Filed under: Deep Green, Greenpeace, Greenpeace Core Values, Life at work, Philippines | Tags: birthday, Direct Action, Earth Day 2010, greenpeacebuzz, love
Earth Day is a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment.
22 April 2010: Earth Day
It is almost midnight.
Earth Day is only minutes away from being over. Another day, has passed and like in so many things that are subject to time, this day now becomes part of my memories and are now recorded as a chapter in my life.
I am more than glad that this remembrance of Earth Day was done with the celebration of the life of a dear person with whom I count myself fortunate to have as a friend .
Perhaps it is safe to say that in as far as speaking about Earth Day and the need to uphold the urgent struggle of safeguarding the environment, the celebration of Earth Day and the work for those in the environmental movement must always be reflected in the context of love for life –and I am not talking here about token sentimentally about Mother Nature, nor am I simply being a bleeding heart for the cute and cuddly animals, nor am I romanticizing my love for the outdoors –far from it!
While it is true that the aforementioned things are part of the things that bear weight in my decision to commit myself to my work with Greenpeace, a larger part of me recognizes the resolute urgency of taking action for the environment lies in the love that can be found in life that is shared in relationships –relationships that can be found in that of parents, grandparents, children, siblings, relatives friends, comrades, kindred spirits and lovers.
Filed under: Life at work, Philippines, Project Clean Water, Stop climate change | Tags: angat dam, Climate Change, el nino, GEI, Green Electoral Initiative, Greenpeace, greenpeacebuzz, nawasa, Philippines, poso, saan galing ang tubig mo, san galing tubig mo, summer, tagtuyot, tubig, Water, water crisis, water scarcity
One of the volunteers waterproofing the camp.
Early this morning our sleep was cut short by what started out as a drizzle of rain that suddenly became a shower that caught us all by surprise.
Our day started with putting things under the makeshift shed that was hastily created to waterproof our sleep area as well as our electronic equipment. Everyone scrambled to put up some tarps and waterproof our gear and equipment. In the middle of the rain some of us tried putting up a rain gauge to measure the precipitation levels.
Continue reading
Filed under: Life at work, Philippines, Project Clean Water, Stop climate change | Tags: angat dam, Climate Change, el nino, GEI, Green Electoral Initiative, Greenpeace, greenpeacebuzz, nawasa, Philippines, poso, saan galing ang tubig mo, san galing tubig mo, summer, tagtuyot, tubig, Water, water crisis, water scarcity
Dead fish that were landlocked when the waters subsided can be found around the water camp area
The star-lit tapestry in the sky signals the end of our first day at camp.
The day started at around 5AM when I was met in the office with colleagues, friends and comrades from Greenpeace, who like me were also preparing their gear for the camp.
A few minutes prior to our departure I wrote of my Facbook status: “umalis para hanapin kung saan galing ang tubig na iniinom mo.” (left to discover where our drinking water comes from.)
Filed under: Greenpeace, Life at work, Philippines, Volunteers | Tags: 2010 Presidential Elections, Activists, Edsa, GEI, Green Electoral Initiative, greenpeacebuzz, Philippine Elections, Volunteers
EDSA, is the main circumferential road and highway of Metro Manila as it functions as an important commuting artery between the northern and southern parts of the metropolitan area. Moreover it is known for place in Philippine history as it served as a venue to some of the biggest political upheavals in recent times.
Yesterday, Greenpeace volunteers unfurled banners along the stretch of EDSA to challenge presidential candidates to take up environmental concerns in their campaign platforms, especially since these issues impact on basic needs: clean energy, clean water and safe food.
Filed under: Greenpeace | Tags: Activism, greenpeacebuzz, Reader's Digest, Trust Poll, Von Hernandez
“It’s an honour to receive the recognition and trust of the people in one of the world’s most vulnerable regions to climate change. The work to protect and conserve our fragile environment never stops. We cannot afford to give up fighting for our future” - Von Hernandez
Greenpeace Southeast Asia Executive Director Von Hernandez is among the top 20 most trusted Filipinos, according to poll results recently presented by the magazine Reader’s Digest this week. The nationwide survey is the first Asian Reader’s Digest Trust Poll which asked respondents to rate 80 influential Filipino personalities on their trustworthiness. The list included celebrities, artists, scientists, philantrophists, journalists and politicians.
