Cool the Planet!

First glimpse of Bali

2007-11-30T22:37:00.000+08:00

At 30˚C, it’s no ‘white Christmas’, contrary to the songs played on the radio here in Bali, Indonesia. The time is also ‘heating up’ for the upcoming negotiation in the 13th UN Climate Change Conference that will start on December 3rd until the 14th – a critical period to strengthen and “ensure that the Kyoto Protocol is extended and expanded with deeper emissions reductions under the second commitment period.” And the youth of the world could not just sit-and-watch the turn of events: we want to be SEEN and be HEARD of our call to a future where ‘clean, renewable energy is the key.”

We, the SolarGeneration (SG Youth), together with our young creative and enthusiastic Indonesian friends, join together in a collective voice to “stop climate change now” through the Energy [R]evolution!

Last night, the gibbous moon captured us while on the way to the guest house. I was together with Hong of SG-China and Janine of SG-Germany. It was past midnight when we arrived at the guest house. The two of them retired to bed the soonest while I stayed quite a bit at the reception area and read the Jakarta Times with a number of articles on climate change issue, and after which I met with the Greenpeace campaigners and SG member, Woon from Thailand. It felt great to be surrounded with happy and passionate people of which the zest of inspiration sprung like the beautiful, white Jasmine flower under the cerulean sky of this picturesque tropical island that is at threat due to the “human-induced” climate change.

Early this morning, I was greeted by a melodic song of a bird unusual to my early morning back in the Philippines. I joined the team for breakfast and had planning session with Woon for the interactive game at the SolarGeneration booth in the conference center. Hong and Janine joined us and shared their ideas for the game.

Right after noontime, we left for the “basecamp” and met with the creative Greenpeace volunteers working on the campaign materials like the giant thermometer and the planet Earth effigy.

“Come Together” of the Beatles was playing in the airwaves – a very good tune just in time of the afternoon’s get together. I felt good listening to all Beatles’songs while helping out with in making the visual aids for the meeting.

We eventually had a meeting together with a good number of volunteers. Galih, Christian, and Aryo (the interpreter of the group) discussed the flow of the Solar Festival for the next two days at Kuta Beach and assigned groupings for the event. We left the basecamp for a trip back to the guest house for dinner and a short briefing with the team.

Coming together in one spirit and in one goal provides a ‘sense of inspiration’ to keep up what we believe is good for every living creature in the planet – to have a ‘green’ and peaceful environment.

Youth Taking the Future into their Own Hands

2007-08-10T23:34:00.000+08:00

SolarGeneration Pilipinas Calls on Government to Help Stop Climate Change

MANILA, 10 AUGUST 2007-- On August 12, 2007, more than one billion youth from all over the world will be commemorating the 7th International Youth Day, which has for its theme, "Be Seen, Be Heard: Youth Participation for Development." SolarGeneration Pilipinas is one with youth from all over the world in celebrating the youth's role in nation-building and is calling on the Philippine government to work toward solutions to climate change.

"There is no better time to be part of the youth [base] than today. Numerous problems beset the country and the youth is quick to realize that it is not enough to cheer at the sidelines while the elders are going crazy trying to find solutions to such problems. The youth are now given the opportunity to act with the elders. In cases where elders are uncooperative, the youth has no choice but to take the issue into their own hands," said SolarGeneration Pilipinas member Denise Matias.

"The Philippines has just escaped an impending drought with the arrival of a much-prayed for downpour, which also claimed the lives of at least 6 Filipinos. Human-induced global warming is already rearing its ugly face in the Philippines. However, all is not without hope. Just as the current global warming trend is brought about by human activities, so can climate solutions be."

This is a good example of an issue where the elders are not in sync with the youth. Matias surmises that this is probably due to the elders' myopic view of the issue. Most elders reason that they won't live long enough to feel the effects of climate change, not realizing that it is their children's and the youth's future at stake.

SolarGeneration Pilipinas calls on the Filipino nation to fully recognize the role of Filipino youth in solving pressing global issues. In their campaign for climate solutions, SolarGeneration Pilipinas members give suggestions on what each and every Filipino can do to avoid catastrophic climate change.

"A little goes a long way. Even a small cut on your power consumption will limit carbon emissions. Turn off the aircon and just use an electric fan especially since it's getting cold [due to the rainy season]. Or for college students, when you pass by an empty classroom, make sure the lights and the fans are turned off. Don't forget to tell your friends and family to practice the same energy-saving habits. We all have a stake in this world after all," said SolarGeneration Manila member Monchi Roderos.

Roderos, however, was careful to note that this is only the immediate solution to climate change. He believes that only a good policy and sound legislation on climate change can effectively solve the current crisis. "Like it or not, the government is still the best answer to our climate woes. Write, petition, serenade or do whatever gimmick you can think of to your Congressman and Senator or even your local government to raise awareness on the issue. After all, they should be working for the public and that's us," added Roderos.

