Source: http://www.philstar.com/
By: Ferliza C. Contratista/JMO
The Freeman
CEBU, Philippines -- An environmental group is urging the government to issue a moratorium on coal-fired power plants, saying the proliferation of such plants pose a great risk to the environment and the health of the people.
In a statement to The Freeman, Meggie Nolasco, spokesperson of the Philippine Climate Watch Alliance, said coal has been identified as the dirtiest source of energy and a major contributor to pollution and global warming.
"The Arroyo government is a promoter of pollutive technologies and dirty source of energy in the country. It is thus alarming that majority of the power plants that are poised to be constructed in the country are coal-fired, at the same time the government is very generous in issuing coal mining permits to private corporations," Nolasco said.
PCWA is a broad network of non-government organizations, grassroots and people's organizations and individuals aiming to examine and address the impacts of climate change on marginalized communities within the country.
Currently, the Arroyo government is pursuing nine coal-fired power plant projects, including the 200-megawatt plants in Naga and Toledo City here in Cebu.
It is also pursuing a 300-megawatt expansion plant in Pagbilao, Quezon; a 100-megawatt plant in Concepcion, Iloilo; a 165-megawatt plant in Iloilo City; a 300-megawatt expansion plant in Masinloc, Zambales; a 300-megawatt plant in Olongapo, Zambales; a 150-megawatt plant in Sultan Kudarat; and a 200-megawatt plant in Saranggani Province.
Aside from these, the government has also issued 44 coal mining contracts all over the country.
But Nolasco said such “actions” are in contrasts with the thrusts of the Arroyo administration to strongly combat climate change and develop renewable energies. She said these coal-fire power plant projects would show that Arroyo allegedly continues to prioritize the interests of foreign and private corporations.
Meanwhile, science activist Dr. Giovanni Tapang of Advocates for Science and Technology for the People (AGHAM) dispelled claims that coal power plants are now packaged as clean technology.
“Contrary to many scientific studies and research, coal proponents are promising that these plants are environmentally safe and pose no dangers to public health. But the fact is, coal emits large volume of air pollution and produces toxic chemicals that can enter the environment and the food chain,” Tapang said.
Coal power plants reportedly contribute 36% of the total carbon emission of the energy industry at present. Coal importation, production and consumption reportedly reached record high during the Arroyo administration.
A study in the journal Environmental Research published in January 2007 stated that air pollution from coal-fired power station, although not exceeding local pollution standards, has a negative effect on children's lung function development.
According to the American Lung Association, 24,000 people died prematurely every year in the United States because of pollution from coal-fired power plants.
Complete URL:
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=505701&publicationSubCategoryId=107
Showing posts with label Pollution Air. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pollution Air. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Move to Ban Mindanao Aerial Spraying Gains Ground
Source: http://businessmirror.com.ph/
By: Jonathan L. Mayuga
Correspondent, Business Mirror
Manila, Philippines -- THE effort to impose the ban on aerial spraying as an agricultural practice because of the hazards it poses to human health and the environment is gaining ground as environmental groups continue to put pressure on concerned government agencies.
In a meeting of high-level government officials last week, the Department of Health (DOH)-led Interagency Committee on Environmental Health (Iaceh) has included in its draft policy paper on pesticides the banning of aerial spraying, which is widely used in big plantations in Mindanao, where cavendish banana for export is grown.
Environmental groups like the EcoWaste Coalition, Greenpeace, National Task Force Against Aerial Spraying (NTFAAS) and the Davao-based Mamamayan Ayaw sa Aerial Spraying (MAAS) earlier demanded from Iaceh to issue the ban after government public-health experts established in a study the dangerous levels of aerial spraying by banana growers on health and the environment.
Iaceh, which also acted on the recommendation of the National Poison Management and Control Center in the University of the Philippines-Manila (UP-NPMCC) on its 2006 study “Health and Environmental Assessment of Sitio Camocaan, Hagonoy, Davao del Sur,” noted there are no guidelines on techniques and procedures on aerial spraying, environmental and health monitoring, as well as designation of buffer zones.
The ban forms part of the DOH’s short-term action after observing policy gaps in pesticide use, among which is the absence of a regulation on aerial spraying in agricultural activities, particularly precautionary measures and risk assessment, and reduction on the pervasive use of agrochemicals.
The body is also looking into the compliance of agricultural plantation to social responsibility to the community, environmental-impact assessment and their occupational-health program for agricultural workers, notwithstanding the government’s admission of its inability to fully monitor and police the practice with only three personnel for the entire region.
“To be in business is not a matter of right, but a privilege. In the discourse about aerial spraying of pesticides, wherein a clear-cut policy is absent ever since and severe public health and environment hazards are clearly established and verifiable, that privilege is mandatorily prevailed upon by the most supreme right—the right to life of affected citizens,” Rene Pineda Jr., a member of the EcoWaste Coalition and head of NTFAAS, told officials in the meeting.
