlier; the ‘what if’ of what might have happened if everyone chose to be careful and considerate in thinking of the environment first before striving to reach the nearest possible comfort in their lives. However, even before technology has eventually took over and became the basis of development, even before environment has been gradually becoming a cause of major concern, the idea of being an ‘environmentalist’ has already been sprouting in various platforms. One is Rachel Carson (pictured left), a woman from Pennsylvania who has mingled with the idea of writing a book. One of her works is entitled “Silent Spring.” The book, published in 1962, tackled the deleterious aftermaths of using pesticides on the environment, considering mostly the birds. Carson’s concern for writing the book revolved around the future of the planet and so as to any life existing on Earth. One of her many goals as well is to encourage people to be responsible for their actions and to have careful and considerate decisions for the Earth. She has been fearless in fighting for the Earth that she even expected criticisms. However, what was unbeknownst to her were the ones that she received from the chemical industries and its allies,

CONTINUED 22

in and out of the government. Carson fought for the truth that lies beneath her cessations even until her death in 1964. Another brave heart is James Lovelock, a biologist, scientist, and futurist from England. One brainchild of Lovelock is the Gaia Theory, which tells that the Earth’s biosphere functions as a single living system, therefore has the ability to self-regulate – to manipulate the climate and chemistry of the atmosphere and the oceans for the sustainment of the life. He has also written a book entitled “The Revenge of Gaia,” which deals with his prediction that billions will die by the end of the century, with its survivors forcibly choosing to live in the Arctic. He has also made his argument that the well-known acknowledged phrase “global warming” is not helping to register to the human minds how serious the environment has been becoming, thus, suggesting to replace it with “global heating.” In 2004, as a solution to the greenhouse effect being a threat to global warming, Lovelock has publicly supported nuclear power. From his point of view, this open member of Environmentalists for Nuclear Energy has clearly stated his opinion that only nuclear energy has the realistic alternative to fossil fuels that can attain the energy needs of humankind while lowering greenhouse emissions. A year later, he publicly voiced out his support again in line with the backdrop of the renewed interest of the UK government to nuclear power.

Jonathon Porritt

“The world still has someth to show. only takes p voices before it eventually un Going nearer to the side of entertainment, there’s Sir David Attenborough, a TV naturalist, who at 89 years of age, has been known as an accredited writer, presenter, narrator and producer. His name has been also identified with natural history programmes produced by the BCC Natural History Unit. Meanwhile, his will of bringing public awareness to the people with the use of his channel has brought him to the fellowship of Royal Society. It should also be taken note as well that he became the most trusted celebrity in Britain on a Reader’s Digest poll. Another one, known for being an activist, is Jonathan Porritt, who gave up teaching in 1984 in order to direct Friends of the Earth, which targets to promote a justice-minded environmentalism. (see http://www.foe.org/). He has also written a book entitled “As If The World Matters,” to which he had written his side that environmentalists must have an “evolved, intelligent and elegant” form of capitalism. Going local, we also have people who have been known for their Earth-loving contributions. There’s Von Hernandez, who was a literature professor in the University of the Philippines before he turned into an environmental activist. He is also known for being the first Filipino to win the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize, an award given to honor environmental heroes from the

six inhabited continental regions. This award is given to honor grassroots environmental heroes from the six inhabited continental regions. He has been also strongly identified with Greenpeace Southeast Asia, such as for being its Executive Director. He also worked hard for the incineration ban, which became approved in the Clean Air Act of 1999. Environmental Law is a big contribution internationally to fight environmental struggle. One of its leading voices is Antonio Oposa, Jr. a creative litigator, organizer and activist who is also a pioneer of practicing the particular law in the country. He is also the President of the Law of Nature foundation, one of Asia’s leading voices in the global arena of environmental law and the one behind the “Oposa Doctrine.” He has also received several prestigious awards, such as the United Nation Environment Programme (UNEP) Global 500 Roll of Honour in 1997 and the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2009. He also became a counsel for 43 Filipino children who bravely stood against the government for the embezzlement of the forest resources. Reading above, showing concern for the Earth has already started even before our very eyes. The early people had shown courage in different ways and so we are today. We still have our ways. However, one difference is that we have a medium that is

OF ENVIRONMENTALISM

James Lovelock

hing . It powerful and brave David Attenborough

nfolds.”

EARLY BIRDS

more advanced and undoubtedly, more powerful, if used the right way. Posting is just one click away nowadays. Just like what is being promoted in Greenpeace Philippines, to which as described in their website (see http:// www.greenpeace.org/seasia/ph/), is “an independent global campaigning organization that acts to change attitudes and behavior, to protect and conserve the environment and to promote peace.” The said organization lets you work for them, get a first-hand experience of fighting for the environment and even be an online activist. The people mentioned are just few of those who have been vocal about their opinions and strong upholds regarding the condition of the world. They were mentioned to refresh to the minds of people that the issue concerning Mother Earth has not always been something that is worth of only ordinary talks. It has never been, is not and never will be. Thus, attention-calling must be something that should never go out of style to be able to protect this worldly environment that we are living in. It should be always carved in our minds that the world still has something to show. It just only takes powerful and brave voices before it eventually unfolds.