The ranking, which placed Von on the 18th spot, is the latest recognition given to one of Asia’s leading environmental activists. Von was hailed as one of Time Magazine’s Heroes of the Environment in 2007. In 2003 he received the Goldman Environmental—the Nobel Prize equivalent for grass-roots environmentalists—for his work against
waste and incineration.
Von started working with Greenpeace International in 1995 as coordinator for the environmental group’s toxics campaign in Asia. As an environmental activist of more than fifteen years he has initiated a number of environmental campaigns and projects in the Philippines such as the campaign for the rehabilitation of the Pasig River, and the crusade to clean-up toxic contaminated sites in the former US military bases in Clark and Subic. He is also a founder and key driver of various environmental initiatives and coalitions both at the national and international levels including the Global Anti-Incineration Alliance (GAIA), Waste Not Asia, Lakbay Kalikasan, the Ecowaste Coalition, the Sagip Pasig Movement, and the People’s Task Force for Bases Clean-up.
Since 2008, Von has been at the helm of Greenpeace Southeast Asia, steering the environment group in its work to campaign for solutions to climate change, protect the region’s ancient forests, eliminate water pollution, and promote sustainable agriculture.
Lea Guerrero
Filed under: Eliminate toxic chemicals, Life at work, Philippines | Tags: Activism, Cancer Warriors Foundation, Facebook, greenpeacebuzz, Step Juan, Tomas Leonor, volunteerism
When longtime Greenpeace volunteer Tomas Leonor told us about Step Juan, I thought it was a brilliant idea. Step Juan, which was co-organized with the Cancer Warriors Foundation, was meant to raise awareness and funds for children with cancer by walking the island of Luzon from North to South.
Filed under: Greenpeace, Greenpeace Core Values, Life at work, Philippines | Tags: Activism, Cancer Warriors Foundation, Facebook, greenpeacebuzz, Step Juan, Tomas Leonor, volunteerism
The 7x9 feet three panel mural painted by the University of the Philippines Artists’ Circle Fraternity to commemorate the 20th anniversary of SV Rainbow Warrior’s bombing.
To the dismay of my colleagues here in the Philippine office I am licensed to surf the web and even log on to this pesky website called Facebook –and come to think of it is indeed really interesting what you can find over there, as a few minutes ago I was able to come across Greenpeace International’s profile picture on their page and seeing it again (although technically I see it everyday as it is one of the first things that will always greet me as I enter the office) reminded me of the my first assignments when I started to become a part of Greenpeace, fulltime, not to mention one of the first people that I’ve been glad to call a comrade in the cause who is none other than —Tomas Leonor.
Continue reading
Filed under: Life at work, Philippines, Stop climate change | Tags: astro turfing, chevron, google, google adwords, greenpeacebuzz
screenshot of a Google search on "climate change"
AdWords is Google’s flagship advertising product and main source of revenue.
Google defines AdWords as ads that are displayed along with search results when someone searches Google using one of specific keywords. Enabling groups and companies in online adversitesment choose the exact content placements where they like their ad to appear.
Filed under: Philippines, Stop climate change | Tags: c2c, Climate Change, greenpeacebuzz, Philippines, Tcktcktck
I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the countdown timer for the Copenhagen Summit in my computer screen zeroes flickered. This is it… Today the world holds its breath as world leaders arrive in Copenhagen, Denmark to decide what the global fight against climate change will look like.
Filed under: Life at work, Philippines, Stop climate change | Tags: Activism, Anne Leonard, c2c, Climate Change, climate justice, Copenhagen, greenpeacebuzz, Story of Cap and Trade, Story of Stuff, USA
December 1st marks the worldwide release of the 9-minute animated film The Story of Cap & Trade which takes a provocative but humorous look at cap and trade, the leading climate solution under consideration in Copenhagen and on Capitol Hill.
Greenpeace Southeast Asia 