The movie Contagion is still very fresh in my memory and to be honest, it’s one of the few non-horror films that continue to haunt me. Not only because the story is simple and it was effectively told by the film, but the story is so close to reality it was like watching a documentary about how the A(H1N1) virus spread worldwide back in 2009.

We know what raw sewage is and naturally we know it to be a source of diseases and other foul things, literally, but it is only now that scientists have found out that it is rich source of viruses not yet known to man. That adds another another layer of reality to the movie, raw sewage is a gold mine for unknown viruses. Instead of just looking for viruses that jump hosts, from one specie to another, unknown viruses that could cause dreaded, yet unknown diseases are found right underneath our cities and toilets.

The researchers led by Paul Cantalupo of the University of Pittsburgh found out that:

Within the samples, they found 234 known viruses belonging to 26 different viral families. Seventeen of these infected humans, and others are known to target plants, insects, algae and bacteria. They also found evidence of new viruses from 51 different families.

In addition, they had other discoveries:

• Bacteria-attacking viruses dominated the viral population they found in the sewage, outnumbering the known ones by 30 to 1.
• Of the viruses that attack more complex organisms, plant viruses dominated.
• A large number of insect viruses, including those that infect cockroaches, flies and mosquitoes, were present in all samples.
• They also identified several rodent viruses, including strains closely related to a newly identified rat hepatitis E virus.
• They detected 17 viruses known to infect humans in the three samples. These viruses included a number that can cause diarrhea or gastrointestinal illness, including adenovirus, astroviruses and Norwalk virus, bocavirus, picobirnaviruses and klassevirus.

With this new goldmine for viruses, scientists have an added resource to further develop our knowledge of viruses, which in turn will further develop our medical technology, more importantly to help combat diseases.

It also reinforces the fact that raw sewage should be treated before it is released into the environment. Thinking of the recent flooding we had because of the previous typhoons, it is very important that our sanitary systems, what ever form we have, is up to the task of holding against typhoons or massive rain so that raw sewage would not mix with flood waters.

Then again, knowing that sad state of our urban planning and sanitation system, we have another good reason to avoid plunging in flood waters, especially in the city.

Image by Kat Masback

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*Here is the statement of the people of Ternate, Cavite expressing their disapproval of the planned sanitary landfill to be established in Brgy. Sapang. The fight to protect the integrity, welfare and preservation of the environment and of the people of Ternate and Cavite in the whole continues to this day.

Layon ng mga Caviteño ang proteksyon ng kapaligiran para sa pagpapatuloy ng sangkatauhan.

Kami, ang mga mamamayan ng Ternate, kaisa ang mga nagmamalasakit na institusyon, ahensya at organisasayon mula sa iba’t-ibang sektor ng lipunan sa Cavite, ay labis na tumututol sa iminimungkahing Sanitary Landfill sa Brgy. Sapang, Ternate, propwnent nita na ENVIRONSAVE, Inc.

Ang panawagang ito ay aming isinasagawa dahilan sa mga sumusunod:

1. ISYUNG PAGKAPALIGIRAN. Ang panukalang lugar para sa naturang imbakan ng basura ay kabahagi ng tinatawag na kawa o lunas ng tubig o Ground Water Basin Area, ayon sa pag-aaral ng Japanese International Cooperating Agency (JICA) at Local Water Utilities Authority (LWUA). Bilang isang imbakan ng tubig, makakapinsala ang posbileng pagtagas ng dumi na magmumula sa katas ng mga basurang itatambak sa naturang lugar.

Ang naturang lugar ay idineklara din bilang bahagi ng bufferzone ng Mt. Palay palay – Mataas na Gulod Forest Reservation/National Park, (Proclamation No. 1594). Bilang isang deklaradong lugar para sa konserbasyon ng likas na yaman at turismo, ang Ternate ay hindi dapat pahintulutang malapastangan, bagkus ito ay patuloy na dapat maproteksyunan. Kasabay nito, ang Ternate ay naitalaga bilang Environmentally Constrained Area, ayon din sa Provincial Developmental Plan ng Cavite. Ito ay nangangahulugan na hindi maaaring gumawa ng anumang aktibidades o proyekto na maaaring makaapekto o makapagpabago sa natural na estado ng naturang lugar.

Idagdag pa dito ang katutuhanang ang lupa sa naturang lugar ay volcanic, na ang uring ito ay makakapagpalala lamang ng pagsira ng lining ng isang landfill, dahilan ng pagtagas ng mga nakalalasong katas ng basura. Kung sa gayon, ang Ternate ay hindi tugmang lugar para sa isang tambakan ng basura. At ayon din sa mga pag-aaral, tulad ng ginawa ng United States – Environmental Protection Agency (US-EPA), kahit pa sa isang normal na uri ng lupa at mataas na kalidad ng liner, ang kahit anumang landfill ay magkakaroon ng pagtagas ng mga nakalalasong katas, dahil na din sa mga kemikal na dulot ng mga itinambak na basura.