Fellow SolarGeneration Pilipinas members Mary Ann Lee and Criena House agree with Roderos. Lee believes, "that the Filipino nation should continue to push and lobby the government for the funding of clean energy projects. More awareness about climate change should be created among the Filipino people. Education of both the old and young alike, should be prioritized." House, on the other hand, reminds the Philippine government to put the country's resources into good use. "The government knows that the Philippines has alot of renewable energy potential, so why not make use of it? Especially at a time of energy shortage, it would be wiser to use wind, solar, or geothermal power than "clean coal" because it worsens global warming. Build wind turbines or set up solar panes than build superhighways," said House.

"In the 2004 International Conference for Renewable Energies Declaration in Germany, as a SolarGeneration Pilipinas representative, I witnessed the Philippine representatives 'reaffirm their commitment to substantially increase with a sense of urgency the global share of renewable energy in the total energy supply.' Three years later and with a new Department of Energy secretary, I have yet to see the government translate its commitment into action. This just shows how the government puts little value on their promises to the youth," said Abigail Jabines, now Greenpeace Southeast Asia Climate and Energy Campaigner.

SolarGeneration Pilipinas members say that there are already enough empty statements, promises and commitments made. It's time that these are translated into concrete actions and that the elders and the government give more value to the youth. Climate change is already happening and it is happening fast. If the Philippine government is reluctant to take the lead on this, SolarGeneration Pilipinas members will have no choice but to step up, unite with fellow youth, and take their future into their own hands. ###

SolarGeneration is an international youth organization campaigning for climate solutions. Currently in 11 countries worldwide, SolarGeneration has actively participated in important climate meetings of IPCC, ADB, UNFCCC COP/MOP. SolarGeneration has also installed renewable energy projects and called for energy efficiency in schools through Green Campus projects. For more information, visit www.solargeneration.org. and solargenerationyouth.multiply.com

Simple lang, switch off!

2007-07-09T14:55:00.000+08:00

E-jeeps and people

2007-07-06T15:50:00.000+08:00

In Philippine history, anti-Marcos marches along the thoroughfare of Ayala Avenue served as a prelude to that led to the 1986 peaceful Edsa revolution and the same thing could be said for the Energy [R]evolution as electric-powered jeepneys are set to revolutionize the Philippines’ most recognizable icon, with a historic test drive along the busy streets of Makati City, the country's financial hub.

Korina Bustarga
Account Supervisor working in Makati

Q: What do you think of the program implementing Electric Jeepneys?

A: There's less pollution, makes us use renewable energy so that we don't make use of fossil fuels....That's good for the environment.

Q: Would you support the use of E-Jeepneys in Makati?

A: Of course, why not?

Person on the Street:
Korina Bustarga
Account Supervisor

Q: What do you think of the program implementing Electric Jeepneys?

A: There's less pollution, makes us use renewable energy so that we
don't make use of fossil fuels....That's good for the environment.

Q: Would you support the use of E-Jeepneys in Makati?

A: Of course, why not?

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Benjamin Fabia
President
Jeepney Drivers Association
(translated from Filipino)

I think that because it's quiet and does not pollute it's more comfortable for people to rice it [than ordinary jeepneys], and everyone
gets to save especially with the rising fuel prices.

Q: Do you think [Electric Jeepneys] will allow you to earn more?

A: I think so.

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Eddie Lahara
Jeepney Driver
PRC-LRT route
(translated from Filipino)

Q: How many kilometers is your route?

A: 5 Kilometers

Q: What do you think of the idea of Electric Jeepneys?

A: It's good because it's like driving automatic transmission and you'll also earn

Q: What do you think are the benefits of this project?

A: People won't inhale smoke from gasoline or diesel engines.

Simple lang, pledge for the planet!

2007-06-18T14:39:00.001+08:00

Coral and Coal

2007-06-14T15:49:00.000+08:00

Posted by Martin B on Greenpeace Making Waves

Jasper, Greenpeace South East Asia climate and energy campaigner, took time out from a coal industry conference in Bali to go coral diving.

Waking up early is always a pain, however, the prospect of going snorkelling in one of Bali’s best dive destinations is more than enough reason for me to drag myself out of bed at 5:00 a.m. Our destination is Menjangan Island, part of the Bali Barat National Park and Marine Reserve. Also known as ‘Deer Island’, it is home to one of Bali’s most popular scuba diving spots. Our mission is to bear witness to the amazing beauty of its coral reefs, which are threatened by massive bleaching due to sea temperature rise.

Following a bone-shaking 3-hour ride we arrive at the beach resort to catch the boat to Menjangan Island. With us is Professor Iyingketut Sudiarta of Warmadewa University in Denpasar, a marine biologist who has been studying Menjangan Island’s coral reefs. Our party boards two glass-bottomed boats, which afford us excellent, otherworldly views of the underwater world. We first head north east to check the area just outside the marine reserve. Our mood soon changes to one of depression and desolation as we find evidence of the appalling impacts this coral reef ecosystem has suffered. Professor Sudiarta tells us that reefs in the marine reserve suffered massive coral bleaching from the record high sea temperatures of the 1998 El Nino which hit 75-100% of the coral cover.

