Blog Action Day 2009: Begun, Climate Change Has
October 10th, 2009 by cocoyMuch of Luzon island in the Philippines has been underwater the past few days, brought about by Typhoon Parma (Pepeng). The growing consensus is that this is an effect of climate change. Climate Change 2001, has published the scientific basis for climate change. A BBC news article had quoted the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that humans is very likely the cause, projecting an increase of temperature by 1.8 to 4 degrees celsius by the end of the century.
The US Global Change Research Program, the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment concurs with the IPCC. The European Academy of Sciences and Arts, the InterAcademy Council, the International Council of Academics of Engineering and Technological Sciences are some concurring organizations that human activity is likely responsible for climate warming.
A full list via wikipedia is here.
Business have largely gone green. It doesn’t just make good economic sense, but delivering technology for instance that uses less power but does more is great for the consumer. Like Apple reframes the green debate, backs it up with new data or how Apple and other companies quit the US Chamber of Commerce because that august body criticized legislation to reduce US greenhouse gas emissions.
While it is likely that Human activity may have accelerated climate change, a salient fact needs to be remembered is that the Earth is a dynamic system. There have been several, major and minor extinction events through out Earth’s history. Just to name two, one is the Permian-Triassic extinction event. It was called “The Great Dying“. It killed 83% of life on Earth and paved the way for the dinosaurs to rise. Another example is the more famous K-T extinction event that ended the Dinosaurs’ reign on earth and 75% of species on Earth became extinct.
Of course it would be disingenuous to say that “Climate Change” was the root cause of those changes. Confluences of events have contributed to those events and whether it is oceanic overturn, plate tectonics, continental drift, some nearby star, or humans being the cause of extinction, the point is: the Earth is a dynamic and ever changing environment and in Darwinian fashion, we must adapt or die.
On October 8, 2009, Manolo Quezon wrote a most interesting article. He talked about the long view of ignoring plans. he mentioned that city planers for Metro Manila had already noted where potential areas of concern would occur. Likewise, he quoted New Zealand social and environmental historian greg Bankoff who published a map in 2003 about flood prone areas, which was spot on, mlq3 said with what happened with Ondoy.
Those city plans were largely ignored. and Bankoff, hardly in the news then. So Ondoy hit and boom. Manila sunk.
In a related topic, Sparks’ made a post on “The Philippines in the Red“. It is a mapping study by a Canadian Research Center and the Philippines is most vulnerable to climate change.
The cynic in me says, in a few months people will forget Ondoy. The optimist in me believes the tide can change, if we the people want it bad enough.
In The Day After Ondoy, I wrote that the answer for our nation’s capital, Metro Manila is to unify the governments of the various cities under it. Our metropolis needs a coherent, unified plan to prepare for disaster, especially post disaster rescue and relief. We need to focus on adapting to the conditions of our environment as much as unification can help bring about one solution for various infrastructure needs of the city. Of course, it isn’t to say it will sit well with the politicians who will lose their jobs. That’s the thing isn’t it? That’s the bitter pill that needs to be taken.
If there is anyone who is at fault for the tragedy Ondoy visited on Metro Manila it is decades of ignoring the writing on the wall. This is just for flooding. What more Earthquakes?
Up north, our friends and family are tragically subjected to worst situation than what Metro Manila had experience a few weeks ago. Landslides in Baguio, much of our western coastline underwater and millions of pesos worth of crops destroyed. We can not just blame it on lack of preparation or lack of knowledge from the absence of a Doppler system. Though, it would have helped reduce grief if we did have information.
The tragedy of Luzon as Pepeng drowned it with rain is mind boggling. You can go checkout, United States Pacific Command as they provide disaster relief aid (not just to the Philippines, but through out the Pacific) for a sample of the devastation and the effort extended.
Various local governments would need to identify problem areas and adapt too. On the larger scale, the National Government must invest in technologies, and infrastructure to make relief and rescue operations, second nature. We can not stop the storms from coming or hope for their intensity to subside. It is like saying we can stop the sun from shining. There are things we can do.
We need better and more serious Infrastructure.
We need better Disaster Prevention, Relief and Rescue planning and coordination. We need to do better. We need to learn. That means we use every available technology to get things done in a non political way. Sure it’ll take years to build the infrastructure but we got to be savvy. We got to be ready for the next disaster. Not to mention a rethinking of the relationship between Local Government and National Government in delivering key relief and rescue.
We need to better manage our crops so as to reduce damage caused by typhoons.
There is a difference between working hard and working smart. We need the latter for obvious reason that our country isn’t rich.
