Boom!-a-rang: What goes around, comes back STRONGER

Here comes the chatter train! Choo, choo! Enough said about the ongoing and heated conflict between the Philippines and China, there’s another shadow amidst the crowd left unnoticed. One so menacingly that many could be affected if it’s not spotted and stopped.

China raised a hand with a boomerang on their hand, throwing it with a harsh blow. The boomerang began rolling its way around 2016 and at first look, it might not seem to do any collateral damage but for a while, effects become visible in the naked eye. 

Its effects started out small. Well, disregarding the political and economic issues surrounding it, environmentally, it is a big deal. With the creation of artificial islands for military bases, under the sea, were unsuspecting coral reefs and marine life. They were shunned and forced out of their homes to create these bases which lead to the destruction of marine peace. And after that, the damages came rolling in like a boomerang. 

Carbon emissions from the large, military ships and construction machines became evident. The ships helped deliver men and materials for these artificial islands and the machines were the one that created those islands. The growing rate of carbon during the construction of these islands did damage in the ozone layer which significantly pushed the effects of global warming. 

With the stated processes, Filipino fishermen were on thin thread since they were not allowed THAT TIME to fish since it was dangerous for them to try and fish. This led to the opening for Chinese fishermen to fish which led to another serious issue. Overfishing. China uses large fishing machines which capture hundreds to thousands of fishes for consumption. 

Soon enough, the boomerang rolled back to China. They believed that everything was going to plan- the plan being taking over the West Philippine Sea- with them disregarding the environmental effects of their action. 

The boomerang consisted of the creation of their military bases, exerting carbon emissions, and overfishing. With it rolling back, not only China experienced its damage but also the citizens of the Philippines. The population of existing coral reefs were becoming smaller and smaller which included the biggest coral reef in the West Philippine Sea, damaged. Overfishing resulted in population decrease for the marine life that was living in the spot. And the carbon emissions added more damage in the ozone layer resulting in increased global warming. 

Was the chatter train fun? It’s not. Is it educational? Definitely. The damages done were irreversible, but it can be stopped. We don’t need to raise an arm to throw a boomerang of destruction but a boomerang of change. What goes around comes back, STRONGER.