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[av_heading heading=’No solution in site to climate problem’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY HERBERT VEGO
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IN HER speech “Conserving Biodiversity Amidst Climate Change,” Sen. Loren Legarda reminded her audience of environmentalists at the Philippine International Convention Center:
“A few decades back, man and nature used to be the best of friends. We used to savor the goodness that nature brings — the right warmth of sunshine that energizes our mornings, the occasional rain showers that bring excitement during summer days, the fresh air and clean water that invigorate our bodies, the green fields that allow us to de-stress and daydream, the fireflies that light the rich meadows during the night, the butterflies that fly from flower to flower to sip its rich nectar. These are just a few of nature’s wonders. Mother Nature took care of us because we also took care of her.”
Like the lady senator, you and I know how times have changed. Our environment has turned into a foe that punishes us with floods, typhoons, earthquakes and pollution, all of which connive to maim and kill us helpless victims.
So she begged for collective efforts aimed at minimizing the hazards of extreme weather changes.
She warned, “Climate change is a cross-cutting concern that touches upon our basic human rights – the right to food, right to potable water, right to decent shelter and right to life itself. Floods, droughts and super typhoons regularly strike us with their attendant savagery. All of these kill people, destroy property, upset our production and planting schedules and undo our development gains. Climate change adaptation deserves priority attention from the government.”
The so-called “acts of God” are actually acts of men who cut forest trees, clog the waterways and pollute air and water.
Take the case of shoreline squatters who raise hogs, goats or chickens. Even if they know that they contribute to pollution that renders the sea unfit for swimming, they don’t care.
Aside from Legarda’s “Climate Change Act,” we have two other environmental laws, namely the “Clean Air Act” and “Renewable Energy Act.”
The “Clean Air Act,” alas, has only succeeded in outlawing the use of incinerators in burning garbage. It does not solve the problem of garbage disposal, hence a step in the wrong direction. In Japan today, the government allows high-tech incinerators because they efficiently turn garbage into dust without belching poisonous gasses.
The “Renewable Energy Act” remains to be felt because there is not enough all-season source of renewable energy in the Philippines. And while solar energy is available, the technology does not yet allow cheaper widespread utilization.
On the other hand, a school of thought disputes global warming as a phenomenon of modern times. Solar energy has been very erratic. For when the sun radiates beyond-usual amount of cosmic rays, according to this theory, it clears away clouds, resulting in hotter heat waves.
If so, let that be a reason to explore more ways and means of rising above unfriendly climatic changes.
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WORKAHOLICS. They are the three persons seen in our radar. First is the regional director of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Wenceslao Leaño. When not busy in his office, he goes to the project cites to rub elbows with engineers and construction workers. We would not be surprised if this gentleman from Davao City moves up to a higher territory in Metro Manila.
Second, there’s Jose Naig, district collector of the Bureau of Customs in Iloilo City. He is expected to stay put and surpass his performance in the previous year 2015 – P2,088,600,000. It was much higher than his annual goal of P1.7 billion.
Kudos to our good friend Ronnie Primaylon, who is one of the most in-demand contractors at the DPWH. It was Ronnie’s outfit, Roprim Construction, which built Esplanade, now the favorite pasyalan of local and foreign tourists in Iloilo City./PN
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