We then head west to Menjangan Island, looking forward to a less depressing sight and some snorkelling. The island’s dive sites boast great visibility, unspoilt coral, and abundant marine life. Through the glass bottom of the boat, we immediately notice the difference in the coral within the protected area. It is stunning and full of life with many different species of colourful fish everywhere, in stark contrast to the desolate reefs that we visited earlier. The dive sites contain 30 - 60 metre high walls of coral, with a fantastic array of soft and hard coral cover. From a depth of about 5 metres you can already find caverns and overhangs covered with soft corals and sponges.

I grab a set of diving skins for a closer look. A pair of brightly coloured Fusilier fish greet me as I swim towards the wall, while a Triggerfish eyes me warily. I begin to explore the crevasses hoping to spot a moray eel while enjoying the colourful garden formed by the massive, branching hard corals. The underwater world has never failed to amaze me and this dive spot ranks high on my list. However, the threat of massive coral bleaching and the desolate picture of the reefs we visited earlier lies heavily on my mind even as I enjoy the amazing sights of the healthy coral.

On the other side of the island, the coal industry is gathering for one of its regular Coal Trans meetings where business expansion is plotted and the discussion is all about profits, profits, profits with little regard for the environment, in particular climate change. The coal industry is responsible for about two-thirds of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions in the electricity sector and is the biggest climate change pollutant among fossil fuels.

It is even much more depressing to think that with the prediction of a more frequent El Nino and the subsequent massive bleaching, the Bali Barat National Park marine reserve and similar reserves around the globe stand little chance of survival if the coal industry does not stop its criminal ways. While the coal industry parties, the corals and our reefs are heading for a certain death. Join the energy revolution today.

Pinays reach Everest basecamp

2007-05-07T17:25:00.000+08:00

Three Filipinas are attempting to be the first Asian women to reach the Everest summit. They're delayed by the weather at the moment, but are determined to continue. From their blog:

The Kaya ng Pinay Everest Team support group has reached Chinese Base Camp here in Tibet. We're all here preparing to go up to Advanced Base Camp to meet the women and the big buzz here is our Filipina climbers because of the record that they're about to set.

The women, Carina Dayondon, Janet Belarmino and Noelle Wenceslao, will be traversing Mount Everest, meaning they will be climbing from Tibet and going down in Nepal. This has never been done by any woman so the three women will be setting a world record by doing just that. So a lot of people are talking about that here at base camp.

As you can see from the banner, they are also calling for action on climate change.

Separately, a Greenpeace sponsored expedition to photograph evidence of glacial melting in Himalayas recently had to turn back when they found the mountain path ahead had been wiped out - update from that team here. Millions in China and India depend on the water from Himalaya glaciers.

Taken from Greenpeace: Making Waves

Please pass it on...

2007-05-04T14:43:00.000+08:00

Summer downpours aren't normal for tropical countries like Thailand, where it has been relentlessly raining for almost a week, causing the flashfloods and the like. After hastily finishing a cup of coffee I ventured the rainy streets of Phaholyothin Soi 11 heading towards Ari where Arthur the offices' Communications Manager was waiting along with the media people whom the office invited to 'bear witness', to one of the horrid effects of climate change to coastal communities, in order to communicate the urgency of tackling climate change to the bureaucrats of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) who are meeting this week in Bangkok to discuss ways to mitigate global warming.

It took us more than an hour to drive to the place where we'll be taking a boat ride towards the coastal community of Khun Samutchine, which is the first community in Thailand to suffer the direct impacts of coastal erosion caused largely by storm surges brought about by climate change. While on the boat I got to meet Aurelie Uricher, a Solar Generation member from France who along with a host of other youth from around the world who are part of Solar Generation which is made up of young people from all over the world who are taking action against climate change and calling for a clean energy future, which was initiated by Greenpeace.

From the boat we were told that we'd be taking a short hike towards the village, of which we were told that we have to take off our shoes because it was very slippery because of the mud and rain. As we were hiking it's very obvious that the narrow patch of land that we're walking in used to be a part of a larger portion of the land mass in the area. Walking there you'd easily notice structures of what used to be were houses covered in eroded soil.

As we reached the village center we were greeted by a host of hospitable kids who offered us Pepsi and clean water to rinse our muddy feet on. Later on we were greeted by this huge woman who was introduced to us as their mayor, (or was it village chief?) Samorn Knegsamut, who showed us old photos of the place as well as artifacts from an ancient Chinese-Thai community that they were able to dig up since the soil subsequently eroded years earlier. She also told us of her account of how the soil erosion has forced her and a lot from the community to move their house 8 times so as to adapt to the rising waters that seemed to be engulfing their village.

