NATION BUILDING AND CLIMATE DAMAGE
BANTAY GOBYERNO SERIES 061
By Ike Señeres 03/24/2011
NATION BUILDING AND CLIMATE DAMAGE
In a recent television interview with former Senator Sonny Alvarez who is now the Chairman of the Philippine Climate Change Commission, I ended with the comment that all our efforts for nation building will go to waste if what we build will just be destroyed by the damage brought about by climate change.
Dr. John Topping Jr., the founder of the Climate Change Institute in Washington, DC was also my guest in the same show, and he told me the story about how mangrove trees were able to reduce the damage of a tsunami that ravaged the coast of Ceylon.
From my interview with Chairman Alvarez and Dr. Topping, I was able to draw the conclusion that even if climate change is a macroeconomic issue, it has a direct impact on so many other microeconomic issues that affect the daily lives of people everywhere. Much more than that, climate change is literally a threat to their lives.
In that same interview, I pointed out to both of them that the importance given by the general public to the threat of climate change is directly influenced by their awareness of the gravity of the problem. Alvarez was quick to add that earthquakes and tsunamis are just potential threats, whereas climate change is already a real and an existing problem that is already happening.
Taking a cue from the good Chairman, we could actually conclude that technically, climate change is no longer a threat, because it is already a reality with a verfiable scientific certainty. Hearing this, I am reminded of another technicality that mathematically speaking, a problem does not exist if it could not be solved. Fortunately or unfortunately depends on how you look at it, we still have a problem with climate change, because it could still be solved.
Strictly speaking however, the problem of climate change could no longer be solved and all we could do is to adapt to it. That is what is meant by climate change adaptation . In other words, all we could do is to live with it, in such a way that we could minimize the damage that it could bring to us. On the upside, we still have the oppurtunties to prevent the problem from worsening, from the already bad state that it is in now. That is what carbon reduction is all about. All of these are tied in to the issue of money, in particular to the concept of carbon credits.
Whether we like it or not, the problem of climate change will always be tied in not only to the issue of money, but also to the issues of livelihood, health and public safety. A good example of this is the issue of emmissions from the diesel engines of jeepneys. The emmisions directly threaten public safety, but aside from that, it also threatens the health of the jeepney drivers. If we ban the jeepneys, it will affect their livelihood, and it will also paralyze our transportation system.
Dr. Toppings told me that an Australian company will soon introduce a device that will cut down the emmissions of jeepneys. What is remarkable about this initiative however is not the technology used, but the financing scheme that was developed in order to start and sustain it. In effect, the devices will be on lease to the drivers for one peso a year, but the proponents will make money from the carbon credits, supposedly sharing some of the incomes with the drivers in the long run.
Foreign technologies may be good, but there are local technologies too that could be just as good, perhaps even better. AreoNox is one good example. It is a device that not only brings down fuel costs it also lowers emmissions. Developed by local inventor Erano Evangelista, it has recently won a Presidential Award for science innovation. Pertua is another good example it is a fuel additive that also lowers fuel costs and emissions, developed by local inventor John Simon.
Disaster risk reduction is the logical adjunct of climate change adaptation. As we adapt to climate change, we could also reduce the disaster risks that are climate related. Seemingly looking like a chicken and egg situation, we could also adapt to climate change by taking care of our environment, through environmental restoration, protection and preservation. If we do all these, we will also reduce the disaster risks that are environment related.
Moving on in the chain of inter-relationships, we could also ensure our water supply and our food security if we restore, protect and preserve our environment. In this connection, I commend the initiative of former Congressman Allen Quimpo to create the Aklan Rivers Development Council (ARDC). Because of ARDC, all the 17 towns of Aklan are now united in cleaning their rivers, and tapping these for economic purposes. On the invitation of Congressman Quimpo, I am now organizing a team of scientists that will assist ARDC in the river cleanup, and in developing hydro energy, irrigation, municipal waterworks and inland fisheries.