Let’s not forget we need comprehensive planning for earthquakes, not so much as preventing tragedy (we can enforce tighter building codes) but providing for relief and rescue post earthquake tragedy. Tsunamis and Volcanic eruptions too and we need worst case scenarios and plans adapted to meet those tragedies.
Lastly, it is important to note that being pro environment— building environmentally conscious technologies, especially power efficient ones that emit less greenhouse gas is economically sound. Meaning, it doesn’t matter if Climate Change is caused by humans. It doesn’t matter if you subscribe to the notion that Climate Change is marketing to sell to normal people. It just makes perfect sense to be environmentally friendly. You get more bang for processing muscle per watt is great, in any calculation for example. Being environmentally friendly is also being economically friendly and in my book the latter makes the greater sense to justify the former.
In my humble opinion, the question whether Climate Change is real or not no longer matters. It is like fighting the last war. The debate isn’t whether humans is the root cause of our climate problem. The debate is, how do we adapt? We need to build technologies that let us be more “one” with nature. If that means discovering new process for storing solar energy, based on photosynthesis to power our digital tomorrow that would be great right? if it means building cars like the tesla or aircraft that doesn’t use fossil fuel, it would just be awesome. If it means building cities that are more environmentally attuned then that’s what we need to do.
Begun, Climate Change has. We must adapt or we perish. Choose.
***
*updated to include link to US Pacific Command.
**update-2 Flow had an interview with WWF CEO Jose Maria Tan and posted his take on blog action day.
*This also serves as my post for 15 October 2009, Blog Action Day
October 10, 2009 at 3:59 pm
cocoy,
I fully agree with you we should adapt and make the moves that will protect us from the onslaught of the element.
And calling the bogeyman is one way of making the people move, heheh.
October 10, 2009 at 4:32 pm
For that matter, the real issue that emerged in the wake of these killer floods wasn’t really about climate change. It was more about inadequate drainage, irresponsible land development, and careless disposal of garbage.
Even in the recent landslide in Benguet, the following was reported:
Indeed, climate change is an issue. But even before we get to that (stuff that even rich societies struggle to deal with), there are far more basic things that we are unable to step up to that are taken for granted in more advanced societies. I think we need to start with those first (drainage, intelligent zoning, and garbage disposal). If we are unable to deal even with just those basics, it comes across as a bit presumptuous to think that we can count ourselves among great societies that now look to facing bigger challenges like climate change.
We should learn to crawl out of our playpen first before signing up to run the marathon.
October 10, 2009 at 5:12 pm
Good gracious sanabagan, I am agreeing with benignO, can you believe that?
October 10, 2009 at 8:58 pm
bert, imho, we should always agree when people make sense and disagree when they don’t.
benign0, in this case is correct. Those are the details we do need to look into even as we look at the grander picture. Because let’s face it, our cities aren’t the best built ones.
And one of the reasons why i’ve been pushing for a united metro manila is exactly to get better garbage disposal, a more intelligent zoning and better traffic management. it has to be a cohesive strategy. we can no longer afford a capital city that’s heterogeneous. The other cities like baguio, well they obviously have infrastructure problems too.
October 10, 2009 at 6:43 pm
Really hope garbage disposal is a big factor in these floods. Relatively easy solution if it’s true. but there are reports that indicate that water has taken over a portion of the Luzon landmass.
October 10, 2009 at 9:00 pm
apparently, BrianB, people are to be blamed too. MM’s flood control was reportedly filled with garbage. So, this isn’t just government’s fault. it is the people of metro manila.
October 10, 2009 at 8:46 pm
You make a very good point, benign0. Those are the details that do need to be fixed.
October 11, 2009 at 3:35 am
We need some sort of a marshal plan for the country that should be followed by present and future leaders
October 10, 2009 at 9:14 pm
Thanks Cocoy. That’s not to say we should lose sight of environmental issues. Some of what can be done to contribute to reducing environmental degradation are quite doable. Rom, for example, cited as an irony the dependence on PET bottles for distribution of drinking water as part of the relief effort — the same kinda stuff that contributed to the clogging up of Manila’s waterways.
The Philippines is also tingi capital of Asia — home of the individually wrapped product and shampoos in sachets. Simple things like refusing all these little trinkets that come with McDo Happy Meals and useless cr@p like that can make a difference.
But then for now, those three items – trash, drainage, and stupid land use – are the more direct causes of the disaster.
October 11, 2009 at 6:37 am
Exactly. :D
October 10, 2009 at 10:57 pm
Ohhh, i love you benigs..finally you tickle me again… welcome back.
October 12, 2009 at 11:53 am
Cocoy, Leytenian,
My unsolicited advice to you both is that if you order the Mcdo Happy meal; take the “trinket” but start refusing the wrappers/pings/plastics/etc…
If you don’t want the “trinket”; don’t buy the Happy meal .
