Thursday, October 29, 2009
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
This is an Article on our Global Concern on Environmental Destruction
What is Happening to our Planet?
(A Call for Continuing Dialogue with Creation)
The recent sufferings in loss of lives and damage to properties brought about by two typhoons (international names Ketsana and Parma, locally Ondoy and Pepeng respectively) in September have shaken many people. Those most affected were residents of the National Capital Region (Metro Manila and environs) and several provinces of Luzon.
Within the same fortnight there was the earlier epic dust storm in Australia, the worst that country has seen in many decades. Typhoon Ondoy’s impact on Metro Manila was something that had not been experienced in 30 years. The damage came not from strong winds but from the flood that inundated many areas in Metro Manila. In some places the water went up to the rooftops. Some few days later an earthquake struck Sumatra in Indonesia, killing some 1000 people. Spawned by the earthquake, a tsunami hit Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga in the South Pacific, leveling buildings and killing about a hundred people. When the people affected by Ondoy were still in evacuation centers in Metro Manila another typhoon, Pepeng, entered the Philippines.
What is happening to our planet?
While anticipating Pepeng, which was forecast as a super typhoon with winds in the vicinity of 200 km/hour, in addition to the usual advice on how to safely prepare for the typhoon, a prayer made the rounds in the Philippines.
We quote from the prayer:
“We have not been good stewards of creation. We have confused your command to subdue the Earth. The environment is made to suffer our wrongdoing, and now we reap the harvest of our abuse and indifference“
Scientists have reported that because of global warming and the climate change that it leads to, natural phenomena like typhoons now occur more often and with greater intensity. And consequently, more harm to man. Weather disturbances are still part of nature, but their frequency and intensity are the results of man’s actions.
The earth has been given by God and it is for all of us who inhabit it – mankind, animals on land, fish in the water, birds in the air and all the plants in the lithosphere and the hydrosphere. In Genesis God gives man stewardship over creation; all that is on earth man can use for his good. The prayer reminds us that we have not been responsible in our exercise of stewardship. In many instances, the wealth of the earth has not been used for man’s good but rather abused for man’s greed.
The vision of Silsilah, which has at its core the four pillars of dialogue - dialogue with God, with the self, with others and with creation - recognizes that we must understand and respect the dynamics of relationship between man and creation if we are to arrive at peace in our world. Destruction caused by natural phenomena does not generate a peaceful atmosphere among men. Abuse of natural resources does not general peace. If man must live in peace among themselves, they must learn to live in peace with creation.
Let us now say what we must:
“We turn to You, our loving God, and beg forgiveness for our sins.”
(A Call for Continuing Dialogue with Creation)
The recent sufferings in loss of lives and damage to properties brought about by two typhoons (international names Ketsana and Parma, locally Ondoy and Pepeng respectively) in September have shaken many people. Those most affected were residents of the National Capital Region (Metro Manila and environs) and several provinces of Luzon.
Within the same fortnight there was the earlier epic dust storm in Australia, the worst that country has seen in many decades. Typhoon Ondoy’s impact on Metro Manila was something that had not been experienced in 30 years. The damage came not from strong winds but from the flood that inundated many areas in Metro Manila. In some places the water went up to the rooftops. Some few days later an earthquake struck Sumatra in Indonesia, killing some 1000 people. Spawned by the earthquake, a tsunami hit Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga in the South Pacific, leveling buildings and killing about a hundred people. When the people affected by Ondoy were still in evacuation centers in Metro Manila another typhoon, Pepeng, entered the Philippines.
What is happening to our planet?
While anticipating Pepeng, which was forecast as a super typhoon with winds in the vicinity of 200 km/hour, in addition to the usual advice on how to safely prepare for the typhoon, a prayer made the rounds in the Philippines.
We quote from the prayer:
“We have not been good stewards of creation. We have confused your command to subdue the Earth. The environment is made to suffer our wrongdoing, and now we reap the harvest of our abuse and indifference“
Scientists have reported that because of global warming and the climate change that it leads to, natural phenomena like typhoons now occur more often and with greater intensity. And consequently, more harm to man. Weather disturbances are still part of nature, but their frequency and intensity are the results of man’s actions.
The earth has been given by God and it is for all of us who inhabit it – mankind, animals on land, fish in the water, birds in the air and all the plants in the lithosphere and the hydrosphere. In Genesis God gives man stewardship over creation; all that is on earth man can use for his good. The prayer reminds us that we have not been responsible in our exercise of stewardship. In many instances, the wealth of the earth has not been used for man’s good but rather abused for man’s greed.
The vision of Silsilah, which has at its core the four pillars of dialogue - dialogue with God, with the self, with others and with creation - recognizes that we must understand and respect the dynamics of relationship between man and creation if we are to arrive at peace in our world. Destruction caused by natural phenomena does not generate a peaceful atmosphere among men. Abuse of natural resources does not general peace. If man must live in peace among themselves, they must learn to live in peace with creation.
Let us now say what we must:
“We turn to You, our loving God, and beg forgiveness for our sins.”
Monday, September 21, 2009
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Camp Recipes by Fish: Penne Seafood Marinara
by Chef Louie Lee Castro (UPM)Starting June 2009, Chef Louie Lee "Fish" Castro of the UP Mountaineers will give us practical tips and zesty recipes for an outdoor culinary experience!Some climb buddies have the penchant for being spectacular when in comes to campsite cooking serving meals out of the ordinary which makes the climb experience truly a gastronomical adventure as well. Pasta meal has grown to be an alternative to rice. Probably due to the reason that watching the group cook as he prepares the pasta meal is already socials and group bonding in itself.Searching the internet for the story behind ‘marinara’ led me to this website which gave a very simple story. As the name implies, it is from the Italian ‘marinaro’ or ‘sailor’ and the sauce is supposedly made in Naples for the sailors when they returned from the sea bringing with them fresh seafood as ingredients for the sauce.Penne Seafood MarinaraINGREDIENTS500 gram Penne pasta1 medium canned or 500ml whole peeled tomato200g onion2 cloves garlic (minced)40g white sugar1/2 tsp. dried oreganobayleaf/laurelginisa mix optionalcooking oilyour choice of seafood, it can be dory, prawns, mussel, scallops etc.COOKING THE SAUCEsaute onion and garlicadd the mashed whole peeled tomato bring it to boil.add laurel,sugar, dried oregano, ginisa mixlet it simmer for about 30 minutes to reduce liquid.add your seafoods and add 5 nimutes simmering time, then add your pasta.COOKING THE PASTAsee label on how long it will take to cook your pasta to make it al dente.cooking rice or pasta to the "al dente" stage without over-cooking requires a certain amount of practice and skill, since both have a relatively brief midway stage between the under-cooked phase, where rice or dried pasta stays hard in the middle and where fresh pasta tastes "floury", and the over-cooked phase, where the dish lacks texture and is considered too soft. Using plenty of salt helps achieve the "al dente" texture.Poaching is particularly suitable for fragile food, such as egg, fish, poultry and fruitswhich might easily fall apart or dry out. For this reason, it is important to keep the heat low and to keep the poaching time to a bare minimum, which will also preserve the flavour of the food.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
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