THINGS TO DO DURING TYPHOON

Thins To Do During typhoon
If you know you are in a landslide prone area, you better move to another place to live specially those who live beside the hills.It is better if we are ready for it.dont panic, prepare to evacuate pack important things like food,cloth, go to the evacuation center.

According to the Mortality Risk Index released by the UN International Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), the Philippines ranks No. 12 among 200 countries and territories whose population are most at risk from natural disasters.

Our country is hit with an average of 20 typhoons annually leaving a trail of deaths, injuries and damaged properties worth billions of pesos. Typhoons that have left their marks were Milenyo, Reming, Lando, Mina and Frank.

Last year, Typhoon Frank destroyed 250,000 hectares of farmland in Central and Southern Luzon, and in South Western and Central Visayas. Thousands of Filipino families have lost their shelter, livelihood and some —their lives.

As the rainy season draws to its peak, evidenced in the declaration of the third week of June (Presidential Proclamation 823) as Typhoon and Flood Awareness Week, it is very important for everybody not to be “caught unprepared.” Start preparing by knowing the hazards and learning what has to be done before a storm comes.

Whenever a tropical cyclone is expected to enter the country’s area of responsibility, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Service Administration (Pagasa) categorizes the storm according to public storm signals which tells us the time when it is expected to hit, wind velocity and gustiness. Here are categories of storm signals and what to expect:

(1) Public storm Signal 1 has winds of 30 kph to 60 kph and may be expected to hit in at least 36 hours. Very light or no damage at all may be sustained by the exposed area. Classes in preparatory schools are suspended, but business may be carried out as usual.

Pagasa issues a weather bulletin every six hours to update whether a weather disturbance will be elevated to a higher level.

(2) Public storm Signal No. 2 means that a moderate tropical cyclone will affect the locality. Special attention is given to the latest position, direction and speed of movement and intensity of the tropical cyclone as it may intensify with winds greater than 60 kph to 100 kph and may hit in at least 24 hours.

During this phase, some trees may be tilted; old galvanized-iron (GI) roofing may roll off and some agricultural products are moderately damaged. Sea and coastal waters are dangerous to smaller crafts, so fishermen are advised not to go to the sea. The public is advised to stay indoors and secure properties.

Disaster preparedness and response agencies/organization are activated to respond appropriately to distress calls.

(3) Public storm Signal No. 3 indicates that a strong tropical cyclone will affect the locality with maximum sustained winds greater than 100 kph to 180 kph, and may be expected to hit in at least 18 hours.

During this stage, most plants are destroyed and trees may be uprooted. There may be considerable damage to structures of light to medium construction. There is widespread disruption of electrical power and communication services, and moderate to heavy damage may be expected in both agricultural and industrial sectors. Travel by sea and by air is very risky. Classes in all levels and work are suspended at this point.

(4) Public storm Signal No. 4 indicates that a very powerful typhoon will affect the locality with volatile and strong winds of more than 185 kph and may be expected to hit in at least 12 hours.

The situation is potentially destructive with trees uprooted, plantations severely damaged, electric power distribution and communication service disrupted. In this storm signal, all travel and outdoor activities should be cancelled.

However, learning about signs and warning, effects and dangers of typhoons are not enough. Consumers should know what to do before the storm comes to be able to protect themselves, their family and their property. Here are some precautionary measures that might be helpful:

Educate members of the family on preparedness and protection.

Reinforce homes to withstand wind and flooding by installing guy wires or buttresses to main structural columns. This reinforces anchorage to the ground.

Check roof for leaks and loose roofing thatches or Gl sheets. Ensure that main structural elements of roof are secured to the top beams ofthe house. Cut off loose tree branches and excessive foliage or leaves. Check on everything that may be blown away or turned loose. Flying objects are dangerous during typhoons.

Store adequate supply of food and drinking water. Prepare flashlights, batteries, matches, kerosene lamps or candies in anticipation of power failure, and keep a transistor radio, and listen to latest reports, bulletins and announcements.

If the eye of the storm passes over your place, there may be a lull lasting for a few minutes to half an hour. Stay put. Make emergency repairs if necessary, but remember that wind will blow suddenly from the opposite direction with even greater violence.

If your house floods severely or is in the path of mudslides, move to a designated evacuation center and stay there until the storm has completely subsided.

Slightly open a window or door opposite from where the wind comes from to avoid pressure build up.

Stay calm. The ability to think and act rationally in the face of emergency rubs off to other members of the family.

When disasters strike, there is really no point in pointing fingers and laying blame on what was not done. Do not let ignorance rob you of your home, livelihood and life.

THINGS YOU CAN DO TO PROTECT THE FOREST

7 things you can do to save the rainforest

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1) reduce your paper and wood consumption.

Logging companies are cutting down some of the most endangered forests on the planet to make wood and paper products such as office paper, phone books, toilet paper, window trim, lawn furniture, and 2 x 4's. Over seventy-eight percent of the Earth's original old growth forests have already been logged or degraded.

You can help reduce the pressure on our remaining forests by taking simple steps to reduce your own wood and paper use. For example, use both sides of each piece of paper, use your own cloth bags at the grocery store, use cloth napkins and towels, and avoid disposable paper plates and cups.

When purchasing paper products, choose products with the highest percentage of recycled content —post-consumer recycled content is the best. Choose tree-free paper alternatives if possible. Tree-free paper is made from agricultural products like waste straw, kenaf, and hemp, so not a single tree is cut down for its production!

If you are building a house or adding on to your home, utilize wood efficient building techniques and avoid old growth wood products. Learn about alternatives such as reclaimed or recycled lumber, composite lumber, and independently certified wood. See our website for more information on old growth wood alternatives.

2) reduce your oil consumption.

