Who in the city has not experienced traffic jams? Is there any way we can make urban growth friendlier to nature, and to our peace of mind?
I hate commuting during rush hour. Who doesn’t? Sitting in the jeep, a sweaty armpit could rub against my shoulder. Should you have the misfortune of sitting to someone with long hair who is too insensitive to tie it with a band, prepare to be suffocated with that dirty mass of strands.
Reflecting on these scenarios, I have come to realize that these microcosmic instances are actually reflective of what’s happening in the bigger environmental scope. The space in the jeepney is like the space we live in. We cram ourselves into this space even when it is against our nature which is to be free and mobile. Why? Well, because there is the need to transport ourselves from one place to another. In pretty much the same way, people are migrating to urban centers from the rural areas. The economic movement is there. And in this migration, the natural dynamic of beings and of the environment is forgotten, worse, consciously set aside.
As people try to cram themselves into the small spaces of urban centers, the breathing space of nature is reduced. Human needs for comfort take priority, mindless if this is against the law of nature. So now, we are beset with climate change. We latched on mother nature’s resources too fast, too mindless. Can we still do something?
Maybe. We need to go back to the fundamentals – to what is environmentally sustainable. It does not mean we need to go back to the basics. We have come a long way in technological advancement so that we actually have the facilities to bring back the balance between man and nature. There is, for example, a move for a green architecture in the Philippines promoted by sustainable real estate development in the country. Locally, we have the Primavera Residences, the first eco-friendly building in Mindanao. Advancing eco-friendly architecture in the Philippines, the building was designed according to the patterns of nature. Where would sunlight beat the most? Where would the shadows be cast? How can the structure maximize the natural movement of air.
I believe that if we rethink properly our behaviors, it is not impossible to eventually go back to a life in harmony with nature. After all, we had been part of it and we should be part of it.
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