Last February, I attended an environmental forum organized by the Catholic Church in the Philippines.  There were very prominent environmentalist who spoke during the two-day event.  One of them was Atty. Tony Oposa, who is one of members of the Environmental Ombudsman under the Office of the Ombudsman.  He is a very well-known environmental activist in the country.

One thing I remember is when he asked the audience if we could describe what we understand when we hear the word environment. He said environment is about the LAND, the AIR and the WATER, the first letters of which spell L-A-W.  Since then, it is like a clue for me that environmental protection reminds us to focus on the L-A-W or on the land, air and water.  It also reminds me that we have so many environmental laws in the Philippines, but our problem is enforcement of those laws.

Anyway, what I really want to share with you now is the book of Atty. Oposa.  I was lucky to have bought his book entitled SHOOTING STARS AND DANCING FISH.  In this book, Atty. Oposa tells stories, which is something that he is really good at.  He tells his stories for a purpose and that is to show us the way to a brighter, cleaner future.

All throughout his book, Atty. Oposa speaks to us about our role as caretakers and guardians of life. This is not just for humans but for all the natural resources around us, which are the very resources that keep us humans alive.  He reminds us that we humans have caused a lot of damage to the environment and we do not have much time.  He encourages us to walk with him and tell our stories just as we do now through Tunza Eco Generation. Thank you, Atty. Oposa for sharing your continuing story.  We will add our stories to yours.