But then it is your money.
October 10, 2009 at 11:01 pm
I’m wondering, since Marikina was worked up by Fernando to be a “clean” city, could we say that even if the drains were unclogged by trash, it was still doomed to sink? Yeah, that’s all of BF’s works down the drain – literally. But neither am I saying that we should consider the trash initiative fruitless. In fact, probably more discipline from other areas would have prevented their floodwater from getting into Marikina!
A friend also told me that Metro Manila is a dying city. He’s moved from his previously sunken home in Bagong Silangan to Angeles, Pampanga. And he’s made comparisons; Pampanga is booming while the Metro is dying. So many establishments that once lit the nights of Quezon City and Manila are closed, and so many properties are derelict or foreclosed. Angeles and other towns are increasing in establishments, with a Western Union on every corner. Must be the foreign money pouring in. So he’s planning to stay in Pampanga long-term. To hell with the Metro.
But what worries me is his prediction that what happened with Ondoy is only a prelude to what will happen to all of Metro. That got me thinking… until when will Metro be the capital of the country? Call me pessimistic if you want; it’s not impossible.
October 11, 2009 at 8:33 am
@Chino
Isn’t quarrying a big contributing factor to the destruction of mountains?
You mentioned Pampanga. It has always been an issue among ex governors and incumbent governors.
Going to Baguio, you won’t see water in the rivers, you see rocks. Use the Nueva Viscaya route, You will see the biggest pile of rocks, contractors use for infra projects for nearby areas.
Back to Manila sooner or later the ports would be too expensive to rehabilitate and will be in full capacity.
No consortium has enough capital unless they want the Dubai owner of the South harbor to run everything and let people like Razon completely concentrate on mining.(refer to J-ag’s comment)
The winning consortium of the North harbor project has not factored in rehab, all in their project scope are for IT infrastructure. Pangilinan must call all his friends in Hong Kong to have the capital.
Or just forget about it.
Another relocation, another series of reclamation will happen. Shipping owners want to go to Pacific to South China sea faster and another plan for a man made river that will connect south china sea to the pacific has be lifted from the archives and revised.
When our ports are out of Manila,maybe that is the time Metro Manila will cease to be the capital.
October 11, 2009 at 8:24 pm
My friend said that Subic (although in Zambales) has bigger ports than Manila, and has an international airport too, so the potential for a replacement capital is strong here. But your reply got me thinking about something else too; the big companies are actually running things in the country. So they keep the Manila ports the main ports of the country, among other things. I’m tempted to say they’re the ones messing up things. It doesn’t help that these biggies are also family owned businesses.
In the US: “Government of the Exxons, by the Mobils, for the General Motors”
In the Phils: “Gov’t of the SMs, by the Ayalas, for the Gokongweis” ;)
October 11, 2009 at 9:15 pm
@Chino,
I agree.
October 12, 2009 at 10:03 am
ChinoF,
Yes, I see your point. The other problem is that the Philippines is largely reactive rather than proactive. A proactive approach would “force” development elsewhere by freezing development in Manila. It would also unify the separate cities, or place them and their resources subordinate to a regional disaster center, so that disaster response is able to focus quickly on highest need.
Zoning is very sloppy here, and building codes are weak. I suppose because a lot of those “names” are developers, and they are also the people who fund the lawmakers. The legislative bias is certainly toward the moneyed people, not the general public.
You know, I am not a building professional, but I can drive about and see the homes – not one or two, but thousands – sitting on or below raw dirt, along rivers, or in flood basins, and say to myself, “this is a disaster waiting to happen”. Sometimes laws are needed to protect people from their own tendency to be oblivious to risks. We all tend to believe disasters happen to others, not us . . . then we blame the government when they happen to us.
It seems to me that both are responsible. People who build in high-risk places, and a government that allows it. I excuse people that have no choice, because they have no money and no land. Then it is strictly governmental negligence.
One should not weep for too long about the impact of these recent storms, but should set out with some sense of urgency to protect better against those coming. It is not just the obligation of Manila . . . every city that has responsibility for zoning and building codes should be feeling a heavy sorrow and a heavy weight right now.
Joe
October 13, 2009 at 1:13 am
I hope some more people would be interested in the kind of proactive solutions you proposed, Joe. Proactivity certainly isn’t something Filipinos seem fond of. Which you can see in this blog site already.
October 10, 2009 at 9:48 pm
There are two possible short-cuts. To baseline what I’m about to say, the problem description is that Pinas society had been so messed up by its (uninformed, uninvolved, uncaring) population that the infrastructure is totally corrupted with denuded forests, clogged esteros, millions of squatters and many among government personnel (low-level (kotong-cops, post-office), mid-level (BIR, customs, etc) and high-level officials) corrupted.