Von Hernandez

Dreams Rewired

No longer doe stay in the bac It co-feeds with storytelling on depth, elevatin Suddenly, the ripped apart an another charac Inland

Un Lac

Myth of the Intimate and the Electric

Double Tide

The Soviets Plus Electricity

es nature ckground. h the n emotional ng itself. backdrop is nd becomes cter. The Sole of the Foot

Jean Gentil

Nature as seen in the cinema of 2000s

Nature is a place. Whether in scope described as vast or narrow, it occupies and formulates. Objects fill it. Elements surround it. Colors, climate, and gravity form its image. Nature is a portrayal of Earth, a mouthpiece of its current health and aesthetic. Film is one artistic medium capable of articulating the idea that nature is a place. It becomes more than just vacant space, but an expanse that inhabits a spirit, shaping its own ideals. In the end, nature is alive. It grows along with the characters. It influences the narrative. It hosts its own platform for symbolism and visual semiotics. These films take advantage of that space for narrative benefit. Themes of isolation are amplified in Jean Gentil. Low tides become a poetic precursor to American Labor in Double Tide. The Soviets Plus Electricityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tracking shots capture the length of Northern Russia. Layered in these batch of films made after the year 2000 is the upscale paralysis of intimacy. No longer does nature stay in the background. It co-feeds with the storytelling on emotional depth, elevating itself. Suddenly, the backdrop is ripped apart and becomes another character.

NATURE AS SEEN IN THE CINEMA OF THE 2000s

Myth of the

DREAMS REWIRED Manu Luksch Martin Reinhart, Thomas Tode / 2015

Intimate and the

Not really a film that relies heavily on the concept of place, but just to offset the batch of films already covered, Dreams Rewired is a meditation on time, and thus, it is close neighbors with place. Dreams Rewired presents a bizarre look at the collective human life as a whole, all of whom is one way or another, handicapped in making use of the “now”, the ultimate beauty of the present and of the current. Tilda Swinton, the narrator of the film says a phrase, “Electric Intimacy,” which became the underscore of this article.

Electric

Jean Gentil

Double Tide

THE SOVIETS PLUS ELECTRICITY

Israel Cárdenas and

Sharon Lockhart / 2009

Nicolas Rey / 2001

“If I could fly to the sky, so I could find a place for myself. I would fly,” says an unemployed Haitian accountant who attempts to find a sense of belongingness in Jean Gentil. In the hopes to achieve stability in his work and in his life, he mounts his search for a space to occupy. Instead, this sends him farther away. Nature permits his sense of isolation, but his fate enables it.

We witness a clam digger hard at work, and accompany him in something tremendously rare—two daytime low tides, at dawn and dusk. Double Tide is predominantly still. The landscapes’ juxtaposition between morning and end of the day overlaps and transforms, tied together by calmness and silence. We take a journey with time and synchronize this personal and meditative relationship with the landscape.

From Paris to Pacific, The film is a train-ride long voyage across Northern Russia. Its insightful arrest speaks of the Soviet Union, lingering on without any fulfilled promise. Such is the personal sentiment of Nicolas Rey in this extended tracking shot, where poetry and rhythm aid the idea of a film diary, where places become postcards frozen in Super 8 film.

UN LAC

THE SOLE OF THE FOOT

inland

Philippe Grandieux / 2009

Robert Fenz / 2011

Tariq Teguia / 2008

A stranger beelines directly to disrupt a quiet family of woodcutters in an isolated cabin located in the mountains. The extreme close-ups tell us that space, more often than necessary, dissolves and withdraws its concrete ground to fall back on when fate assaults. The characters are unwise, but tender. They show a reluctance, opting to avoid emotional contact.

Robert Fenz explores the concept of “place” in its most compelling and visual ways. Isolation parades in full display. The impaired sense of belongingness is shown through finding a “place” in every sense of the word. A thin veneer of defunct sobriety auctions itself to the hosts that need them.

Empty landscapes populate the scenic backdrops of Inland, a story about two wanderers in search of very different things but find themselves at an intersection. Their trajectories fluctuate; leaving two thin strips of foot prints in the sand, leaving much of the terrain unexplored.

words by Carl Jerome Velasco

Laura Amelia Guzmán / 2010

ANOTHER INNOVATION

“There was a strong will to introduce the

words by

Sofia Jan Manlapaz

element of nature into that modern way of living needs that long lost connection”

Marko Vuckovic