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We need our politicians to Get to Work.

The past week leading up to last week was a rush. It has been quite a while since we have seen ourselves as part of something bigger, but then again it’s easy to be anaesthetized if much time is spent working within the framework of your organization only. However, the Global Work Party comes as a wake-up call, not only to world leaders but for people like me, as I’ve often worked within the confines of the office.
I remember yesterday as I was speaking at the last of the various Global Work Party activities that we went to and I was wearing a TckTckTck t-shirt and I said: “I’m wearing this t-shirt to demonstrate the irony of the climate problem as TckTckTck is an unprecedented global alliance, One of over 10,000 events in nearly every country on earth organized by TckTckTck partners and supporters in 2009 representing hundreds of millions of people from all walks of life, who are united by a desire to see a strong global deal on climate change. It was made up of leading environment, development, and faith-based NGO’s, youth groups, trade unions and individuals, and we are calling for a fair, ambitious and binding climate change agreement.

It formed because the 2009 Copenhagen Summit of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change  was dubbed as the last ditch effort for a fair, ambitious and legally binding agreement on a new climate treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocol, but to no avail. What came out instead was a document that delegates at the 15th session of the Conference of Parties (COP 15) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change agreed to “take note of” at the final plenary on 18 December 2009.

Meanwhile, the Philippines which was dubbed as ‘the most vulnerable and least prepared country to deal with the impacts of climate change has experienced first-hand the worst that could come if global C02 emissions are kept unchecked.

10/10/10 marks the celebration of the Global Work Party, with emphasis on both ‘work’ and ‘party’ –a global day of action from the grassroots, to celebrate climate solutions but more importantly to sound the alarm and to send the a message to politicians that they’re work is cut out for them. 10/10/10 aims to show that we the people can do this–but we need bold energy policies from our political leaders to do it on a scale that truly matters.

Click here to view the slideshow

For our part here in the Philippines we spent most of the week, sending emails, SMS and Tweets and Facebook messages to numerous folks who share our vision and what happened was we got ourselves immersed with religious folks who’ve committed to include climate change and the need for action in their Sunday liturgy; to activists swapping plastic bags for hand-woven native bags; we have punk rockers snarling at world leaders to get to work on climate change; vegan dinners; monuments of Filipino national heroes calling for an energy [r]evolution; schools, communities and autonomous movements studying, holding symposiums and even forming human banners and mock wind turbines all aimed at sending a clear political message: if we can get to work, you can get to work too–on the legislation and the treaties that will make all our work easier in the long run.

On a personal level 10/10/10 is one of those moments when all seems lost in a struggle we are once again given second wind and again roused to carry on in the struggle, although no longer as a single formation but as a part of a diverse movement that encompasses all for the climate crisis is big enough to threaten everybody and everything we hold dear, which brings into mind again Steingraber’s call to “play the Save the World Symphony”. It is a vast orchestral piece, and each one of us is but a musician. Yet we are not required to play a solo, but we are required to figure out what our instrument is and play it as well as we can.

Because the climate problem is deeply connected to all things we care for– our children, our health, our future and our very existence.
Let’s get back to work….

Chuck Baclagon

For those of you interested in the details of the talk I gave click here for the transcript

Chuck Baclagon

…Dumaguete…

…Pangasinan…

Our first stop is Pangasinan Pangasinan as earlier this year its provincial board members have voted 7 to adopt a resolution on the construction of nuclear power plants from South Korea along the province’s coastline.

The group set up their exhibit in the San Fabian church and Pangasinan State University in Lingayen to engage the public for almost a week.
Most of the people that we  talked to are not aware about the resolution, they are even shock that their board members will agree on this. Some of them are familiar about the dangerous effect of nuclear energy. When we asked them if they know about renewable energy they said yes and pointed out the Bangui wind farm in Ilocos as an example.

At the end of our trip we gathered more than a thousand signatures, written in paper pin wheels, which we will deliver to President Noynoy Aquino calling his support in promoting renewable energy instead of nuclear. Its a good experience engaging the people and getting their support on something that the future generations will surely benefit.