2. ISYUNG PAGKALUSUGAN. Base sa karanasan mula sa Carmona, ang operasyon ng isang imabakan ng basura ay nagdudulot ng polusyon na nakakapinsala sa kalusugan ng mga taong direktang nakapaligid dito, gayundin ang karatig bayan. Ayon pa din sa pag-aaral na isinagawa ng mga eksperto, tulad ng US-EPA, ang mga nakakalasaong hangin o likido na nagmumula sa landfill ay maaaring magdulot ng kanser sa gall bladder, baga at tiyan, leukemia, at iba pang abnormalidad sa kalusugan ng tao.

3. ISYUNG PANLIPUNAN. Labis ang pagtutol ng mga Ternateños ukol sa proyekto. Ito ay ayon na din sa naging resulta ng inisyal na pakikipagdayalogo na isinagawa ng taga-pagsimula ng proyekto. Ang naturang pagtutol ay isang senyales ng labis na pagmamalasakit ng mga mamamayan ukol sa pangangalaga sa kapaligiran.

At dahil sa mga naturang kadahilanan, kami ay labis na tumututol sa pagbubukas ng isang sanitary landfill sa Brgy. Sapang, Ternate, at hinihiling sa Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) na huwag magbigay ng isang Environment Compliance Certificate (ECC) sa nagpapanukala ng naturang proyekto. Kasabay nito, aming iminumungkahi ang mga sumusunod:

1. Pagpapatupad ng mga probisyon sa Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2001. Ayon sa naturang batas, ang pangunahing pangangasiwa ng basura ay kinapapalooban ng apat na R: reduce (pagbabawas), re-use (muling paggamit), recycle (pagpapanibagong gamit) at respond (pagtugon). Ito ay isinasagawa sa pamamamagitan ng konsultatibong paraan, pagbubuo ng Solid Waste Management Board, pagtatag ng materials recovery faciltiy sa bawat pamayanan, at pagpasa ng mga kinakailangang ordinansa ukol sa pagpapatupad ng wastong pangangasiwa ng basura.

2. Patuloy na pagpapatatag at pagtataguyod ng lahat ng pagsisikap para malutas ang problema sa basura. Kabahagi nito ay ang isang mas malalim at mas seryosong pagbubuo at pagsasagawa ng mga programa o proyekto na lubusang magbibigay ng solusyon sa problema ng basura, na kung saan ay lalong magpapatibay sa mga gawaing may kinalaman sa pangangalaga ng kapaligiran.

Bilang mga malaya at makakalikasang Caviteño ay buong tapat na itinatalaga ang aming mga sarili para sa pangangalaga at pagpapanibagong buhay sa kalikasan bilang isang daan upang makamtan ang katarungan at kagalingang panlahat. Tinatawagan namin ang pamahalaan na kumilos ng walang kinikilingan kaugnay sa nasabing usapin. Tinatawagan naming lahat ng mga Caviteño at buong sambayanang Pilipino na maging mapagbantay at mapagpasya upang maipagpatuloy ang pangangalaga ng kapaligiran at maipagtanggol ang preserbasyon ng sangkatauhan!!

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It’s called Wizmark. An interactive advertising device that goes with men to the restroom whenever mother nature calls on you…literally. It’s patented design allows it to sit right inside the average-sized urinal and despite being pissed on, it will still do its job and deliver ads both commercial and public service ads to you as you do you business inside the ‘john’.

It’s makers’ website squarely describes it as follows;

Designed to capitalize on the “Captive Audience” found in a mens restroom this unique and novel patented promotional and marketing design promises to create, for the advertising industry, an entirely new worldwide genre for print media. Available with a wide variety of attention grabbing annunciators it will assuredly get noticed. A combination, utilizing a simple & inexpensive utilitarian design and a previously neglected and underutilized public space that is plainly in view of a large part of the male population{the urinal}, unquestionably, promises to become an original killer application for many product promotions.

Now that is innovation at its best. I just hope that no one suffers from a heart attack in case they get surprised, shocked or even scared by the Wizmark upon first encounter. Well I hope not.

If this device was meant as a advertising tool, I wonder if future models would become more high-tech and include a wireless internet connection allowing men to check their mail, read their RSS feeds and even blog while taking a piss. I also wonder that aside from public service ads or announcements, will targeted ads will be shown relevant to biochemical properties of the current ‘user’ so as to display ads about urinary, cardio-vascular and even reproductive health.

I’m also beginning to wonder whether MMDA Chair Bayani Fernando has heard about this device or not, and what would he think of it? Will he put it inside the next generation of the MMDA Pink Urinals? Will there ever be an improved next generation of those Pink Urinals?

Until then, remember to keep your aims true, your hands clean and the toilets or urinals flushed.

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