First short-cut : Ask the United Nations into the country to oversee the country. If not the United Nations, ask China. If not China, ask Australia or the United States or Holland.
If not that one, then dictatorship (sanitized in whatever form or giftwrapping that makes the stink of dictatorship is downplayed and the sweetness of dictatorship — efficiency — is highlighted.) Then after 6 years (or whatever term-of-office a new constitution allows), the dictator retires. [Warning : "Hiring" a dictator is like letting a genie out of the bottle. And please do not say "bahala na!".]
==========
If not above two, one has to seriously consider this :
October 10, 2009 at 10:05 pm
Baby steps. . .
October 10, 2009 at 9:59 pm
I agree that we need to face the fact that the climate is changing, and that we need to adapt. Arguing that human beings did not cause it therefore we don’t have to do anything about it, doesn’t help. Even if human beings aren’t the main cause of climate change, we can still control how we deal with it.
October 11, 2009 at 9:27 am
I for one will look to hook up with a woman with gills.
October 11, 2009 at 2:05 pm
BrianB,
I’m afraid you’ll have to wait a while more longer, evolution takes more time than creation you know, and the CBCP is busy, as of this time, with politics because it’s election time..
Why not a woman with fins? After all, initial survival is more critical on how fast the one you hooked up with can swim you to safety than how long she stays underwater.
October 10, 2009 at 11:22 pm
In May 09, 2008 , there was this letter to the editor..
the keyword here will connect to benigno’s ” thanks God” comment…
Has the department of waste management came up with the plan after reading Inquirer? Like a solid policy and procedure in conducting seminars? to EDUCATE all barangay kapitan, all youth organizations, local schools, local churces, local businesses and many more…
Did the head of the department/waste management take initiative to attend international seminars to gain more knowledge and skills? Did the executives and Legislators act upon the issue? What policymaking were established since last May? Has there been discussions at the Senate regarding the issue. How many time do they meet for basic needs?
When the top doesn’t see the issue at the bottom by IGNORING such as lack of budget ( to send the department of waste management to seminars with other experts in the world) and for whatever reasons, then the department of waste management will not grow and will be directly affected by lack of support. The final result of mismanagement and bad governance from the top will be crystal clear DUMB and STUPID.
Even if majority will demand accountability but the top lacks the skills to UNDERSTAND HOW, WHAT, WHEN and WHERE on GOVERNANCE issues then our demand will again be useless. As I have previously mentioned , “Take the seminar Please”
October 10, 2009 at 11:33 pm
Or just be a role model and be a leader. why is it so hard for them to understand the very basic function of their employment as a public servant? ang tigas nag ulo nila.. nakakahiya..
The people has been demanding accountability for so long and until now, majority are ignored… How can one gain respect and trust if the people at the top are allowed to take vacations against the policy of our land. Basic exmaple, why is it allowed to have a vice president and other senators/ congressman to be behind pacquaio’s picture during a fight in vegas? Who permitted these people to take a vacation just to be on pacquiao’s fight? This is plainly ABUSE of POWER.
October 10, 2009 at 11:52 pm
Seminars:
Knowing is half the battle.
Yo Joe!
Leytenian, that letter sender and you have the same thinking.
If you ask other people,they will tell you that seminars are excuses for doing nothing.
October 10, 2009 at 11:31 pm
Global Warming translated to Climate Change is real. It is already
happening. To live in the State of Denial and State of Delusion will
be the worse thing that we ever will do. We have to learn to live with it, and cope. Or we perish and become extinct as the Dinosaurs.
While the realignment of the Solar System is a many thousands of years phenomenom. We cannot also discount it. Men is just a tenant of this Planet Earth. We are like the Dinosaurs. If the Good Owner
of the Planet Earth wants to evict us. Because we are irresponsible
and destructive tenants. We can follow the fate of the Dinosaurs. Our
bones will be excavated by future generations. To be exhibited on their Museums. Same way as our ways of life. They will become relics and articrafts. We still have a choice. We take care of each other, and this Planet Earth we dwell. Or we all perish and just become History. If Peace on Earth is achieved. There will be an answer!
October 11, 2009 at 2:22 pm
Hyden,
The Owner might evict the Atheists because they’re not paying any rent or tithes during masses and congregation but not the Catholics and the Iglisia ni Kristo.
October 10, 2009 at 11:35 pm
And when the broken hearted people living
in the world agree.
There will be an answer: Let it be!