AC Dimatatac

At the same time, this has also been taken up by the nuclear lobby in order to push forward their nuclear agenda on Philippine soil.

However, we here at Greenpeace believe that quick fixes, PR and rehash of old problems fall short of taking ‘genuine’ actions. Thus in the face of climate change, we here from what is known as the most-vulnerable least-prepared countries for climate impacts would like to push forward for a revolution!

An Energy [R]evolution!

In his song Quitin’ Time Robert Hoyt called on the people to: “Slam on the brakes and make a U Turn from the brink!”

No truer statement can be said of the Energy [R]evolution as the word ‘revolution’ itself comes from the Latin revolutio, “a turn around.” Thus by its nature it is a fundamental change in power structures that takes place in a relatively short period of time and now more than ever is a time for us to turn around from the destructive path of fossil fuel dependence.

The Energy [R]evolution is a rallying call to all of us to have a vision of a greener and peaceful future that is finally unbound from the spectre of runaway climate change.

It is about sharing the vision of a revolutionary way of producing, distributing and consuming our precious energy, in such a way that it would promote equity, lessen C02 emissions and push forward for a more sustainable way to live –a lifestyle that is in harmony with nature.

On the other hand this vision is obscured by the nuclear lobby in the energy sector that are pushing for government investment on nuclear power, by presenting it as a silver bullet solution to energy security, cheaper power rates and an alternative for coal.

When the true costs of nuclear energy are compared to the true benefits of renewable energy technologies, the choice is almost too obvious. In a world on a quest for energy security and solutions to climate change, investment in nuclear power makes little sense.

The real solutions to the energy security and climate change are available now. And nuclear power, the most dangerous and expensive source of electricity, is not in this equation. Instead, these solutions are ready to be delivered by renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. The deployment of renewable power requires little to no fuel inputs in order to harness free and clean energy sources like the sun, wind, mini-hydro, geothermal and modern biomass which are widely available throughout the country.

The potential for renewable energy in the Philippines is vast and far greater than that of nuclear power or fossil fuels. Wind and solar energy plants in Ilocos Norte and Cagayan de Oro are already showing that these solutions are working. But we need more. Our renewable energy potential unfortunately remains largely untapped.

Any effective response to energy demand in a world facing climate change involves enormous expansion in our use of renewables and a complete abandonment of nuclear power. Our policy makers should move on from promoting expensive, outdated and dangerous nuclear systems.

That is why in response to this we are going out to sow the seeds of the Energy [R]evolution, as over the weekend we have started our Energy [R]evolution road show starting with Pangasinan as earlier this year its provincial board members have voted 7 to adopt a resolution on the construction of nuclear power plants from South Korea along the province’s coastline.

Stay tuned.

The revolution is underway…

Chuck Baclagon

From the beginning I promised myself that I would open my mind to accept all the materials that we would be given at the Greenpeace University. Many people didn’t agree with my choice to take part in GPU. They said things like “Greenpeace is eco-fascist”, “Greenpeace is not the organization that fights for the prosperity of communities”, “You should stay at home, you will learn more here…” But may people also supported me, congratulating me on being one of the chosen few to be a GPU student. I also asked to return to Aceh and help with their advocacy work after the graduation. Their motivation made me believe I will be able to become a better campaigner in future.

I’m very concerned with the environmental conditions in Aceh and Indonesia in general. I know there are companies that have been exploiting our natural resources, destroying our forests, causing pollution, seizing communities’ land. And communities received nothing in return, from, for instance, seeing their forests converted to palm oil plantations. I don’t know how much palm oil is planted there, or how many trees destroyed. But, the community got nothing except the big holes in the middle of the forest, pollution and many natural disasters. I want to contribute to improving the current conditions. I do not want to see Aceh devastated at my young age.