Pineda added that it becomes mandatory for the government to immediately stop the practice owing to its mandated duty to protect that right or face the consequences of violating their mandates.
“Banning aerial spraying fits well with the DOH’s ‘National Objectives for Health 2005-2010’ and should be formalized with immediate effect to stop the chemical fumigation of people without their consent,” Rei Panaligan, coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition, said.
The EcoWaste Coalition cited Chapter 4 on “Reducing the Burden of Disease” of the “National Objectives for Health,” which lists the need to “protect individuals, families, workers and communities from exposure to occupational and environmental hazards, disease agents or stressors” as one of the government’s strategic thrusts for 2005-10.
Presiding over the meeting, Health Undersecretary Mario Villaverde, a public health expert himself, commented that the draft policy directives are based on studies they have gathered related to pesticide poisoning in the Philippines. During the meeting, Villaverde told representatives from the plantation and chemical companies: “Pwede kayo mag-spray sa buong mundo, basta walang maapektuhan kahit isang tao [You can spray anywhere in the world, as long as no single human being is adversely affected].”
Company representatives presented their defense before the Iaceh that aerial spraying is the most cost-effective method of application against Black Sigatoka approved by the Fertilizers and Pesticides Authority. They added that the use of technologically advanced tools has increased accuracy and margin of safety vis-à-vis off-target spray. Sigatoka is a disease affecting the cavendish banana that manifests as a yellowish fungus in the leaves.
During the meeting, Cecilia Moran, a farmer and MAAS president representing affected villagers from Davao City, Davao del Norte and Compostela Valley, dismissed the company representatives’ claims, saying: “Hindi kami Sigatoka, kaya dapat hindi kami nauulanan ng spray ninyo. Hindi naman namin sinasabi na itigil na ninyo ang business nyo kasi may alternative pa naman kayo tulad ng ibang mga asensadong plantations na ground spraying lang. Samantalang kami wala ng magagawa kung hindi magdusa at maghintay sa sarili naming lupa ng kamatayan dahil sa aerial spray. [We are not Sigatoka, so you should not rain your spray on us. We are not saying you should stop your business because you have an alternative that more progressive plantations are using, namely ground spraying. We are helpless. We can’t do anything, except suffer in our own land and wait to die because of aerial spraying].”
Villaverde also pointed out that since the DOH is tasked with safeguarding people’s health, the agency needs studies from the plantation group that will prove that their practices are safe on people’s health.
Toxicologist and medical doctor Lynn Crisanta Panganiban of the UP-NPMCC presented the various pesticide-poisoning studies during the meeting. The ban-aerial-spraying issue was later referred to the Iaceh subsector on toxic substances and hazardous waste.
The body is expected to submit its final recommendation for action within five days.
Complete Address
http://businessmirror.com.ph/component/content/article/53-agri-commodities/13839-move-to-ban-aerial-spraying-in-mindanao-gains-ground.html
By: Jonathan L. Mayuga
Correspondent, Business Mirror
Manila, Philippines -- THE effort to impose the ban on aerial spraying as an agricultural practice because of the hazards it poses to human health and the environment is gaining ground as environmental groups continue to put pressure on concerned government agencies.
In a meeting of high-level government officials last week, the Department of Health (DOH)-led Interagency Committee on Environmental Health (Iaceh) has included in its draft policy paper on pesticides the banning of aerial spraying, which is widely used in big plantations in Mindanao, where cavendish banana for export is grown.
Environmental groups like the EcoWaste Coalition, Greenpeace, National Task Force Against Aerial Spraying (NTFAAS) and the Davao-based Mamamayan Ayaw sa Aerial Spraying (MAAS) earlier demanded from Iaceh to issue the ban after government public-health experts established in a study the dangerous levels of aerial spraying by banana growers on health and the environment.
Iaceh, which also acted on the recommendation of the National Poison Management and Control Center in the University of the Philippines-Manila (UP-NPMCC) on its 2006 study “Health and Environmental Assessment of Sitio Camocaan, Hagonoy, Davao del Sur,” noted there are no guidelines on techniques and procedures on aerial spraying, environmental and health monitoring, as well as designation of buffer zones.
The ban forms part of the DOH’s short-term action after observing policy gaps in pesticide use, among which is the absence of a regulation on aerial spraying in agricultural activities, particularly precautionary measures and risk assessment, and reduction on the pervasive use of agrochemicals.
The body is also looking into the compliance of agricultural plantation to social responsibility to the community, environmental-impact assessment and their occupational-health program for agricultural workers, notwithstanding the government’s admission of its inability to fully monitor and police the practice with only three personnel for the entire region.
“To be in business is not a matter of right, but a privilege. In the discourse about aerial spraying of pesticides, wherein a clear-cut policy is absent ever since and severe public health and environment hazards are clearly established and verifiable, that privilege is mandatorily prevailed upon by the most supreme right—the right to life of affected citizens,” Rene Pineda Jr., a member of the EcoWaste Coalition and head of NTFAAS, told officials in the meeting.