Soon after, we were again hiking passing thru a row of houses on stilts; mud covered dogs' half-buried electrical pylons; buried houses and water tanks; and a long wooden bridge that was very slippery which eventually led to a Buddhist temple that has been buried up in soil with barely its top windows and spire sticking up to the ground. It kind of reminds me of ancient buried temples that we often see in movies like Indiana Jones or in video games like Tomb Raider; but what sets this temple apart is that its not ancient it was built there only 40 years ago, and it was only 20 years ago since it started to become submerged into the Gulf of Thailand.

In fact according to Dr. Thanawat Jarupongsakul, of the Department of Geology, in Chulanlongkorn University:
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The small coastal village of Khun Samutchine, in Samut Prakan province, south of Bangkok is the first community in Thailand, to suffer the direct impacts of coastal erosion caused by climate change. Samut Prakan province has the highest rate of erosion, officially at about 65 metres a year. The 200 households in the ancient settlement of Khun Samutchine has a profitable life living off the sea and enjoyed the bounty of a diverse natural habitat with wetlands, mangrove swamps, marshes, sloughs and estuaries that were home to a wide variety of flora and fauna. Unfortunately due to coastal erosion and advancing sea, most of these areas are degraded, deforested and devastated by the saltwater intrusion. 95 families have already been forced to abandon their coastal homes altogether, according to Samorn Kengsamut, village chief of Khun Samutchine "as most people cannot afford to keep building new houses again and again just to see them washed out to sea a few years later." The remaining 105 families have discovered that they cannot go any further inland without illegally intruding the land owned by other people. The most important landmark shrine for the residents of the Khun Samutchine is a Buddhist temple that was once was located in the forest many kilometers away from the beach front, but today it is claimed by the sea. As it is the community heart and soul, villagers made several attempts to contact various agencies to help and had spent their own money to purchase materials to save the area around the temple from further erosion. Stabilizing and rehabilitating the shoreline is a costly undertaking for villagers at Khun Samutchine. For them, the temple could be protected by constructing breakwaters. Samorn Knegsamut, the village chief pointed out that even the mangrove trees cannot spread their roots because the mud is not deep enough to allow the trees to grow before the wind and wave wash it away.

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And as we presented our banners that read "don't drown our future" as a reminder to the delegates at the IPCC meeting it was clear to me that the threat of climate change is not something that we can just shrug our shoulders on and pretend that like its 'business as usual'. Immediate action should be done to curb the uptake of greenhouse gas emissions which causes global warming and while it is all good to talk about adaptation to impacts it is more important to resist the threat from the source which is our continuous dependence on fossil fuel and in the case of Asia: coal, which has brought Thailand communities like Mae Moh, where more than 30,000 people have been displaced from their homes, thousands have experienced severe respiratory problems caused by the inhalation and exposure to sulfur dioxide emitted from the coal mine.

So as we have 'bear witness' it was obvious now that we have moral responsibility to take action according by telling the story of Khun Samutchine and of the plight of its people who are at risk of the dangerous effects of climate change.

This is their story, please pass it on...
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Here are some interesting links related to this story
Solar Generation's Aurelie Uricher's account of the island
Don't Drown Our Future by Greenpeace campaigner Abigail Jabines
Photos of the area

Spoof of NZ energy company's TV ad

2007-05-02T09:36:00.000+08:00

Here's a spoof of the TV ad by coal hungry NZ state owned eneterprise Genesis Energy ...

HAPPY BIRDAY!

2006-12-07T11:21:00.000+08:00

Hello from Laos. This is a belated birthday greeting (almost two months past but not late -- I did greet my good friend...) and also a strange title, but I think it would have been sillier to use "Peeking at Pecking" as the lead to a post about bird watching. This is about the 8th birthday of Amaranna, perpetually eight years old, which she celebrated last October in style and with lots of color -- by hiking to Mt. Makiling on her big day with a group of friends and watching birds!

Here's a good take on a great birthday idea, which can also be a reminder of what we stand to lose if the climate continues to go awry. And the list of things to lose, as far as birds in a small, particular place is concerned, is long, as you will see towards the end of Amaranna's post. Can anyone tell me what the local names of the birds are listed at the end of this post? But here's excerpts from Amaranna's musings first... A couple of weeks after Milenyo (international code name: Xangsane) hit the Philippines, she and her friends decided to visit Mt. Makiling, curious about the effects of the typhoon on this birding haven.

"The morning started overcast and humid, which may have made viewing a little easier, as the birds seem slower. Makiling is not known as an easy birding area, but that morning, the place could only be described as dude birder's haven. The trail was closed, but all we really needed was to stay at the grounds of the TREES hostel. Milenyo had stripped a lot of trees of lots of their leaves and small branches, and so the birds were in full view.

"At first we couldn't put our bins down as we were seeing one bird after another. It was a delight to compare an Ashy Minivet with a Black and White Triller quite leisurely. Red-crested Malkohas, Coppersmith Barbets, Tarictic Hornbills simply took their time and stayed perched for what seemed to be an eternity for birdwatchers who'd normally just see a flash of feather here and there.

