BACOLOD City – Four Roman Catholic bishops in Negros cited the appeal of Pope Francis to “every person living on this planet” to protect the environment as they opposed coal-fired power plants in the island.
They called on Negrenses to stand firm – with each other and civic leaders – in opposing any coal-fired power plant project and pushing for the phase-out those already in operation.
“Our desire to ensure energy for all must not lead to the undesired effect of a spiral of extreme climate changes due to a catastrophic rise in global temperatures, harsher environments and increased levels of poverty,” the bishops said.
Gerardo Alminaza of the Diocese of San Carlos, Patricio Buzon of the Diocese of Bacolod, Louie Galbines of the Diocese of Kabankalan, and Julito Cortes of the Diocese of Dumaguete issued the collegial pastoral statement – based on Pope Francis’ Encyclical Letter “Laudato Si: On Care for Our Common Home,” published June 18, 2015 – on Thursday.
According to the bishops, the Pope called for ecological conversion – for humanity to reduce consumption of coal and other fossil fuels, which are major contributors to climate change, and to embrace an energy future that is clean, renewable and equitable for the health and well-being of the planet and for future generations.
They appealed to Negrenses to heed the call for ecological conversion and transformative renewable power shared by all.
RENEWABLES
“Coal-driven power will never truly be cheap, especially when we factor in the numerous environmental, social and health costs associated with its usage,” the bishops pointed out.
In fact, solar power was increasingly becoming the lowest-cost energy option, they said.
There were already nine solar power plants, eight biomass plants, and 10 hydro power plants all over Negros, resulting in combined capacity of 579.43 megawatts, the bishops noted.
With the continuing emergence of storage solutions, renewables will provide greater resiliency and energy independence, immune from the unpredictability of global commodity prices, they said.
Moreover the four dioceses have been increasingly demonstrating that sustainable energy practices work for them and their respective communities, said the bishops.
Decentralized rooftop solar energy systems in the dioceses of Bacolod and San Carlos, for instance, showed how small-scale distributed renewable energy generation is climate-friendly, sustainable and affordable.
The local churches of Dumaguete and Kabankalan are equally committed to seriously implement the Laudato Sí Challenge of the Holy Father and are finding concrete ways to safeguard the environment, they said.
“And yet, the dark specter of fossil fuels remains with a proposed coal-fired plant in San Carlos City, hanging over our future, exacerbating climate change, threatening our resources, our environment, our health, and our sustainable development,” they further said.
Last month Alminaza already expressed opposition to the proposed 300-megawatt coal-fired plant by the SMC Global Power Holdings Corp. in San Carlos City in a position letter issued by his diocese. (PNA)