Sir Paul McCartney
the Beatles
October 11, 2009 at 12:13 am
What ever will be,will be
Que Sera Sera
Doris Day
===========
Oh no, I might be labelled as Fatalistic and lazy and I was just singing.
one more time Nat King Cole version:
Kay sera sera
October 11, 2009 at 3:13 am
One thing about Cocoy’s title I would like to dispute. ;)
It hasn’t begun.
It’s already underway.
Even more reason to do what he calls for. Perhaps add to better disaster coordination and trash management for prevention, the issue of settlement. Questioning must be done against development in areas the 1977 World Bank warned against settling, and its other recommendations must be reviewed. I heard Gilbert Teodoro called for a new study to be made; but that’s already too much on study. Acting on the 1977 study should be enough. Those guys should get into action already. Perhaps resettlement of many villages to higher areas should be done.
But yeah, easier said than done. :/
October 11, 2009 at 4:00 am
What the government is doing are simply reactive measures. we need more of preventive measures.
we have to address the root cause of uninformed, uninvolved, and uncaring population?
We have to address the very root cause of all our failures as a society…
and it seems it all points to education…we need to change..moral values, ethics, principles…kung walang pagbabago sa mga ito, di magbabago ang situwasyon…
October 11, 2009 at 6:16 am
And in the middle of the current mess — the Lina Law.
http://www.upd.edu.ph/~updinfo/archives/AugSept2005/articles/Squatter1.htm
http://www.pinoyexchange.com/forums/showthread.php?p=21309710
October 11, 2009 at 11:22 pm
…. the “Lina Law” to remind us of the foolish senator, Joey Lina, who burdened us with this silliness, RA 7279 is probably the biggest obstacle to modern urban development in Metro Manila and other Philippine cities.
It is one thing to show compassion for our needy brothers and sisters, but it is a completely different thing to hogtie ourselves and allow these squatters to impede progress and do as they please.
We ought to be clear on one thing: the world doesn’t owe these squatters a home simply because they are poor. A home is what the rest of us must earn through hard work. Misguided altruism as embodied by the Lina Law has given squatters free run of our cities, creating a breeding ground for crime.
October 11, 2009 at 6:48 am
Chino F.,
LOL! Well… I wanted to go play with a Yoda quote, “Begun the Clone Wars has” so that’s just the little boy in me playing around with the title :D
October 11, 2009 at 1:19 pm
Don’t worry, I loved the title.
The Dark Side, most of the country is on. ;)
October 11, 2009 at 6:33 am
Hey Cocoy, Just to let everyone know, IPPC and ACIA reports are downloadable.
http://www.acia.uaf.edu/
http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/publications_ipcc_fourth_assessment_report_wg1_report_the_physical_science_basis.htm
The physical science basis is worth the read!
Despite the agreement in the science community that climate change is brought about by man’s activity, it’s amazing how people still turn a blind eye.
It’s really hard to understand how climate works, but it’s evident that it is changing and things aren’t as it is before. When we were in the Arctic 2007, there was record low sea ice cover.
With regards to the philippines, there is more we need to do for the environment other than the global fight against climate change. we need to genereally be earth friendly. Take care of our watersheds, plan trees, recycle to minimize garbage, proper garbage disposal. Even without climate change, Manila floods up. Climate change will just make it much more worse.
Oh, I guess for the non-science people it’ll be more interesting to read the 3rd and 4th part of IPCC report (Vulnerability, Adaptation, Mitigation) http://www.ipcc.ch/
October 11, 2009 at 6:53 am
Thanks ArcticSamurai!
LOL your nick is so you :P I’m pretty sure these guys here will appreciate it. :D
October 11, 2009 at 6:59 am
Manny Pangilinan wondered aloud as to why government in the Philippines does not have a long term framework for policy planning.
The genius was asking the question irrespective of the financial crisis where short term gains became the norm of the international corporate world to guarantee the rise of stock prices.
Since when does business solely have the capacity for long term planning?
Relating this to the issue of climate change the U.S. government since 1776 had given the task to the military to oversee all U.S. waterways including hydroelectric dams and the construction of ports.
It became a matter of engine-ering.
The struggle to contain and control nature continues at the start of the 18th century man found ways to intervene and progressively multiply the labor value added by using organic dead sun to drive mechanical devices.
Most successful governments have that long term economic program in place. The word industrialize has been replaced with modernize.
What about a country that believes that it could monetize all its resources without regard to the sustainability of living off its extraction model solely.
I am reminded that England then accidently entered the industrial revolution and had cut all its trees for firewood and had top depend on coal mining for its energy needs. The deeper they went they encountered the problem of water seepage. That is when the need for a device to pump out the water was invented. From coal to oil to our present state.
