Tuesday, June 05, 2007 Solid waste is greatest environment concern: Avila By Carlo P. Mallo
SOLID waste and the absence of its management is the greatest environmental concern as far as Davao City goes, that's as far as reelected Councilor Leonardo R. Avila III is concerned.
In an interview, Avila said the city faces a big problem with solid waste since its population continues to rise and yet attempts toward solid waste management has not taken off.
Next to the problem on solid waste management, Avila said is the waste water of the city. Despite its fast growth, the city still does not have a waste water treatment facility for residential areas.
Only major hotels and industrial factories have waste water treatment facilities, but this is for their own use. Otherwise, most sewage is dumped toward the rivers and the sea.
Ranking third among the pressing concerns are mono-cropping and forest protection comes in only third.
Avila said his advocacy on the environment will continue as he has yet another term in the City Council. Avila was chairman of the City Council's environmental committee that proposed and legislated the aerial spray ban in banana plantations.
Meanwhile, World Environment Day Philippines’ Secretary General Ed Aurelio Reyes urged the public to be active participants in environment protection.
"Everyone should be an active stakeholder in the protection of the environment," Reyes said.
Reyes said the mere commemoration of the world environment day Tuesday would be rendered useless if majority of the people would simply be watchers and not actively engage in the quest to protect the environment.
He added that erratic climate changes throughout the world are already a sign of the destruction. Though, according to Reyes, the planet may survive, the alterations in the composition of air, water, and food may deem the planet unfit for human survival.
On the other hand, Sonia Mendoza, chair of the Mother Earth Foundation said it is not the time to point fingers at anyone to throw the blame. As according to Garcia, everyone is responsible for the environment.
"We cannot point at Bush for not signing the Kyoto protocol, neither should we blame the President, or the officials, the change must start from each of us for it to be effective," Garcia added.
