December Forum Consensus:

Give Gifts That Last!

CHRISTMAS was coming in only a handful of days and many people were really caught in that once-a-year outpouring of the gift-giving “spirit,” to the delight of shopping mall owners and other entrepreneurs in the Christmas industry. It was the 20th of December, and Kamayan para sa Kalikasan had its 154th session very close to Christmas Eve and talked about “Earth-Friendly Gift-Giving.” Consensus: Give gifts that last, including an environment in better shape for our children to live in.

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'Nature has Enough Energy Even for Human Folly'

Plugging Human Need

Into Earth's Energy Supply

Forum session on the eve of US war in oil-rich Mideast

NATURE apparently concealed deep under the ground its petroleum treasure for good reason. When pumped out and used for fuel, this “black gold” not only produces expensive energy but also spews a lot of “greenhouse gases” into the atmosphere, causing the current “Global Warming” phenomenon to worsen and pushing the Earth quicker down the path of melting polar caps and underwater cities. The Kamayan para sa Kalikasan forum focuses on energy its 155th session of January 17, two weeks before the scheduled US military attack on Iraq.

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GUEST EDITORIAL

BOXED FEATURE:

SPECIAL ARTICLE:

FOOTER QUOTE:

We know what we have to do;

so let's do it

Energy Policies: Objectives, Thrusts...

UGANAYANG PAMAYANAN para sa Kalikasan at Kinabukasan

Energy supply, wisely exploited and its use properly managed, should actually not be a problem. The earth abounds in natural resources. … The sun also has a limitless potential as an energy source.” – Fe San Juan Hidalgo, book author.

....

GUEST EDITORIAL

We know what we have to do and how; so, let’s do it!

[The Kamayan Para sa Kalikasan Journal proudly adopts as its own editorial for this issue the concluding part of the very informative article “What Shape is the Philippine Environment In? which was written by environmentalist educator Jose Lorenzo Tan and shared via the various email list groups. If we only had the luxury of more space, we would have carried his entire piece. Needless to say, we urge readers to have a copy of the full text. Maybe we can ask Bookmark if they have that in pamphlet form already or ask Mr. Tan via lorytan@wwf-phil.org.ph ]

UNLESS consistent, sustainable, high impact solutions are set in place nationwide, our forests and watersheds-- barely 5% of what they were a century ago--will disappear. No forests? No water. No water? No rice. No crops? No development. The water wars plaguing Africa may find their way here. Air quality will continue to deteriorate, leading to sudden increases in disease, physical and cognitive dysfunction, as well as a new assortment of endocrine system disorders that result in an inability to thrive.

Tragically, children will be hit first. Our remaining coral reefs, mangrove forests and seagrass beds will suffocate from siltation, toxics and the effects of climate change. Unabated sedimentation could aggravate sea level rise, leading to saltwater intrusion in rivers, estuaries as well as coastal towns and agricultural areas. Primary predator populations will have been reduced to levels so low that they can no longer effectively influence the health of our marine and forest ecosystems. Forest biodiversity, and therefore viability, will tip past recoverable levels. The remnants of our oceanic food chain will crash. Our population will break 100 Million.

The spiral will be swift and vicious. All this will happen as a result of misplaced priorities and poorly-managed human activity.

I am not asking you to believe me. I am asking if, for your children's sake, you would rather be safe, or sorry The solutions exist. We have most of the policy and legal

framework in place. They must be implemented and allowed to work, through local initiatives, authentic multi-sectoral partnerships and community-based efforts - without disruption from the annoying intramurals of the political elite. It is that simple.

We know how to restore forests and watersheds. We know how to rehabilitate reefs and rebuild fish stocks. We know that both power plant and vehicular emissions must be rigidly regulated; and that further investments in nuclear, coal and fossil fuel plants must never again be allowed. We know that we must stop poisoning our soils, water and air with non-biodegradable insecticides, pesticides and industrial effluents. We know that all protected areas are critical for the sustenance of human life, as we know it, and that all illegal activity in these vital conservation sites is tantamount to sabotage against the future of our own children. All we have to do is to uniformly uphold the law. It is that simple.

Let's do something about it.