The Philippines is still harping about the fact that we have more resources to be extracted and hence we are a rich country.
We really deserve the fate we are in…
Blaming the issue squarely on the fact that we have a huge domestic migration problem since the government and the people have not yet realized that the road to progress is increasing the labor value added chain. Not extracting whatever resources we have left. The massive slum problem is the effect of that very stupid policy handed to us by our colonizers. They taught us to simply ship out crude resources and we would get rich. We prefer concrete to green spaces not realizing that the green spaces are the very sink capacity to prevent us from drowning.
WoW Mali!!!!!!!
October 11, 2009 at 8:02 am
Excellent article, excellent comments.
My attention getting headline: You want INFRASTRUCTURE, and I say, Holy Jesus, are you BLIND????
There are billions being spent on infrastructure in Manila, but most of it goes to a concrete road elevated above the tattered remnants of the plugged up flood infrastructure, useless roads, and spiderwebs of cable run amuck. THOUSANDS of impoverished continue to pour into the city hoping for opportunity in this great commercial mess. They live crammed along the rivers or in the industrial buildings by the port, made somehow less than human by the inhumanity of their living conditions.
I think spending on infrastructure to remake the city is futile, rather like trying to get a car that has been totaled against the bridge abutment to run again. Better to just tip it into the river and start saving for a new one.
You want INFRASTRUCTURE, and I say, Holy Jesus, are you BLIND???? You have a perfectly good and unused expressway between two fine commercial hubs, Clark and Subic, and tons of open land and huge drainage rivers. Man, get a P15,000 mapping system and zone that baby out. Pour the concrete THERE instead of up in the AIR.
And fine any nitwit tossing trash out the window P50,000, which is the going rate in Los Angeles.
Joe
October 11, 2009 at 8:59 am
What about this climate neutrality thing:
From wiki:
We all no the source of methane:farting and burping and of course garbage in landfills and dumpsites.
nitrous oxide: Drag racers.
HFCs: refrigerators and aircons.
PFCs: aluminum
SF6: circuit breakers
To prevent climate change, because most trees are almost gone now, so we better stop exhaling.
But before you do that stop drag racing, don’t use refrigerators and forget circuit breakers, and stop drinking beer and sodas in cans to prevent you from farting.
October 11, 2009 at 9:28 am
Punish LITERERS NOW!
October 11, 2009 at 10:57 am
American Joe and BrianB ,
I have to strongly disagree on:
“And fine any nitwit tossing trash out the window P50,000, which is the going rate in Los Angeles.” Joe
“Punish LITERERS NOW!” BrianB
Punishing literers is a top down approach policy. This approach does not consider many factors that must be done at the very bottom. First of all, we have to have data on household waste and recycling products that can be RECYCLED OR INCENERATED. There must be a convenient location and drop off information for recyling and waste pick up. Some subdivisions or community housing can purchase their own incenerator for local use and can be transported to the main landfield. Or, for squatters, when buying canned and bottled drinks, residents have to pay a deposit for the metal can, glass or plastic bottle, which add as an incentive for residents to recycle the drinks package in exchange for money back. The collecting stores must have a sorting room with different bins for different recyclables.
There are many ways to change citizen’s environmental behaviour for long term sustainability. There’s a need for local facilities and strong policy to integrate environmental education into the curriculum of formal education. Children can be encouraged to be more involved in environmental work by different activities organised by schools. ( both bottom up and top down approach )
Punishment or Fines? It can be supplementary but not a primary solution. It is a one way street that may worsen the behavioural pattern.
October 11, 2009 at 5:17 pm
leytenian,
If you have no enforcement, you have no law,
and you would be amazed at how a stiff fine would help people find a proper place to put their trash.
All that you write is nice,
but you can’t correct lazy thoughtlessness
with recycling programs.
Joe
October 11, 2009 at 5:19 pm
Punitive vis-a vis rehabilitative
add to that for those out of school to do clean up job for a fee and bring with them their parents if they are just idle maybe this can bring out of school youth back to school and have the non earners earn.
this is not meant to be a pwede na solution, we all have to start somewhere.
i maintain what i said about community service for violators of minor crimes like littering,smoke belching,etc.
for children in jail they should do supervised cleaning too.(btw,they should not be mixed with adult offenders).
we have laws for clean air, we have laws for waste segregtion and it is even a comprehensive waste mangement law.
punitive and rehabilitative measures have to be enforced for the laws to be implemented.
==================================
side notes:
about that land use act.(zoning,land conversion,etc)
it has many reincarnations the latest was last september filed by pia cayetano. it’s urgency must be recognized.
