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Pitch

Informing the marginalized why they should act about their environment, what to do, how to do it, and actually do it in a session.


Description

Summary

Overview:

Climate change, although heavily-felt by all, is hardly a concern for majority of the marginalized in the Philippines. Many of them are busy finding ways to avoid being late for work, if they have a regular employment, or eke out a living, with food as a major concern.

Health and safety are two of the major impacts of climate change in the country that are often overlooked.


What actions do you propose?

A free seminar on climate change and sustainability, forum on the issues that participants are encountering about their environment, and participatory workshop on waste gardening where all participants plant using  waste materials can be done in a day like Saturday or Sunday when workers have their day-off.

 

The seminar provides a slideshow and discussion about sustainability, the environment, and climate change. It will explain to participants what is going on in their environment, how their health and safety are affected, and why they need to act.

 

The forum will reveal the understanding of participants about their environment, environment problems, and what they can actually do about these problems.

 

The workshop will show and encourage participants to plant, specifically vegetables and fruit trees, using readily available materials: wastes. Seedlings, soil, and seeds will be provided to all, while they bring their own containers such as used plastic or cans, biodegradable wastes such as kitchen refuse and papers or boards.  They will be taught how to start container gardening assuming that many marginalized do not have open grounds to use as garden, how to propagate seeds from wastes, how to compost-garden their bio-wastes, among other things that they need to know to sustain their garden. Plants in container soon grow down their roots that will absorb rainwater or even flashflood water as the leaves absorb carbon and other pollutants.

The workshop lessens wastes and pollutants within the community, will encourage waste management as well as greening within the community.


Who will take these actions?

We will provide for research, coordination, communication and other resource materials.

Urban poor community leaders from urban Metro Manila barangays are the target participants of this seminar/forum/workshop. Barangay leaders can teach back their community members what they will learn in the event, and we can assist them also not only in the presentation and discussion but also in as seedlings, seeds, and soil dispersal.


Where will these actions be taken?

Philippine's Metro Manila

Urban barangay or community leaders are the target participants of this project. They in turn will echo what they learn and what are taught to them in the process. Many urban poor, although they may want to have healthier and safer environment, find it a “luxury” to have a garden. But in the event where they learn that they need a garden for their own health and safety, and that they can have a garden using wastes, they would be delighted to learn and do it. Metro Manila urban poor areas is the target venue of this activity.


What are other key benefits?

1. Changing attitudes of participants by motivating them to have luxurious, healthy gardens within their homes and communities.

2. Encouraging them to actually use their wastes, manage wastes, and probably, earn a living from wastes.

3. If able to cultivate their gardens, crops may be harvested, like fruits or vegetables.

4. Greening urban decay (urban poor areas) help not only in revitalizing the environment though less pollution, cooler fresher air, and healthier people, but also paving way for possible livelihood.


What are the proposal’s costs?

Costs:

1. Research 1,000 euros

2. Event Venue, Transport, Food, Facilities 2,000 euros

3. Workshop materials (plants, soils) 500 euros

4. Accommodation & other expenses 500 euros


Time line

1-2 years - seminars/forums/workshops

2-5 years - monitoring and evaluation of communities


Related proposals


References

E.G. McPherson, D. Nowak, G. Heisler, S. Grimmond, C. Souch, R. Grant, R. Rowntree Quantifying urban forest structure, function, and value: the Chicago Urban Forest Climate Project, Urban Ecosyst., 1 (1) (1997), pp. 49-61.

 

Na, Hang Ryeol; Heisler, Gordon M.; Nowak, David J.; Grant, Richard H. 2014. Modeling of urban trees' effects on reducing human exposure to UV radiation in Seoul, Korea. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening. 13#4#: 785-792.

 

Omid Kardan, Peter Gozdyra, Bratislav Misic, Faisal Moola, Lyle J. Palmer, Tomáš Paus & Marc G. Berman (2015) Neighborhood greenspace and health in a large urban center.  Scientific Reports 5, Article number: 11610 (2015)