The burning of oil, gas, and coal is the primary cause of climate change, a trend that is threatening the stability of the global climate. Scientists have predicted that if we stay on our current path, global temperatures will rise between 2° and 9° Fahrenheit in the next century —a warming rate faster than any occurring in the last ten thousand years. In addition, oil exploration projects lead to toxic pollution and massive deforestation, posing a threat to pristine ecosystems and indigenous cultures worldwide.

You can help alleviate oil's impact on the environment by reducing your own oil and gas consumption. The next time you purchase a car, choose one that gets good gas mileage and avoid gas guzzling sports utility vehicles. If you drive somewhere regularly, start a carpool. Whenever possible, leave your car at home and instead walk, ride your bike, or take local mass transportation. Support funding for mass transportation and bike lanes —options that will serve our transportation needs and our planet much better in the long run than an ever-expanding maze of roads and highways!

3) reduce your beef consumption.

Rainforest beef is typically found in fast food hamburgers or processed beef products. In both 1993 and 1994 the U. S. imported over 200 million pounds of fresh and frozen beef from Central American countries. Two-thirds of these countries' rainforests have been cleared, in part to raise cattle whose meat is exported to profit the U. S. food industry. When it enters the U. S. the beef is not labeled with its country of origin, so there is no way to trace it to its source. Reducing your consumption of beef will reduce demand for it, cutting back on pressure to clear more forests for cattle. For more information on the connection between beef and the environment, contact Earthsave International, 1509 Seabright Avenue, Suite B1, Santa Cruz, CA 95062; 1-800-362-3648; http://www.earthsave.org/.

4) hold businesses accountable.

Corporations need to know that the public will hold them accountable for business practices that are socially or environmentally destructive. If you feel that a company's business practices are environmentally irresponsible, send the company a letter expressing your concern, or organize a boycott of the company. Below you'll find information about two companies that you can write to today to help protect the Earth's forests. To learn more about these companies, please visit our website at http://www.ran.org/.

a. Boise sells wood products from the world's most endangered forests, including the tropical rainforests of the Amazon and Southeast Asia and the temperate rainforests of Chile. Boise is also the country's largest logger of U. S. public lands. Please ask Boise to phase out its logging and distribution of old growth wood. Write to George Harad, Chairman &CEO, Boise Corporation, 1111 West Jefferson Street, PO Box 50, Boise, ID 83728.

b. Citigroup is a key financial player in many of the world's most destructive projects, including construction of the Chad/Cameroon oil pipeline in Africa, the replacement of orangutan habitat with palm plantations in Indonesia, and the logging of California's Headwaters Forest. If you have a Citibank credit card, cut it up! Mail the cut up card back to Citibank in your next bill statement, and let them know why you no longer want to be a customer. If you are not a Citigroup customer, let them know that you will never be a customer unless they change their business practices. Call Citigroup at 1-800-456-4277 or write to Mr. Sandy Weill, Chairman and CEO, Citigroup, 153 East 53rd Street, New York, New York 10043.

5) invest in rainforest communities.

RAN's Protect-an-Acre Program was created to protect the world's rainforests and to support the rights of rainforest communities. The Protect-an-Acre Program is an alternative to "buy-an-acre" programs, which tend to ignore the fact that there are often people who depend on the forest and have lived in the forest sustainably for centuries. Protect-an-Acre provides funding to help forest peoples gain legal recognition of their territories, develop locally-based alternative economic initiatives, and resist destructive practices such as logging and fossil fuel development. For information about how you can support the Protect-an-Acre program, visit the Protect-an-Acre section of our website.

6) Support the grassroots.

In 1999, Home Depot, the single largest retailer of lumber in the world, agreed to phase out its sales of old growth wood. This victory was a direct result of the hard work of grassroots activists, who staged more than six hundred demonstrations at Home Depot stores across the U. S. and Canada. You can play a critical role in future victories by joining or starting a Grassroots Action Group in your area! Contact RAN's Grassroots Coordinator at 415-398-4404 or organize@ran.org for help in finding a local group or advice on starting your own group. Equally important, help protect the forests in your region by getting involved with a local forest preservation group.

7) support Rainforest Action Network.

Rainforest Action Network is an effective, hard-hitting organization. In 1985, RAN launched a nationwide boycott of Burger King, which was importing cheap beef from tropical rainforest countries. Two years later, Burger King canceled thirty-five million dollars worth of beef contracts and agreed to stop importing beef from the rainforest. RAN then led a global consumer boycott against Mitsubishi, which resulted in Mitsubishi Motor Sales America and Mitsubishi Electric America committing to unprecedented environmental reviews of their business activities. Most recently, as a result of a two year campaign led by RAN, the nation's top home improvement etailers and largest home builders agreed to phase out the sale and use of wood from the Earth's endangered forests. None of these victories would have been possible without the support of our members. To join RAN, please call us at (415) 398-4404 or join online!

why forest are important

The world's forests have many values. They are home to more than half of all species living on land. Forests also help to slow global warming. Trees help by taking carbon dioxide from the air and storing it as carbon in their wood. They reduce the greenhouse effect. Even after the trees are cut down and used as lumber, the wood continues to store carbon and keep it out of the atmosphere.

Forests help regulate local and regional rainfall. Additionally, forests provide crucial sources of food, medicine, clean drinking water, and immense recreational, aesthetic, and spiritual benefits for millions of people.

Forests are sources of wood products. In many parts of the world, forests are being rapidly cleared for agriculture or pasture, destructively logged and mined, and degraded by human-set fires. The burning of trees releases the stored carbon back into the atmosphere. Together, these activities contribute about 25 percent of annual human-caused emissions of carbon dioxide - the principal greenhouse gas - and drive the decline and extinction of forest species.