====================================
October 11, 2009 at 8:27 pm
joe,
where would the squatters and citizens put their “trash and waste” convenient enough or at least within 30 minutes walk? we need more waste management trucks, more personel, more portable incinerator and many more.
enforcing fines is like ” bawal umihi dito” but public restrooms are lacking.
On illegal logging , the Philippine has a law for illegal logging but has it been enforced? No because this country can only prosecute the poor not the rich. True “you can’t correct lazy thoughtlessness” in public GOVERNANCE. When Rule of law is very weak ,it can only punish the very bottom and the top enjoys impunity.
Karl,
thank you for the reinforcement.
October 11, 2009 at 8:41 pm
Education really matters…one local example is Woodridge Park Homes located in Ma-a, Davao city. The area is prone to flooding but the drainage was built properly. Thanks goes to the first residents.
Waste management is quite a success in this community. Woodies (residents of woodridge) do not rely on City’s garbage collection for years now. Home owners manage their own mini garbage truck. Waste segregation (4 types) is likewise enforced and everyone cooperated. It was a successful project known to Davao City. Woodridge streets and parks are littered with trees.
We can change thru education….
October 11, 2009 at 8:58 pm
sure, we have all the laws BUT the PROCEDURE of how to do it, when , where and what? is not supplementing it. Squatters may not leave . People normally move when there’s a change of employment to another location.
October 12, 2009 at 4:51 am
leytenian,
in a plastic bag
with the plastic bags placed in one area
near a public street
when the pile of plastic bags gets big enough,
my guess is it will get hauled away
do you not agree that personal discipline in the Philippines is a little . . . um, . . . “soft”?
Joe
October 12, 2009 at 9:24 pm
Joe
it’s been ” um.. soft” for a while. That’s not new Joe. It has become a pattern, ” um soft behavioral pattern” . The “um soft PR” is not an innate behaviour but learned type behaviour. Learned behaviour may occur and may become habitual due to internal stimulus ( hunger or lack of employment opportunity) or external stimulus ( predator politicians,corruption and imnpunity). More often , it is a mixture of the two.
It is a consequence of Bad Governance. It can be reversed thru EDUCATION not fines or punishment. As i wrote, fines may supplement but the way our politicians behave ? collecting fines may just assist them to get even richer…
October 13, 2009 at 6:01 am
leytenian,
um, okay. I get your point. But in my perfect society, the finers are not corrupt, and see the levies as punctuation to the education. Kinda like a little flick on the wrist helps the toddler understand “no”, keep your grubby hands off the TV. It accelerates the education.
Joe
October 13, 2009 at 6:50 am
Joe,
To continue our discussion, Fines can be implemented thru strict liability law but not intended for Mang Juan.
Businesses, non profit or other private institutions may follow strict liability law of which our non perfect institutions must legislate. Many progressive countries in the world have Waste Management Law. Organisations operating potentially polluting activities or owning or occupying flood plain sites face the risk of unexpected costs and liabilities associated with the clean-up of contaminated soil, the
remediation of groundwater or the restoration of damaged ecosystems.
This area of law is becoming ever more complex in my adopted perfect world in relation to, for example, restrictions on disposal of hazardous and other categories of waste, permitting requirements and planning permissions. Many corporate environmental offences are often based on strict liability LAW, with possible unlimited FINES, clean-up costs and criminal convictions for directors and managers (non public institutions) Environmental pollution can also lead to civil claims in nuisance or negligence.
In the Philippines , legislating this law may mean that the government must define proper use of land, and available land field and its equipment for use both to public and private. I am inclined to believe that private entities will probably just bribe investigating officer to ignore Strict Liability Law and business will continue as usual. It’s actually happening now.
i think we are now on the same page On Fines and Punishment….. Yeah fine those elites..
To punish Mang Juan for litering in our non perfect world is just not right.
Thanks Joe
October 11, 2009 at 12:25 pm
That is a scary question. What if it is an earthquake that hit Metro Manila instead of Ondoy.
If we a5re not prepared for a regular event like typhoon, how much with almost random event ike earthquakes, tsunami, etc.
October 11, 2009 at 12:36 pm
yep.
October 11, 2009 at 2:40 pm
blackshama had already pointed it out: climate is always changing.
I guess it’s true because the earth is not in a vacuum. What’s weird is blaming the people for climate change. Ain’t climate change been around even before people came?
October 11, 2009 at 2:47 pm
The incidence of climate change since olden times does not discount humanity’s role in it. Yes, the climate naturally changes, but when people throw their trash all over, the climate changes in another way. Human-influenced climate change is not a hoax for me.
October 11, 2009 at 5:03 pm
“The incidence of climate change since olden times does not discount humanity’s role in it.”