Pineda added that it becomes mandatory for the government to immediately stop the practice owing to its mandated duty to protect that right or face the consequences of violating their mandates.
“Banning aerial spraying fits well with the DOH’s ‘National Objectives for Health 2005-2010’ and should be formalized with immediate effect to stop the chemical fumigation of people without their consent,” Rei Panaligan, coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition, said.
The EcoWaste Coalition cited Chapter 4 on “Reducing the Burden of Disease” of the “National Objectives for Health,” which lists the need to “protect individuals, families, workers and communities from exposure to occupational and environmental hazards, disease agents or stressors” as one of the government’s strategic thrusts for 2005-10.
Presiding over the meeting, Health Undersecretary Mario Villaverde, a public health expert himself, commented that the draft policy directives are based on studies they have gathered related to pesticide poisoning in the Philippines. During the meeting, Villaverde told representatives from the plantation and chemical companies: “Pwede kayo mag-spray sa buong mundo, basta walang maapektuhan kahit isang tao [You can spray anywhere in the world, as long as no single human being is adversely affected].”
Company representatives presented their defense before the Iaceh that aerial spraying is the most cost-effective method of application against Black Sigatoka approved by the Fertilizers and Pesticides Authority. They added that the use of technologically advanced tools has increased accuracy and margin of safety vis-à-vis off-target spray. Sigatoka is a disease affecting the cavendish banana that manifests as a yellowish fungus in the leaves.
During the meeting, Cecilia Moran, a farmer and MAAS president representing affected villagers from Davao City, Davao del Norte and Compostela Valley, dismissed the company representatives’ claims, saying: “Hindi kami Sigatoka, kaya dapat hindi kami nauulanan ng spray ninyo. Hindi naman namin sinasabi na itigil na ninyo ang business nyo kasi may alternative pa naman kayo tulad ng ibang mga asensadong plantations na ground spraying lang. Samantalang kami wala ng magagawa kung hindi magdusa at maghintay sa sarili naming lupa ng kamatayan dahil sa aerial spray. [We are not Sigatoka, so you should not rain your spray on us. We are not saying you should stop your business because you have an alternative that more progressive plantations are using, namely ground spraying. We are helpless. We can’t do anything, except suffer in our own land and wait to die because of aerial spraying].”
Villaverde also pointed out that since the DOH is tasked with safeguarding people’s health, the agency needs studies from the plantation group that will prove that their practices are safe on people’s health.
Toxicologist and medical doctor Lynn Crisanta Panganiban of the UP-NPMCC presented the various pesticide-poisoning studies during the meeting. The ban-aerial-spraying issue was later referred to the Iaceh subsector on toxic substances and hazardous waste.
The body is expected to submit its final recommendation for action within five days.
Complete Address
http://businessmirror.com.ph/component/content/article/53-agri-commodities/13839-move-to-ban-aerial-spraying-in-mindanao-gains-ground.html
Monday, July 13, 2009
DENR Seeks Strict Measures vs. Smoke Belchers
DENR Seeks Strict Measures vs. Smoke BelchersSource: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/
By: Agence France-Presse
INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines -- The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has called on local government officials of Metro Manila to get tough on smoke-belching vehicles to bring air pollution to safer levels.
In a statement, Environment Secretary Lito Atienza said air pollution in Metro Manila has stayed above the recommended limits of world health authorities largely because of the increase in the number of motor vehicles.
Based on studies by the DENR’s Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), the average Total Suspended Particulates (TSP) in the National Capital Region (NCR) dropped from 160 micrograms of pollutants per normal cubic meters (ug/Ncm) to 132 ug/Ncm in 2007. But the national ambient air quality standard is 90 ug/Ncm.
Last year’s TSP number for the NCR was at 138 ug/Ncm.
Atienza said air quality in Metro Manila was improving but it was not yet within the recommended health standard.
“These numbers are still beyond the guideline set by the World Health Organization (WHO),” Atienza said.
TSP is a collective term used for very small solid particles coming from emissions of diesel-fed engines, power plants, wood stoves including open burning, and dust from unpaved roads and construction areas.
Atienza stressed that local governments are tasked under the Local Government Code and the Philippine Clean Air Act to improve air quality within their respective jurisdictions.
“The management of our air quality is not the exclusive mandate of the DENR. It is a shared responsibility among concerned national agencies, local government units, as well as the people,” Atienza said.
He said the role of the local governments is “most critical” since it can pass and enforce ordinances against open burning and smoke-belching vehicles.
According to Land Transportation Office statistics, the number of motor vehicles in the country doubled from 2.5 million in 2003 to 5.53 million in 2007. Alcuin Papa
Complete URL Address:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20090712-215068/Go-after-smoke-belchers-Metro-execs-ordered
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