“Init kaayo,” my nephew said recently.
At that time, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the heat index in various parts of the country “may hit 40°C and above.”
“At midday, expect highest air temperatures at 34-35°C in several areas,” the country’s weather bureau said. “But the heat index – or the heat felt by our bodies – may possibly exceed 40°C.”
That’s too hot to handle, indeed!
As warm-blooded beings, we maintain our body temperature with a narrow range (within one or two degrees of 37°C) despite large fluctuations in external temperatures.
“This internal temperature range must be maintained for the body to function normally,” pointed The Merck Manual of Medical Information. “Body temperature that gets too high or too low can result in serious injury to organs or death.”
Heat sickness, health experts tell us, is a fast-acting, dangerous killer. Examples include heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heatstroke.
Heat cramps are associated with a lack of fluids, high temperatures and a lack of physical conditions. They can be treated with water, cool air, and rest.
Heat exhaustion, on the other hand, is a serious illness and should be carefully monitored. Cool, shady environments, liquids, cool rags placed on various areas of the body, and replenishment of electrolytes are used to treat this condition.
Heatstroke is the most severe form of heat-induced illness. In fact, it is a medical emergency. The person must be brought to the hospital at once.
“Heatstroke can kill or cause damage to the brain and other internal organs,” says the website, webmd.org. “Although heatstroke mainly affects people over age 50, it also takes a toll on healthy, young athletes.”
Indeed, heat has a profound impact on our health. The Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO) said that extreme heat is responsible for hundreds or thousands of deaths around the world every year.
“It is also associated with an increased risk of conditions including heart disease, diabetes and obesity. Heat also exacerbates mental health conditions, hampers cognitive functioning and makes a person more aggressive,” Forbes observed.
One sustainable and less expensive way of beating extreme heat is trees. A study published in the Lancet medical journal said that planting more trees in the cities could cut the number of people dying from high temperatures in summer.
We can add the dry spell and long drought which the forthcoming El Niño brings.
“The cooling effect of trees comes largely from shading and transpiration, which is when water within the tree is released as water vapor through their leaves,” explains New Scientist. “This process takes heat energy from the surrounding environment for evaporation, lowering the surrounding temperature.”
Transpiration, my high school science teacher told us, is “loss of water through small tiny pores of leaves called stomata. When this water comes on the surface of the leaf, the water evaporates thereby causing a cooling effect.”
This is the reason why we feel comfortable when we stand under a tree.
“Trees and other plants help cool the environment, making vegetation a simple and effective way to reduce urban heat islands,” the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said.
Studies have shown that areas shaded by trees may be 11-25°C cooler than the peak temperature of unshaded areas. Evapotranspiration, alone or in combination with shading, can help reduce peak summer temperature by 1-5°C.
But where have all our trees gone?
A few years back, I accompanied an American friend who visited a Bible school somewhere in the outskirts of Davao City. It was too late when we arrived at the place. Since there was no more electricity by 9 pm, I decided to sleep immediately.
When I woke up the following day, I didn’t see my companion in his bed. I was wondering where he went. But since it was too early to wake up, I decided to go back to sleep. It was around 6 in the morning when I heard my friend calling my name.
“What’s up?” I inquired. “I just came from that mountain up there. I went jogging. I saw this sign (showing something written on his palm). Can you read what this means?” he begged. Well, it was written in our vernacular so he didn’t understand what it meant. It said: “Guinadili ang pagpamutol sa mga kahoy!”
When I told him what those words were, he smirked. “Are you kidding me,” he said. “There are no more trees out there!”
Some records showed that 54 years after Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan “rediscovered” the Philippines, ninety-two percent (27.5 million hectares) of the country’s total land area of 30 million hectares was covered with forests. This went down to 70 percent (20.9 million hectares) in 1863, then to 64 percent (18.9 million hectares) in 1920, and 36.3 percent (10.9 million hectares) in 1970.
Despite laws banning cutting of trees, deforestation still continues. So, don’t wonder why it is very hot these days.