It’s been six weeks since I became a GPU student, I have learned much. We are introduced to all things related to Greenpeace; introduction to the organization, their activities, their campaign strategies, research and communications, political lobbying, project management and fundraising. I am also very impressed with the videos shown by Francis, our lovely Principal.  

I am happy learning at GPU. All the materials presented by the experts from Greenpeace Southeast Asia. Aha, GPU only currently operates in Indonesia, of course, that’s also the reason I’m very proud to be here. We also directly practice what we learn in the classroom, and outside. I was very impressed with the simulation of Non-Violence Direct Action (NVDA) held in the second week in Bogor. We are positioned to stop the operation of a company that has contributed to Indonesia’s forest destruction. We felt the struggle of a Greenpeace activist at the time.

I will share what I have learned in this GPU to my other activist friends. Before, we tried to follow Greenpeace’s campaign strategies, but we didn’t understand how then. I understand more now and will share it. Later, I’ll be back to tell to you what I learnt here. Then, we, along with Greenpeace, will try to make change for a better future.

Best wishes

Ina from Aceh

Early this morning a handful of Greenpeace volunteers and concerned citizens together with Fr. Robert Reyes, Former Representative Nereus Acosta and Former Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary, Bebeth Gozun braved Commonwealth Avenue, in Quezon City all the way to Batasan Pambansa, starting their march from Quezon City Hall, where Fr. Reyes was able to speak about the ‘real state of the nation’ in as far as the water crisis that Metro Manila and nearby provinces in Luzon are experiencing as the Angat Watershed’s dam reached a historical low of 157.55 masl last July 16 despite the rains, triggering interrupted water supply in Metro Manila.  Prompting water utility companies to implement a water rationing scheme to address the dwindling volume of water in the reservoir.

Along the way we were met with other groups of various political persuasions, causes, campaigns and ideologies. What can be found to be interesting here is that the number of us marching for clean water and addressing climate change impacts is but insignificant as compared to the sheer crowds that flocked the way to Batasan Pambansa –in a way giving us an idea about how far we are still in the struggle for clean water and the need to protect and conserve the remaining water supply.

Our march ended when we were finally able to reach Barangay Batasan Hills as we were forced to stop right before St. Peter Parish as the Philippine National Police has blocked it with barbed wires and container vans in order to prevent the growing number of protestors from the groups that will be marching later in the afternoon from reaching Batasang Pambansa.

For our part Greenpeace is demanding that the administration of President Noynoy Aquino take immediate steps to address the climate impacts that are now affecting the Philippines every year. Climate change is undoubtedly the biggest challenge the Philippines faces today, and the vulnerability of our water resources to this phenomenon is a reality that can no longer be ignored. We hope that P-Noy’s SONA message will sound the alarm and catalyze genuine climate action and protection for our fresh water sources.

Chuck Baclagon

July 15-31

• Robinsons Place Forum, Mandaluyong
• Park Square 1, Makati
• Quezon City Hall, Quezon City

August 1-31

• St. Francis Square, Mandaluyong

August 1-15

• MRT Magallanes Station, Makati

August 16-31

1. MRT Ayala Station, Makati

Where does water come from?  A question that has been asked of me unexpectedly in one of the meetings I’ve attended for a cause.  I was taken aback for it was actually the first time that I heard someone asked that kind of question.  I then began formulated uncertain answers such as “from the faucet?” or “from the purified water station near our apartment?” or rather “from the sea?”  Could be, right?  And from that moment on, I keep on asking myself, “where does water really come from?”  This is the question that all of us ought to know the answer.

We all know that one of the basic needs of human for survival is water.  We are all dependent on water, from washing of our clothes and dishes, taking a bath, cooking, and the like.  But the most important role of water in our lives is by serving as the fuel for us to live.  Without water our life is at stake, our life would be in danger.  Having this concern for humankind, Greenpeace and its Youth Solar Generation Pilipinas focused on the parched Angat Watershed which is the main source of water in Metro Manila.

