By: Eidref Angela Christine P. Banzon
After the cold weather we encountered last months, glowering summer season is almost within our reach. From then on, the ground started to be painted by dried falling leaves. Air becomes warmer and warmer as it lingers on our skin. Irritation comes to our sense, to our body, to our underarms. The need for a sort of refreshment arises. During swimming parties, we wear our favorite trunks and two-piece swim suit which are expected to cool down our body’s temperature as we dip and dive under the cold water. In this way, summer becomes a time to relax, unwind and time to have breathing space from the heavy loads of projects and requirements we had in the last semesters.
However, behind the rejuvenating experiences that we may encounter in summer trips and picnics is the continuous treat of climatic problems to living organisms, such as the extremer and hotter El Niño phenomenon. Over the past years, the Earth’s temperature is continuously rising. This constant rapid change in this Earth’s humidity and temperature added to the tremendous effect of El Niño phenomenon during summer season. The excessive heat that our body may absorb may cause, truly, to death.
During summer season, there is a tendency of the occurrence of heat waves which are caused by extremely hot and humid days with very little air movement to help things cool down. The effects of heat waves are pretty much deadlier than hurricanes and tornadoes. And with the vast outbreak of this phenomenon, it is so alarming that it might erase the humanity on the universe.
Though heat wave is somewhat a natural occurring phenomenon, its greater effect is brought by the human activities such as deforestation. As trees are burnt or about to rot, they release carbon. This leads to greater concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. And the global warming will greater its effects.
Undeniably, heat wave is the most lethal type of weather phenomenon. Warm fronts can lead to economic damage and threatening resources, as water and electricity consumptions go up much higher than usual. And it can cause roads and highways to collapse, power transformers to spark off, and causing fires.
Moreover, it can cause sun stroke or known in its name as heat stroke, a truly life-threatening condition in which the body's internal thermostat has ceased to work. the victim's temperature control system, which produces sweating to cool the body, stops working. it can intensify conditions like hypertension and heart illnesses. It can also lead to failure of vital organs as stated by the National Center for Disease Prevention and Control Director Yolanda Oliveros in the Philippine Daily Inquirer online news article "DOH issues tip to avoid, deal with heat strokes" by Edson C. Tandoc Jr. on April 27, 2007. the body temperature can rise so high that may lead to brain damage and even death may occur in less than ten minutes unless medical help is immediate.
On the annual meet for Palarong Pambansa on April 2007, two deaths and more than 300 cases of heatstroke had recorded. Also, last summer 2010 which is also the peak of the campaign of those who were run for the government positions, heat stroke killed a Batangas ex-governor, a veteran Cavite police officer, a 22 years old Isabela army soldier, a Liberal Party councilor, a driver in Cebu, a basketball player from Iloilo and a Metro Manila passenger.
Heat waves do not choose who will be punched by its effect, heatstroke. Maybe we can never fight against nature but we can befriend with it, care for it and be concerned with it. Mother Nature does not command us to give our whole life in giving her the cure and protection, but in our simple ways, we can help. We are the ones who started the battle against the environmental phenomenon, so we should learn and find ways on how to end this conflict. We should do our share on how to cool down the fiery eyes and head of Mother Nature toward human beings.
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