The Danger of an Endangered Ecosystem

In the summer of 2008, I had the rare opportunity of joining a one-of- a-kind family outing in the cool waters of Donsol, Sorsogon, a growing tourist destination in my country, the Philippines. We were yearning to catch sight of this gigantic marine creature that was reputed to be as tame as a cat. His identity: the “butanding” whale shark.

Minutes passed into hours but no “butanding” showed up. Morning turned into mid-afternoon but still no signs of this rare fish specie. It was then that I realized we had a very slim chance of achieving our target. After all, we were waiting for one of the very few remaining whale sharks in Philippine waters that run the risk of extinction in the years to come.

The grim reality is humans have endangered the earth’s ecosystems to the point of depriving wildlife of its natural habitat and of destroying the natural balance of life. The Philippines is one country that has a very high biodiversity but has also a high rate of endangered ecosystems. There are certainly more countries in Southeast Asia that suffer the same fate.

Who are we to blame for this indiscriminate destruction of our environment that threaten our biodiversity and the stream of life itself?

The burgeoning population of the world that couldn’t care less about the future of its children and its children’s children has a lot to account for in our planet’s dismal state.  More people result in more consumption of our natural resources to meet our basic needs.  Denuded forests, heaps of city garbage, slum dwellers, dried up streams and rivers all point to the rapidly increasing scarcity of our resources.

Industrialization, although indicative of development, has likewise contributed to the damage it has inflicted on our environment.  It has continually threatened our marine and freshwater ecosystems through toxic waste deposits of industrial plants and factories.  Chemical companies have taken decades to realize their role in upholding the environment.  Now, it could be too late.  Toxic wastes have poisoned our marine life to cause the near extinction of vital marine species. There is a serious possibility that we, or our children and grandchildren may never get to know these precious marine creatures once they disappear from the face of the earth.

Development is a never-ending process of life that is why it must be sustainable for the benefit of future generations. When development is not sustained, life eventually ceases. This is not a threat but a tough lesson to be learned by all human beings regardless of race, creed or social status.

Frank Buchman, a Protestant Christian evangelist, once said, “There is enough on this earth earth’s for everyone’s need but not enough for everyone’s greed.”  We are all key actors in this earthly drama.  The question is, which part do we want to play—the hero or the villain?  You decide.