Let us build a national consensus on the environment that will give birth to and fuel the political will to uphold the rule of law and the will of the People. Let us assemble a national database, available to all, describing sustainable solutions that have been tried and tested. All sectors must put their money down and get involved. All initiatives must be managed professionally, focusing on hard results rather than mere activity. Let us put aside turf battles. Let us teach each other. Let us learn from each other. And for once, let us agree on something fundamental that will profoundly affect all of us.

It may require major changes in mindset and in the way we live our lives. However, it is good economics. It is also good politics. It is for the good of all Filipinos, today and tomorrow. It is that simple.

We started it. We can stop it. We must.

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FORUM FOCUS

'Nature has Enough Energy Even for Human Folly'

Plugging Human Need

Into Earth's Energy Supply

Forum session on the eve of US war in oil-rich Mideast

NATURE apparently concealed deep under the ground its petroleum treasure for good reason. When pumped out and used for fuel, this “black oil” not only produces expensive energy but also spews a lot of “greenhouse gases” into the atmosphere, causing the current “Global Warming” phenomenon to worsen and pushing the Earth quicker down the path of melting polar caps and underwater cities. The Kamayan para sa Kalikasan forum focuses on energy its 155th session of January 17, two weeks before the scheduled US military attack on Iraq.

The new war adventure of the world’s only remaining superpower will surely send sky-high the prices of petroleum products from the oil-rich Middle East region. What is worse is that wars end up with no real victors, only victims. And the biggest of all war victims has very often been the environment.

Beyond the oil prices and the war menace, however, the situation affords us the opportunity to review our collective levels of prudence and decide to really hurry the implementation of programs that will end all our dependence on petroleum and other fossil fuels to power all human enterprises, including human folly. It has been estimated that the Sun alone, to which all Earth energy is ultimately traced, can directly power six times the requirements of present-day human enterprises. Earth energy also includes gravity acting on water, wind power, geological heat and energy from decay of organic materials. Just what programs the Philippine government has on efforts to shift to earth-friendly renewable sources of energy and how fast the shift is projected to be done will be discussed in the 155th session of the Kamayan para sa Kalikasan forum on January 17, 2003.

Invited to attend are representatives from the Environment and the Energy departments; Atty. Angela Ibay, Climate Change information coordinator of the Manila Observatory; Filipino Inventors Society chairman Felipe Odullo; and “green charcoal” inventor Gonzalo Catan Jr.

Forum organizers could not invite energy-focused Philippine civil society delegates to the World Summit on Sustainable Development in South Africa last year, because they had earlier been scheduled to join an out-of-town workshop during this session of the Kamayan Forum.

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FORUM ECHOES

Give Gifts That Last!

CHRISTMAS was coming in only a handful of days and many people were really caught in that once-a-year outpouring of the gift-giving “spirit,” to the delight of shopping mall owners and other entrepreneurs in the Christmas industry. It was the 20th of December, and Kamayan para sa Kalikasan had its 154th session very close to Christmas Eve and talked about “Earth-Friendly Gift-Giving.” Consensus: Give gifts that last, including an environment in better shape for our children to live in.

On hand to greet the participants for the holidays and carry on a friendly chat with Sec. “Bebet” Gozun.

The consensus for earth-friendly gifts was strong from the very start. It was the rich diversity of gift ideas that made for very lively discussion.

Among them: claim and share gifts from nature, like seeds, small plants and even flowers; herbal food supplements, simple self-made gifts in creatively simple packaging (ban the non-biodegradable wrappers!), give time and opportunities for memorable and enriching experiences like educational trips, handwritten letters with deeply personal messages, and many others.

The greatest gift, the participants said, is a healthy environment for all the future generations of the great family of Nature, including the human race, to live healthy lives in.

About 20 students from Miriam College in Quezon City, invited by EBC and CLEAR member and Radyo Kalika-san anchor Prof. Rene Molina, constituted the big bulk of the participants.