Greenpeace and its Youth Solar Generation Pilipinas Team, in commemoration of the World Environment Day, organized an event to witness the current situation of Angat Watershed that has dried up due to El Niño phenomenon that has wallop the country for months.  The team left around 6:30 in the morning for Angat Watershed which is an hour and a half away from Metro Manila.  Upon our arrival, we were welcomed by the National Power-Angat Watershed Area Team or also known as the AWAT and they led us to the conference area wherein they feed us with information about the current situation of the dam.  Mendel S. Garcia, Chief, Angat Watershed Area Team, gave us a talk on managing the dam reservation.  The first thing to do in protecting our source of water is to implement stricter laws in the forest that surrounds the dam.  And I believe not just forest that surrounds the dam but for our remaining forest that has been the victim of illegal loggers.  We must be aware that it is important to preserve the forest for it serves as the habitat of species that most are already endangered.  Aside from implementing of laws, he also mentioned reforestation and agro forestry, tree planting, lobbying and provision of livelihood in protecting the reservoir.  In addition, Francis Dela Cruz, Greenpeace Public Outreach Campaigner, also gave a talk on the origin and the significant of the World Environment Day.  He emphasized that it is a must for us to take good care of the planet.  “Planet Earth doesn’t have planet B,” he reiterated.  He also encouraged campaigners and individuals to realize the importance of water before it’s too late.  “Stop polluting our existing water resources,” Dela Cruz said.  Based on the research, human beings don’t really care on their usage of water.  According to the statistics 2.2 centimeters of water in the dam recedes everyday, 120 liters are used by humans and 30 liters are wasted from leaks.  This goes to show that we are not that thrifty enough in the use of our water resources.

After the talk, AWAT took as to some focal points of the watershed for us to see for ourselves the current situation of the dam that provides water for Metro Manila.  It is so overwhelming to have been there but on the contrary, it is frustrating to see that the water from the dam is continuously receding and we are doing nothing to prevent it.  If this phenomenon continuous, there wouldn’t be enough water to satisfy all our needs in the coming years.  That is why being aware and being conscious of what is happening in our environment is very crucial.

The Youth of Solar Generation Pilipinas has much to say on what they have observed during the bearing witness Trip.  Jeffrey Wintson Lazaro, SG Pilipinas member, was alarmed by what he saw.  “It is an eye opener for us that we really must conserve water.  Coming from Bacolod City with abundant water resources and without experiencing this kind of water problem and shortages, I was so surprised to see the very little amount of water left knowing that it provides water for Metro Manila,” Lazaro said.

Aside from Greenpeace Supporters and Solar Generation members, some members of PETA also showed their support in commemorating the World Environment Day.  Patrizsa Lugartos, PETA member, has shown her concern by pledging for Greenpeace that she must conserve and use water wisely.  For her, it is her way to help all those who benefit the water from the dam.  As a Solar Generation member, I really find it depressing to see the dam being emptied due to our lack of concern not just for the water but for the planet as a whole. This only shows that we, as a stewards of this planet, don’t care that much.  But on the other hand, it is heartwarming to know that aside from me, having this concern for the world, there are also people who have the heart in voicing out their concern for the planet.  Buhawi “Buwi” Meneses, Bass Guitarist of Parokya Ni Edgar and Franco, also participated and he was also surprised of what has become of the popular Angat Watershed.  It was actually his birthday last June 4 and according to him, he considered the invitation to witness the watershed as a gift to himself before doing other personal matters.  As a resident of Metro Manila, he’s as well worried of what might have become if this thing continuous.  With him and the rest of the Greenpeace supporters and Youth of Solar Generation Pilipinas witnessed the alarming watershed.  If only the people of this planet work hand in hand, then the solution to the problem would be taken into action.

At this point, I realized that knowing the answer from the question “where did our water come from?” is merely significant.  If we know where, then it would be much easier for us to discern our actions in being stewards of this planet.  Let us act now before it’s too late.  We must remember, the clock keeps on ticking, and we can never go back once it stops.  Save water, save our planet.

Yhurri Mahinay / Solar Generation – Pilipinas