Assignment 1
How would you describe your environment?
I grew up in an environment miles away from the city. I had always described it as a
place where the land meets the sea. It is also from the land and the sea where people
make a living. Unlike the city, my hometown is way more silent, still, conservative,
and discreet than that of the city. My environment could honestly not offer those
that the city could offer but there’s more to life here that could not be found
there. The life here is simple, less pollution, and most people don’t care about sort of
extras. My environment only guarantees a life that makes salty water sweet.
If I had not pursued my dream course in college, BS in Civil Engineering, I surely
wouldn’t force myself to adjust in a different kind of environment that I am not used
to. I know someday, my current environment would allow itself to grow and develop
to stand the benefits of globalization, but I’d surely love my environment to remain
as untouched as it could be.
What are the functions of the Environment in relation to Man?
The relationship of man to the environment is like the relationship of a child to his
mother. Even before the child is born, the link between them is already there. A child
is dependent on his mother so as the man depends on its environment. The mother
provides a living for the child. She gives him food, clothes, and shelter; like how the
man gets food, water, habitat, and everything that the environment could offer.
But as the child grows, it learns how to provide for himself and little by little
becoming less dependent on the mother. This is also what happened to the man who
was influenced by science and technology who therefore broke its dependence to
environment and somehow established that environment is inferior to man. In short, a
changing relationship starts to take place.
On a positive note, the child then started to wander the world and go to places he’d
want to go to, and try things he wasn’t able to do. Like how the man with the help
of discoveries aided by science and the technologies, man was able to make another
step forward to convenience. But, as the child wanders, he then forgets that it is the
mother whom he has debt and honor to give to for providing all the resources and
comfort he needs at the very first place. While man has been riding with the advances
of science and technology, the environment is being touched and worst — harmed.
Relate “The tragedy of commons” to a local environmental issue. Be specific about
what you mean in terms of the “commons”, for this particular example. Explain how
these “commons” are being damaged for current and future generations.
Pio Duran, a small town or municipality in the province of Albay, Bicol Region
Philippines is well- known for its rich marine resources. Fishing is the primary livelihood
of the Pioduranons ― people in Pio Duran.
The “commons” include the fish and other marine resources. As my retention is
concerned, way back, everybody can fish in the designated places for fishing. The amount
of fish being caught by every small fisherman was enough to make a living― for food
and source of income. Until a certain fishing company, people call “pangulong” came to
existence. Then it eventually overfished. It has grabbed a huge swath of the local
commons known as the sea and its resources; and the fishing grounds of small fisherman
have been severely limited. Enough became less and less until they could barely fish
because of that. Then, their livelihood which was for everyone in the first place was
somehow slowly being taken away from them. It is then the small fishermen who suffer
for now.
Overfishing is only beneficial to the party who gains more from the commons. Who
knows until when this abundance in commons will last? It might only last for next 10
years, 5 years, nobody knows. Unless, this stops; the irrationality coming from selfish
minds must stop now that the damage increases as time goes. Proper actions must be
done now while it’s not too late. So that the future generation could benefit from
these commons, too.
What are the roles of a Civil Engineer in Environmental engineering?
The moment I understood the concept of what a dream is, I knew I wanted to be
someone who builds whatever that can be imagined. There I was told, what I wanted
to become is a civil engineer. Civil engineers are those who create, build, and make
things work. Then, there I have decided to really take this path because that is what
I want. Then, as I walk on this path, my initial thought was that I can only be a civil
engineer if I know how to solve math problems, if I know all the fundamentals and
principles about every structure. But then, now that I’ve encounter a small bump in
this road to the dream, I told myself anyone could really be an engineer. Everyone
could study everything in this field, but not everyone would become a good civil
engineer.
In relation to environmental engineering, a civil engineer’s role is to create, improve,
and PROTECT the environment we live in and provides us a living — food, shelter,
water, rivers and lakes, mountains, the birds, everything. Civil engineers should take
into its first consideration the welfare of human welfare and environment. Civil
engineers’ roles are way deeper than what they really impose.
This is the dream.