"After a while, we were so confident that we could put our bins down, rest our arms, have a cup of coffee, and munch on sandwiches because we knew the birds would still be there when we looked up again.

"The biggest thrill for breakfast was a Greater Flameback perched in full view, and for about 5 minutes right outside TREES hostel.

"At 8:30 am, the group headed towards the Botanical Garden and was greeted by noisy Bar-bellied Cuckoo Shrikes. Everyone stood in shock on the bridge towards the Raptor Center, gasping at the amount of mud dumped by a landslide on the once sparkling creek. Fortunately, all that mud did not keep members of the group from going down and being rewarded by a sighting of 2 Indigo-banded Kingfishers. For those who did not go down to the creek that morning, another trip to Makiling was instantly planned.

"Bird sitings:

1. Raptor sp. Accipitridae/ Falconidae sp. 1 probable Osprey
2. Philippine Serpent-Eagle Spilornis holospilus – 1
3. Philippine Falconet Microhierax erythrogenys - 2
4. White-eared Brown-Dove Phapitreron leucotis 4
5. Guaiabero Bolbopsittacus lunulatus 10
6. Scale-feathered Malkoha Lepidogrammus cumingi 1
7. Red-crested Malkoha (Rough-crested Malkoha) Dasylophus superciliosus 5
8. Philippine Coucal Centropus viridis - 2
9. Glossy Swiftlet Collocalia esculenta 10
10. Indigo-banded Kingfisher Alcedo cyanopectus 2
11. White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis 1
12. Spotted Wood-Kingfisher (Spotted Kingfisher) Actenoides lindsay - 1 heard
13. Tarictic Hornbill (Luzon Hornbill) Penelopides manillae 5
14. Coppersmith Barbet Megalaima haemacephala 10
15. Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker (Philippine Woodpecker) Dendrocopos maculatus 2
16. Greater Flameback Chrysocolaptes lucidus 1
17. Bar-bellied Cuckoo-shrike Coracina striata 5
18. Black-and-white Triller Lalage melanoleuca 3
19. Ashy Minivet Pericrocotus divaricatus 4
20. Yellow-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus goiavier 3
21. Yellow-wattled Bulbul Pycnonotus urostictus 10
22. Philippine Bulbul Ixos philippinus 15
23. Balicassiao Dicrurus balicassius- 7
24. Stripe-headed Rhabdornis (Stripe-sided Rhabdornis) Rhabdornis mystacalis 10
25. Arctic Warbler Phylloscopus borealis 1
26. Grey-backed Tailorbird Orthotomus derbianus 2 heard
27. Black-naped Monarch Hypothymis azurea 1
28. Yellow-bellied Whistler Pachycephala philippinensis 1
29. Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea 4
30. Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus 5
31. Coleto Sarcops calvus 2
32. Plain-throated Sunbird (Brown-throated Sunbird) Anthreptes malacensis 1 male
33. Red-keeled Flowerpecker (Red-striped Flowerpecker) Dicaeum australe 3
34. Lowland White-eye Zosterops meyeni - Heard
35. White-bellied Munia Lonchura leucogastra 3 #

The best solution?

2006-11-28T17:21:00.000+08:00

As I was flying to the expensively heated grounds of Singapore, captivated by Time Magazine's Science vs Religion feature, I came across the magazine's Best Inventions of the Year. Well, do I have to mention the overtly famous YouTube as the number one discovery? Lets not act surprised here. Amongst the new toys and transportations, the things that caught my attention were the hug-stimulating shirt, the floating bed, the appealing flexible flat lights and the hospital-helping robot, but I found the power saving knick-knacks, highlighted in the article, the most stirring of all.

As an architect, I am fascinated and intrigued and almost willing to invent, about saving energy, greenhouses, sustainable environment, etc. We have heard about hybrid cars and such, but these newbie devices are really cool and how I wish they will soon be available here in Manila, with a discount please.

The silver-hued flower light had a fresh, contemporary concept with a flash of energy-saving wonder. This is an environment-friendly, flower-shaped light which monitors the energy usage in your home. Pretty neat huh? It actually discerns the power consumption, if it's low, the light blooms and shows its charming beauty! But when it senses high usage, it gets shy and closes. The Swedish Company, Static! invented this Flowerful home piece to increase energy saving awareness, with a modern and quirky design. availablity? its not yet for sale.
To learn more, see www.tii.se/static

As much as we want to use solar power in our buildings and homes, sometimes, designers and even homeowners are wary on how those huge and protruding solar panels will look on top of their newly-built tower or house. The good news is, reportedly in 2008, the most dependable and thin film material for generating electricity from sunlight power, generating glass, steel, metal and polymers, making possible a new generation of solar energy units and photovoltaic construction materials will be out in the market! Time Magazine gave a thumbs-up to HelioVolt's FASST, a revolutionary solar-panel designed so slim, it can actually be part of that modern, minimalist building you just designed or admired! Now that's Slim, Shady and Solar-powered. Price is yet to be announced. Let's cross our fingers on this one! To learn more about this, visit www.heliovolt.com