Kamayan para sa Kalikasan forum is convened by the Communicators League for Environmental Action and Restoration (CLEAR) with SALIKA on the 3rd Friday of every month from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., including a free video-showing by EBC. For almost 13 years now, the forum has been fully sponsored by Kamayan Restaurant

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BOXED FEATURE

Energy Policy: Objectives, Thrusts, and Strategies

RECOGNIZING the role of energy as an essential input to economic and social development, the Philippine government has set the fundamental objectives, thrusts and strategies of the energy program:

OBJECTIVES:

1. Supply Objective: To insure the availablility of energy to markets in the country at reasonable prices.

2. Demand Objective: To promote the judicious and efficient use of energy resources.

3. Environmental Objective: To accomplish both the above objectives with minimal adverse effects on the environment.

THRUSTS:

1. Promotion of energy self-reliance, the economy being still substantially dependent on imported energy, with import share still geared towards minimizing dependence on outside sources of energy supply.

2. Rationalization of energy prices to reflect true costs of production and distribution. With the relative levelling off of energy prices in view*, the country can now affort to shift to market-based pricing from earlier methods which sought to insulate certain sectors of the economy from the drastic impact of price fluctuations.

3. Encouragement of energy conservation measures to promote efficiency. Whether in a crisis or in a crisis situation, the importance of prudent use of energy cannot be overemphasized, with benefits ranging from reduced foreign exchange drain to lower production costs.

4. Participation of the private sector in energy projects. With energy options and infrastructure already in place, the catalytic role of the government in various aspects of the energy business must be continually shifted from actual partticipation towards private sector encouragement by providing incentives and effective monitoring and regulation of this.

5. Maintenance of environmental and safety measures for energy projects. Human and ecological health welfare is the primary concern of the environment efforts, to abate the environmental hazards inherent in certain energy projects.

STRATEGIES: (1) continuation of indigenous energy resources exploration and development; (2) completion of “committed” energy projects; (3) continued departure from oil-based generation except in more efficient systems such as co-generation; (4) review of sector efficiency in all stages; (5) continuation of viable energy conservation programs and projects; (6) Upgrading of oil refinery capacity to meet projected demand for petroleum products; (7) restructuring of power rates recognizing long-term marginal costs; (8) pricing of domestic petroleum products consonant with international oil prices; (9) streamlining and improvement of operations of electric cooperatives and utilities; (10) maintenance ofevaluation and implementation procedures on environmental aspects.

[Source: Fe San Juan Hidalgo, Sustainable Development – Every Filipino’s Concern (Manila: Rex Book Store, 1999), pp. 128-130.

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SPECIAL ARTICLE

UGNAYANG PAMAYANAN

PARA SA KALIKASAN AT KINABUKASAN

Itayo na natin ang mga lupon (komite) nito sa pinakamaraming barangay na makakaya natin upang itaguyod ang pagtutulungan ng mga lokal na pamahalaan, lokal na kooperatiba, boy scouts, girl scouts, PTAs, at iba pa, sa pangangalaga ng kapaligiran sa mga komunidad na pinag-uugatan. Ayon ito sa Pambansang Kasunduan, na nilagdaan ng mga pinuno ng BSP, GSP, kilusang kooperatiba, at League of Municipalities, noong Hunyo 2002 sa World Environment Day.

PAGKAKAISANG PAMBANSA AT LOKAL: Ang Ugnayang Pamayanan ay proyekto ng SanibLakas ng Taongbayan Foundation, World Environment Day-Philippines Network, Boy Scouts of the Philippines, Girl Scouts of the Philippines, at 6th National Cooperative Summit National Committee (at pangunahing national cooperative federations), sa tulong ng League of Municipalities of the Philippines, upang ang kani-kanilang mga yunit at kasapi ay makabuo ng malakas na pagtutulungan para sa mga lokal na pagsisikap. Nakalagda ang mga organisasyong ito sa Pambansang Kasunduan para sa Ugnayang Pamayanan na may petsang Hunyo 2, 2002. (Ang Liga ng mga Barangay ay aanyayahang sumali.)

MGA BUBUO NG LUPON: Pinuno o kinatawan ng Barangay Council bilang convenor at facilitator; namumunong mga kinatawan ng BSP at GSP (kapwa nag-aaral pa); kinatawan ng sektor ng kooperatiba, kinatawan ng parent-teachers’ association; ng health center; at ng samahan ng mamamayan (PO) sa lugar. Magsisilbing observers at/o tagapayo ang mga kinatawan DENR, mga NGO, at iba pang makatutulong sa Lupon.