Oh yeah? Humanity’s role in climate change predates back his existence? Parang post-dated check, may chect na pero wala pang pera.
“..but when people throw their trash all over, the climate changes in another way.”
This I believe. Ang baho kasi.
October 11, 2009 at 2:50 pm
Also, some people may use the “climate change is already happening” explanation to promote inaction. So since the climate is changing anyway, there should no effort to reduce harmful emissions, to conserve energy or to dispose of garbage properly? It also smacks of apathy, the “I don’t care” attitude. That’s bad, dude. Really bad.
October 11, 2009 at 4:45 pm
That’s why I said ‘calling the bogeyman’ is one way of scaring the people to move, heheh.
October 11, 2009 at 5:16 pm
“Also, some people may use the “climate change is already happening” explanation to promote inaction.”-Chino F
Oh yeah? Who said that? “It’s already underway”-Chino F, Oct. 11 3:13 am.
October 11, 2009 at 7:57 pm
Oh yeah, this is the problematic statement from you: What’s weird is blaming the people for climate change.
It’s still being debated, but for me, there’s natural climate change, and there’s man-made climate change. I’m sure there are a lot of studies saying that man-made pollution can disrupt or alter the natural pattern climate change. Yes, people can be blamed for climate change… or at least problems that cause landslides and deaths.
After agreeing “climate change is already happening,” I hope you don’t mean, “so why do anything?” I’m promoting action,dude. We should clean up our act, and not just because of the baho. Because ang nasamang klase ng baho diyan is baho ng bangkay.
October 11, 2009 at 8:31 pm
Oh, that’s clear enough then, we are on a different wavelengths and levels. I was talking apple and then you inserted orange, your climate change pala is different from my climate change.
Ok.
October 11, 2009 at 10:55 pm
Or let’s just say, “climate change is already affecting us. Don’t worsen it.”
October 12, 2009 at 3:06 am
Benigno,
http://www.hellodamage.com/top/2009/04/23/japan-sizes-of-food/
October 13, 2009 at 9:20 am
I think we humans are the main reason why climate change is happening. Just read how emissions boost exponentially after the industrial revolutions. I don’t really buy the ideas and factoids that shift blame from human will to something else.
Mainstream media ommit the main reason that our economic, lifestyle ideals does not factor in damage to environment. Once they get blinded to acquiring capital and convenience, everything doesn’t matter: people, environment, ethics.
Being a global problem, the key sources to blame are obviously industrial rich countries. IMO its more about subtracting the sources, than adding counter measures.
October 13, 2009 at 4:50 pm
Oooops, look at this one:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8299079.stm
October 14, 2009 at 6:45 am
Another ooopsies for global warmist,
the Arctic ice is not thinning, it is actually expanding not contracting. Some related articles on climate change
http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fpcomment/archive/2009/10/09/lawrence-solomon-global-blushing.aspx
http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fpcomment/archive/2009/10/13/lawrence-solomon-the-british-are-for-turning-on-climate-change.aspx
October 14, 2009 at 7:05 am
Rosa, if you look at ArcticSamurai’s comment, well… she actually did go to the arctic last year and if i’m right the summer before that as well on an expedition.
You might want to ask her some questions.
October 14, 2009 at 2:46 pm
http://www.ijis.iarc.uaf.edu/en/home/seaice_extent.htm
Yes ArcticSamurai is saying in 2007 the low sea ice cover was seen but check out this current data fed by a satellite that tracks the sea ice cover daily. The sea ice cover this year is greater than two years ago.
http://www.ijis.iarc.uaf.edu/en/home/seaice_extent.htm
October 16, 2009 at 3:05 am
Rosa,
I caught a National Geographic program that deals with the phenomenon you mention, global warming in concert with increasing ice. It is not in conflict. Ocean currents affect temperatures. Therefore, we have situations where the UK and Canada are on the same parallel, but one is moderate in temperature and the other is icy cold. So if currents change, it is consistent that some areas will get warmer as others get colder.
Here’s the pattern that appears to be developing: (1) global warming causes arctic ice to melt (the Arctic Ocean will be open to sea traffic in 10 years), (2) the melting fresh water is dumped into the salty oceans and causes ocean currents to slow, (3) the slowing currents throw us into another ice age.
Even this is just theory, but it is the most advanced understanding to date. Scientists are studying furiously to learn what is happening where, and what might happen and when. Prediction is the name of the game.
The one thing that is known is that the past 10,000 years has been unusually STABLE, climate-wise. So we can anticipate less stability.
So warmth or ice age, get ready . . . intense storms and changing micro-climates are almost certain.
For the Philippines, I’d say: Think about that food, and think about that population growth rate.
Joe