Greenpeace Southeast Asia


Sowing the seeds of the [r]evolution… by Chuck Baclagon
September 6, 2010, 11:12 am
Filed under: Stop climate change, End the nuclear age | Tags: , , , ,

…in Cebu…

Anti-Nukes road show (Cebu)

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anti-nukes road show pangasinan leg by Chuck Baclagon
August 22, 2010, 8:51 am
Filed under: Stop climate change, End the nuclear age | Tags: , ,

Last week, I joined Greenpeace on its Anti-Nukes Roadshow, a public awareness tour about the dangers of nuclear energy and to promote the Energy [r]evolution our campaign for renewable energy sources and energy efficiency practices, to the provinces that have passed resolutions that allow nuclear power plants to be constructed in their areas.

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


Say you want a [r]evolution? by Chuck Baclagon

Lately there’s a lot of clamour for energy sources that can meet our electrical needs in the face of catastrophic climate change.

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!

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SONA reflection on the state of water in the Philippines by Chuck Baclagon

Every year the President of the Republic of the Philippines, opens the resumption of the joint session of the Congress to report on the status of the nation in what we call the State of the Nation Address (SONA).

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.

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World Environment Day: Bearing Witness Trip- Angat Watershed by dalisayliwanag

From Solar Generation – Pilipinas

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.

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Putting Obama’s Arctic drilling announcement in perspective by Chuck Baclagon

Originally posted by Greenpeace US.

The news today out of Washington has been somewhat promising, but these are small steps in a very long march towards a clean energy economy — an economy with none of the potential for massive ecological destruction such as we’ve seen in the Gulf.

Minerals Management Service (MMS) Director Elizabeth Birnbaum submitted her resignation letter this morning. Also today the Obama Administration renewed a moratorium in the pristine Beaufort and Chukchi seas in Alaska for the next 6 months, canceled the pending lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico and Virginia, and suspended action on 33 wells in the Gulf of Mexico. Greenpeace welcomes any and all investigations of the root causes of the BP Deepwater Disaster. Furthermore, Greenpeace welcomes the President’s call to develop clean, renewable sources of energy. These are all positive steps.

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BP Deepwater Disaster and Gulf Oil Spill by Chuck Baclagon

The Deepwater Horizon accident and oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is a disaster unfolding before our eyes. Eleven lives were lost in the initial explosion, and that incalculable loss is compounded daily as oil continues to flow.

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Updates From the Dam to the Farmlands by ocho

As I walked in the 5 hectares of land in Brgy. Mangumbali, Candaba Pampanga, I can feel the land crumbling under my feet. The land is so dried that Mr. Numeriano Alabado was not able to harvest any rice crop that he planted in his area. His fields are now full of bigcracks that if you’re not cautious, the soil might collapse.

Their water source is from UPRIS-Upper Pampanga River Irrigation System.Pantabangan Dam is the main source of their irrigation system, because the dam has stopped supplying water due to drought; their rice lands have been destroyed. Almost all the farmers in this town have lost their income due to extreme drought. All of them we’re saying that this was the first time that they’ve experienced this kind of phenomenon.

The local government provided them aid by giving them STW or Shallow Tube Well but its already late to be use for this season because of lack of water. For them, only rain could restore their devastated lands.

A.C. Dimatatac


Up North: Still No Water by ocho

We’re on our last day of our travel in the drought affected lands of Central and North Luzon. We went to Brgy. San Isidro in Naguilan, La Union wherein we met some farmers who are members of Pakisama, an organization which is into sustainable agriculture and supports capacity building of  farmers in the North.

Mr. Ronaldo B. Calica, a farmer whose crops are mainly corn, said that this is the worst drought ever. The sources of water in their area are the small creeks nearby and they are mostly dependent to rain. According to him, the last rainfall they had was when typhoon Pepeng hit the country last October 2009. After that, they didn’t experience any rainfall at all. He normally earns around 10 to 15 thousand pesos from his 1 hectare of corn but now it’s zero balance. He spent too much for the gasoline of his water pump and fertilizers but it was all for nothing because his land got dried up due to insufficient supply of water. He showed us his corn crops that are so small he can no longer use it. Continue reading



Chernobyl Day by Chuck Baclagon
April 26, 2010, 6:35 am
Filed under: Greenpeace, Stop climate change, End the nuclear age | Tags: , ,

From the Nuclear Reaction blog

Twenty four years ago today, the Number 4 reactor exploded at Chernobyl. It was the worst nuclear accident the world has ever seen.

chernobylnuclearexplosion.jpg

Two people were killed in the explosion. Thirty-seven died of acute radiation sickness soon afterwards. According to engineers who were there, dozens were killed while building the reactor’s concrete sarcophagus. More than 2,000 villages around Chernobyl were contaminated by radioactivity. More than 330,000 people were evacuated and relocated. Statistics predict approximately 270,000 cancers and 93,000 fatal cancer cases will be caused by Chernobyl. At least three million children required medical treatment. The effect on the health of the survivors and their children has been devastating: accelerated ageing, cardiovascular and blood illnesses, psychological illnesses, chromosomal aberrations and an increase in foetal deformations.

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