We are all familiar with turbines and how it contributes to power saving techniques but this supposed best invention marks another notch in turbine technology. The Skystream 3.7 is a wind turbine designed especially for home use. Now, we can contribute in saving the environment! Installed on a 35-ft. vertical piece, it attaches to typical utility hookups and starts rotating in drafts as low as 8 m.p.h. The article states that it can generate up to 80percent of the average household's electricity and shave of approximately 600 bucks or more off annual utility costs. That's the good news. The downside is, it's about $10,000, including installation. OUCH. Hhhmmm, I wonder if this can also cut down its price?
To learn more visit skystreamenergy.com

Of course, we have to face the irony of these things, the technology that costs the manufacturers to come up with these remarkable ideas are indeed veritably expensive yet helpful. Is this like a science versus religion discussion? maybe style vs substance? is it like buying a fast food burger over a gourmet, organic sandwich? Do we continue to emphasize and draw light to new and costly concepts? Or do we retrace our steps and just do the simplest deeds? Like switching off the light when you go out perhaps? but some issues are not that easy to solve, especially when it concerns our health, the environment, our lives. Think about the long-term effects these intially costly devices will give. lesser consumption means lesser decimal points on those bills!

TRIVIA TIME

2006-11-28T10:33:00.000+08:00

Well, it's been a while. This "prelude to a wrap-up" has taken some time. Thankfully Bengkers managed to get a nice post from her friend, Giselle, which you can browse in the post just before this one. As thanks, were posting a nice sunset pic for Giselle from young ones at the historic site of Angkor Wat, standing up (and sitting down) for their future.

There were questions before as to whether, after the Nairobi climate negotiations end, we should also conclude the Cool The Planet blog. Everything should have an ending, but apparently, according to some letter writers, there's little reason to bring our little conversation to a close. One said, we've managed to connect disparate approaches made from distant lands on a common topic, which is no mean feat. Another wrote asking why the frequency of posts went down when the colors had just begun to get interesting.

What to do? Right now, it's hard to say. All conversations come to an end when the number of voices dwindle to one or some, or none, which of course says that it's all up to us to say whether everyone moves on or not. It's been a tiring one month push, in truth, and friends in Metro Manila have been busy seeding the minds of many in their work to get both houses of the Philippine legislature not just to adopt a renewable energy bill but to pass a definitive one that is actually useful and strong. We still hope of course that one or some of them will find time to actually share what they've been up to along with the fruits they have picked up along the way, particularly the inside stories, the funnies and the odd piece of news.

While we wait for their consideration, why not share your thoughts on the questions below? Give 'em a try...

1. Did his reindeers go on strike or has Santa Claus joined the Animal Liberation Front and freed his brown bucks?

2. What does Ellen Ripley -- that bad mama nemesis of the xenomorph Alien -- have in common with an angelic coffee barista?

3. What is that one thought that could make both Rep. Neric Acosta (Bukidnon) and young TV host Juddha Paolo beam like toothpaste commercial models?

4. Name each member of the Bad Bananas -- and give each of their nicknames (if more than one, please list these down too...), particularly the Banana who now speaks the inconvenient truth.

Stumped? Scroll down for clues...

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1. We're really not sure about the reindeers issue but Santa Claus did join environmental group Greenpeace for a bike, run and walk for "climate and clean energy campaign" inside a campus park in suburban Manila, 26 November 2006. Greenpeace is holding a series of activities and a massive shift to clean and renewable energy to stop climate change and to campaign for a stronger renewable energy bill. JOEL NITO/AFP/Getty Images

2. They are both champions of critical environmental campaigns. Here is The Angel (with Philippine Senate president and clean energy advocate Manny Villar) and The Alien Bully (at the UN protesting against destructive fishing practices. Click here for more info on Angel Aquino's quickie coffee-making stint and find out more about Sigourney Weaver's fight here.

3. Here is what makes Juddha and Neric smile.

4. The Baddest Goodest Banana.

ELECTRIC SHOCK

2006-11-23T13:59:00.000+08:00

Here's a post from my good friend, Giselle Segovia, who wants to help out. She used to be the editor-in-chief of the event/music magazine Lemon and she's been writing ever since I remember. She now stays in Canada and would really like to help out in any way she can. Thanks G, you're the best!

Living in a country that yearly plunge into below zero temperatures, it's not difficult at all to disconnect to something as trivial as "climate change." Summer in Toronto is literally borrowed time and is forever too short. I can totally see how people here or in North America in general can take global warming for granted - hot temperatures are hard to come by on this side of the globe.

A huge chunk of me is in Manila though, and it's warming up by the minute.

