Thursday, December 25, 2008 Initiatives for greener Negros heightened
STAKEHOLDERS and members of the Center for Environmental Initiatives (CEI) gathered Thursday at the Governor's Hall for the 25th Environment Forum to reiterate support to the government to protect the environment.
The forum was attended by various sectors composed of environment offices from the province's towns and cities, non-government organizations, private organizations, other environmentalist groups and companies.
Topics include forest and wildlife conservation, water and reforestation, pollution, mining and infrastructure, coastal resource management, environmental laws, enforcement and prosecution, education, information and advocacy, and research.
Lawyer Edwin Abanil, provincial environment officer and convenor of CEI, said that for the province to achieve a healthy environment, strong support from the local government units (LGUs) is needed by mobilizing people in the community to participate in every environmental undertaking. "Environmental awareness of the people in the community must be intensified."
He cited that the LGU, whose function is to implement the government's thrusts, should always be there for law enforcement.
Abanil said that while the province has 31 cities and municipalities, only 19 LGUs are strongly involved in the cause.
In Bago City, local officials are active in their composting project, which already highlighted its campaign on solid waste management.
Abanil also noted that the provincial government, through his office, is renewing its thrust to fully implement in the next 25 years the province's cause to fight the environmental crisis.
Meanwhile, Engr. Sherwin Salinio, pollution officer of the Philippine National Oil Company-Energy Development Corp. (PNOC-EDC), emphasized in his presentation that since the provincial government wants a cleaner source of power, the company has also maintained its commitment by providing the safest and cleanest source through geothermal.
He noted that with geothermal energy, burning fossil fuels is no longer necessary, which translates to a decrease in carbon emissions thereby reducing global warming. Not only that, about 5.2 metric tons of carbon dioxide is avoided.
Salinio added the Philippines ranked second to United States of America (2,923 megawatts) as the world's largest geothermal power-producing country at 1,970 megawatts. Other countries in the top 10 include Indonesia-992 megawatts; Mexico-953 megawatts; Italy-810 megawatts; Japan-535 megawatts; New Zealand-472 megawatts; Iceland-421 megawatts; El Salvador-204 megawatts and Costa Rica-162 megawatts. (George dela Cruz)