MGA PRINSIPYONG BATAYAN NG PAGKAKAISA: Sumusunod ang Limang Prinsipyo ng Ugnayang Pamayanan na siyang batayan ng kanilang pagkakaisa sa sama-samang mga pagpapasya at pagkilos:

1. Katapatan sa Halaga ng Buhay. Palagiang maninindigan ang Lupon na di-masusukat ang halaga ng Buhay –buhay ng Tao, kalidad ng buhay ng mga tao, kalidad ng buhay ng pamayanan mismo, at buhay ng likas na kapaligirang tahanan nito – at di matutumbasan ng salapi.

2. Katapatan sa Buong Katotohanan. Bilang daluyan ng impormasyon para sa pamayanan, pagsisikapin ng Lupon na makalap at maipon sa talaan ang lahat ng mahahalagang impormasyong nauukol at nagsasangkot sa “kalikasan” at “kinabukasan” ng kanilang pamayanan.

3. Katapatan sa Karapatang Magpasya ng Pamayanan. Ang Lupon ay palagiang maninindigan para sa demokratikong karapatang magpasya ng pamayanan sa lahat ng usaping nagsasangkot sa kanilang sama-samang kapakanan.

4. Katapatan sa Simulain ng Pagsasanib-lakas at Pagkakaisa. Sa lahat ng gagawing hakbangin at lahat ng pamamaraang gagamitin ng Lupon, isasaalang-alang ang layuning buuin, palakasin at/o panatilihin ang pagkakaisa ng pamayanan.

5. Katapatan sa lahat ng mga Batayang Karapatan. Walang gagawing hakbangin ang Lupon na lalabag sa karapatan sa malayang pag-iisip at malayang pamamahayag o sa anumang iba pang batayang karapatang pantao ninuman sa loob o sa labas ng pamayanan, at maninindigan pa nga ito laban sa anumang gayong paglabag ninuman at kaninuman.

PAANONG ITATAYO ANG LUPON: Sa bawat barangay na may isa sa mga dapat maging kasapi (halimbawa, isang yunit ng GSP o isang kooperatiba) na nakaalam na nito, kailangang paalaman ang ibang dapat maging kasapi (halimbawa, isang yunit ng BSP, ang PTA at ang Barangay Chairman) at magsimula ng pag-uusap-usap ukol dito, at simulang pag-usapan ang Limang Prinsipyo upang maipalaganap sa kani-kanilang mga kasapian. Ipaalam sa Ugnayang Pamayanan Secretariat na kayo ay nagsimula nang humakbang ukol sa proyekto o interesado rito, at padadalhan kayo ng karagdagan pang datos at materyales. Kasalukuyang ihinahanda ang isang Aklat-Patnubay o Guidebook para sa pagtatayo at pag-andar ng mga Lupon ng Ugnayang Pamayanan.

Sumulat po o tumelegrama sa: Ugnayang Pamayanan Secretariat c/o SanibLakas Foundation, 6173-C Gabaldon, Poblacion, Makati City 1210 Philippines, tel. no. 8951173, e-mail: ugnayang2002@yahoo.com.

SA PAGSISIKAP NATING SAGIPIN ANG ATING KALIKASAN LABAN SA SARI-SARING KLASENG PAMIMINSALA, TUMITINDIG NGAYON ANG UGNAYANG PAMAYANAN, ANG PAGTUTULUNGAN NG IBA’T IBANG SAMAHAN SA ATING MGA KOMUNIDAD! PAGTULUNG-TULUNGAN NATIN ANG GAWAING ITO, SA KAPARAANANG TAPAT AT HAYAG. SA PAGSISIKAP NA ITO, LAHAT TAYO’Y NAKATAYA SAMPU NG SUSUNOD PANG MGA SALINLAHI. SALAMAT PO! [ PAID AD SPACE ]

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	*All are invited.* to the *Kamayan para sa Kalikasan Environmental Forum* held regularly since March 1990 on the 3rd Friday every month, 10 am-2pm at the Kamayan Restaurant along-EDSA, Mandaluyong City. It is convened jointly by the Communicators’ League for Environmental Action and Restoration (CLEAR) and Sanib-Lakas ng Inang Kalikasan (SALIKA), fully sponsored by *Kamayan*.