Green con Virgins

By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo

 

GREENHORNS and virgins share innocence, some people think so. Green is the color of virgin forests. Green is life. Green is “Go!” In Philippine slang, a “green mind” belongs to “someone who thinks compulsively erotic thoughts; dirty minded; the tendency to give innocent phrases a sexual connotation”.

In whatever context green is thought of, it usually involves something passionate, exotic and erotic. The green movement is an energy propelled by the passion of advocates. To advocates, humans have a responsibility to their co-creatures and must therefore ensure the viability and sustainability of life. To them, a green summit is reached when a virgin forest and nature itself, retains its ecological integrity.

As approaches may differ for each advocacy group, we may rightly say that a green convergence is composed of different movements going green. They have critical collaboration with governments (going or pretending to be green), and also, critical collaboration among themselves (true greens and fund-led greens). When a common ground is reached among green groups, a green convergence is achieved.

We can say therefore that the “1st Philippine Environment Summit”, intends to achieve a green convergence as its theme implies: “Greening Together, Growing Better”. It attempts to “bring together environment leaders to discuss and celebrate breakthroughs and innovations in the protection of the environment and the attainment of sustainable development that can also inspire others to do their share.”

It is a project filled with good intentions, meant to showcase government efforts, but does not include a thorough discussion and analysis of government’s performance on the ground, or the efficiency of the use of funds by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), or its operational adherence to its mandate. It is the phantom of the First Pangasinan Environmental Summit where the major discussion points were left languishing with more than 2,000 dead trees in its wake.

We converge for many reasons, but convergence should begin with a thorough assessment of what has gone before, what is actually happening, and what can be done not only to “celebrate” and be “told” about the “breakthroughs and innovations” that government peddles to our consciousness, but also to discuss gut issues that inform our decisions to deal with the future.

“Daang matuwid” is a mantra for the administration, but towards where? It is not always the right path. A straight path in the forest is most often drawn by loggers and business interests that systematically clear the forest of its trees for timber or to plant commercially-viable plantation crops. A green path is almost invisible, unobstrusive, in total harmony with the sensitive life networks, and most often, it is not a straight line.

 

THE FOREST IS YELLOW

 

the roads are clear of trees

let’s celebrate

we can always replace

with seedlings of concrete

 

the forest is bald

let’s celebrate

we can cover with palm

a wig that grows income

 

the forest is harsh

but it can be mellow

the forest is green

but it can be yellow

 

to the six-foot pit

the path is straight

jump with a spit

on the count of eight

(For your comments and reactions, please email to: punch.sunday@gmail.com)

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