Tune in to KA IKING LIVE! 6 to 7pm Thursdays in Global News Network (GNN), Channel 8 in Destiny Cable. Email iseneres@yahoo.com or text to +639997333011. Visit www.senseneres.blogspot.com. Join Coffee Clutch Fridays
By Ike Señeres 03/24/2011
NATION BUILDING AND CLIMATE DAMAGE
In a recent television interview with former Senator Sonny Alvarez who is now the Chairman of the Philippine Climate Change Commission, I ended with the comment that all our efforts for nation building will go to waste if what we build will just be destroyed by the damage brought about by climate change.
Dr. John Topping Jr., the founder of the Climate Change Institute in Washington, DC was also my guest in the same show, and he told me the story about how mangrove trees were able to reduce the damage of a tsunami that ravaged the coast of Ceylon.
From my interview with Chairman Alvarez and Dr. Topping, I was able to draw the conclusion that even if climate change is a macroeconomic issue, it has a direct impact on so many other microeconomic issues that affect the daily lives of people everywhere. Much more than that, climate change is literally a threat to their lives.
In that same interview, I pointed out to both of them that the importance given by the general public to the threat of climate change is directly influenced by their awareness of the gravity of the problem. Alvarez was quick to add that earthquakes and tsunamis are just potential threats, whereas climate change is already a real and an existing problem that is already happening.
Taking a cue from the good Chairman, we could actually conclude that technically, climate change is no longer a threat, because it is already a reality with a verfiable scientific certainty. Hearing this, I am reminded of another technicality that mathematically speaking, a problem does not exist if it could not be solved. Fortunately or unfortunately depends on how you look at it, we still have a problem with climate change, because it could still be solved.
Strictly speaking however, the problem of climate change could no longer be solved and all we could do is to adapt to it. That is what is meant by climate change adaptation . In other words, all we could do is to live with it, in such a way that we could minimize the damage that it could bring to us. On the upside, we still have the oppurtunties to prevent the problem from worsening, from the already bad state that it is in now. That is what carbon reduction is all about. All of these are tied in to the issue of money, in particular to the concept of carbon credits.
Whether we like it or not, the problem of climate change will always be tied in not only to the issue of money, but also to the issues of livelihood, health and public safety. A good example of this is the issue of emmissions from the diesel engines of jeepneys. The emmisions directly threaten public safety, but aside from that, it also threatens the health of the jeepney drivers. If we ban the jeepneys, it will affect their livelihood, and it will also paralyze our transportation system.
Dr. Toppings told me that an Australian company will soon introduce a device that will cut down the emmissions of jeepneys. What is remarkable about this initiative however is not the technology used, but the financing scheme that was developed in order to start and sustain it. In effect, the devices will be on lease to the drivers for one peso a year, but the proponents will make money from the carbon credits, supposedly sharing some of the incomes with the drivers in the long run.
Foreign technologies may be good, but there are local technologies too that could be just as good, perhaps even better. AreoNox is one good example. It is a device that not only brings down fuel costs it also lowers emmissions. Developed by local inventor Erano Evangelista, it has recently won a Presidential Award for science innovation. Pertua is another good example it is a fuel additive that also lowers fuel costs and emissions, developed by local inventor John Simon.
Disaster risk reduction is the logical adjunct of climate change adaptation. As we adapt to climate change, we could also reduce the disaster risks that are climate related. Seemingly looking like a chicken and egg situation, we could also adapt to climate change by taking care of our environment, through environmental restoration, protection and preservation. If we do all these, we will also reduce the disaster risks that are environment related.
Moving on in the chain of inter-relationships, we could also ensure our water supply and our food security if we restore, protect and preserve our environment. In this connection, I commend the initiative of former Congressman Allen Quimpo to create the Aklan Rivers Development Council (ARDC). Because of ARDC, all the 17 towns of Aklan are now united in cleaning their rivers, and tapping these for economic purposes. On the invitation of Congressman Quimpo, I am now organizing a team of scientists that will assist ARDC in the river cleanup, and in developing hydro energy, irrigation, municipal waterworks and inland fisheries.
Tune in to KA IKING LIVE! 6 to 7pm Thursdays in Global News Network (GNN), Channel 8 in Destiny Cable. Email iseneres@yahoo.com or text to +639997333011. Visit www.senseneres.blogspot.com. Join Coffee Clutch Fridays
posted by Ike Señeres at 7:32 AM
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