If we want to know how punishing the sun can be, the Philippines is a primary spot to get a first-hand experience. But to say that Filipinos know all the ramifications attached to this clause is assuming too much. It's equally just as easy for us to take things for granted. Think about it: For a typical educated and able Pinoy (someone that can sure access this posting), how many hours in a day do you actually stay out of air-conditioning? You sleep in an air-conditioned room, ride an air-conditioned vehicle and work in an air-conditioned office. Not to mention the malls, restaurants, bars and clubs that are AC'd to the max. So it can't be as real to that Filipino (a lot of you are, there's no shame in admitting it) as how it is to the real archetype "magsasaka," - the one who's really suffering in all of this. The truly sad part about it is that this farmer who's scorching in the fields, probably contributes the least in climate heating - but ironically, he's paying for it.

It's no secret that saving up electricity is GOOD. Basically cutting back on a lot of stuff perhaps even reacquainting yourself with a fan (and please for the celebrities this means the device and not the follower). But why is conserving energy a positive thing? Why is it something that will benefit ALL of us, in the short and long run? You see, Meralco is not just a bill we pay. Behind the numbers and the consumption is a process that hurts the environment - essentially the world as we know, and love it. Okay, we know from Science 101, that power stations generate electricity by burning fossil fuels. However, apart from the pollution that these plants produce, more importantly what we could miss is that this procedure alone is the biggest factor in carbon dioxide emission. The influx of which allows extra heat to reflect back into earth - way more than we can handle. This imbalance is causing climates to shift - and because everything in the world is connected, no living thing will be spared.

It's a terrifying thought especially when people find out that we're so close to the point where we can't reverse the effects. To put it simply, it's like stage 2.5 of cancer. There's a fair chance, but it's going to be tedious and very tough work. Often times, we won't feel rewarded. In this complicated age where everything is gray, it's not enough that we help; doing the right things can look "self-righteous" and the picture of everything dying is preposterous and far-fetched. So chances are we won't be taking steps for ourselves. There are too many priorities (aka work) and responsibilities (aka family, friends). So I'm thinking, maybe we should help our dear ol' mother planet not for our own sakes but for someone we love; a friend, father, lover, wife, child - think of her and how she might have to endure an incredibly sick earth.

I mean, I know you won't do it for the farmer (shame on you!). But would you pass up the chance to give the people you care for a better world?

PRELUDE TO A WRAP-UP

2006-11-18T00:18:00.000+08:00

PRELUDE TO A WRAP-UP

It's the last day of the Nairobi negotiations and it has been frustrating and also exhilarating. For one, my glasses broke a few days ago and I've been getting this dull headache from time to time since then, similar to a low-grade hangover. Work hours during climate treaty events are also notoriously long -- for most of those involved in such negotiations, day in and day out it can be mostly non-stop lobbying, writing articles or position papers, strategizing, coordinating with colleagues and allied organizations, meetings with delegates, patching up political spats and leveraging support for specific measures or issues or positions, putting out 'political brush fires' or igniting indignation. It's been a tough two weeks. Happily, through the Cool The Planet site, blogging with such a wide and diverse group of people has provided a nice, distinct frame to my activities here in Nairobi. We've begun a nice conversation alright, and we've had bloggers, commentators and visitors from virtually all the regions in our planet. The chat box alone showed that climate friends from Iran, Brazil, Italy, Nepal, India, Pakistan, the US, Canada, Korea and New Zealand had dropped by to leave good thoughts and good words for everyone to munch on.

The posts and the exchanges on this two-week blog has showed that there's really so much that people can share with one another with regard to what is taking place in our climate. Each post actually demonstrates topics and ideas that can allow others to connect to an urgently needed conversation regarding the protection of things that are dear to us and the role played by something we take so much for granted -- our climate -- in our daily rhythms and thoughts and quirks and visions. Climate is literally a huge thing, but it is also so basic. It's a good enough starting point for most everyone to begin thinking about the consequences of how we live today and the impacts of our actions, or inaction.

Thankfully, significant negotiation items in Nairobi have moved forward considerably even though many issues have not progressed as far as many thought they would. The more crucial issues have been agreed, however, and next steps have been identified.

There were times when the negotiations seemed to be stuck hopelessly in bad gridlocks but the process has nonetheless moved forward, allowing many to hope that the agreements achieved in Nairobi will lead to deeper future cuts in global emissions along with the provision of new and much larger funds that can assist the most vulnerable countries to adapt to climatic impacts.

It has been a difficult two weeks, with country representatives, UN officials and non-governmental organizations working together or against one another in a humongous attempt to put together an agreement that best serves the individual interests of the UN members -- and the planet. And of course things do not happen the way everyone wants things to happen; self-interest is the predominant mode here, and cynical, persnickety interventions often times marked plenary exchanges, contact group and informal meetings.

Those who would like a more detailed understanding of what the negotiations covered are encouraged to visit the website of the Climate Action Network (CAN), which is the largest and most active global coalition of NGOs working on the issue of climate change. Following the negotiations can be intensely technical and frustrating but CAN continues to do a fine job of combining passions, skills, capacities, experience and insights in order to shepherd and pressure climate treaty negotiations to move forward and remain on track.

I should have set this down much earlier, obviously, but it has proven difficult to balance regular blog posts and posts mapping the process along with having to attend to my work here as a member of Greenpeace International's delegation, which for two weeks straight was virtually a 6AM to midnight task. In any case, what's done is done -- and with this post what has not been done is now done. Check out the section on who won the daily Fossil of the Day award during the negotiations. This is a prize given to the country delegation that played the most obstructive or destructive role on a given day during the negotiation period. Don't forget to check out the distinguished CAN daily called ECO, which gives delegates -- and the whole process actually -- crucial analysis and positions on the most vital issues throughout a negotiating period. You can actually track the whole negotiations -- including shameful political posturing, hypocritical episodes and lobby gossip -- by reading each ECO issue.

Balot!!!!

2006-11-17T13:04:00.000+08:00

"Baloooooot!!!"

Like a resounding toll of bells, this familiar call of "balooooot!" can be heard every night in most Philippine streets. Balot is it? Online encyclopedia Wikipedia would describe it as "a fertilized duck egg with a nearly-developed embryo inside that is boiled and eaten in the shell." Indeed it is. Peddled at night by (who else but...) balot vendors, it has become a favorite midnight snack and beer companion to Filipinos.

Upon coming home one midnight, I heard once more the now-endangered balot call and reminded me of my long-overdue post about balot. Balot has managed to remind me a couple of important things about life, one of which is climate change and its wrath on the future. See, eating balot is basically eating an aborted duck. Balot is cooked by submerging the egg in boiling water, which consequently cooks the developing duck inside the egg shell. (Heat is the key in producing this Pinoy delicacy). And our future would most likely suffer the same fate as balot if we continue to ignore climate change. No shell can spare us (and the future) from climate change. Aborted futures, that is what the balot is reminding us.

And however annoyingly rousing the balot vendor's midnight call may be, in light of the pressing issue of climate change, a call of its kind is very important. We need a constant reminder of why we need to be involved and why we need to act now!

Only when we've embraced climate change solutions will the balot vendor's call bear a different meaning and sound (at least to me). For now, let "Baloooooot!!!" be a reminder of what we stand to lose if we continue ignoring our climate's yelp for help.

Edited to mention: Thanks to Wikipedia for the picture, don't know whose hand is on the picture but just focus on the balot. Worth a try, especially with a pinch of salt. Yummy.

Skate boarding anyone?

2006-11-16T16:36:00.000+08:00

Skateboarding has entered an era where top riders sign corporate sponsorship contracts with "anti-offensiveness" and "no disparagement" clauses, mainstream television stations like ESPN- Disney's sports division - show the X-Games and skateboarders shred at the Olympics. Thanks to corporations like Nike we can eat extreme pizza, drive Nissan's X-Terra SUV, wear extreme deodorant, hire extreme consulting firms and invest in extreme equity funds. But if we are all extreme now, then where have the real rebels gone? Disappeared in a haze of Ritalin?

Maria Hampton
How Nike Conquered Skateboard Culture
Adbusters #65 May-June 2006

The quote above echoes the same sentiments when I along with my girlfriend Jeanie, and her students shot a video of my skateboarding nephew Gato for an advertising project a few weeks ago. The shoot brought back memories a lot of memories including that when I along with other skate buddies rode our boards to a fast descent in at a bypass in Edsa during EDSA 2: Or when I would skip school to skate; or when a 'skate scene' flourished in front of our house in Teachers' Village.

Skate-punk no more

At that time we were having the time of our lives because it was rebellious, nonconforming and firmly tied to punk rock. It was uncool. People hate us and preppy kids made fun of us for sewing rubber pads on our busted sneakers. But nowadays skateboarding all of a sudden turned hip. Starting with the integration of skateboarding scenes in the videos of jock-core band Limp Bizkit, up to the anthemic 'sk8rboi' trash of Avril Lavigne. It seems that the tables were turned to those of us who skated before the advent of the present status of skateboarding culture in today's youth. It's no wonder why I'm no longer riding my board and play at the scene in front of our house; in fact none of the people I skated with still play there.

I guess the corporate-powers that have come to realize that skaters were a troubling yet alluring demographic for big business.

Light at the end of the tunnel

But as I look at how the skate-punk subculture has faded into obscurity with its marriage to corporate-consumer culture that caters to your average mall-going teen I still see a light at the end of the tunnel...

X-Games 2001 champion Bob Burnquist is an avid Greenpeace supporter and is a part of the Action Sports Environmental Coalition, in fact he's also an organic farmer and grass roots environmentalist. He and his wife had supported Greenpeace work in the Amazon, and were also instrumental in making the 2004 The Summer X Games: extreme and green.

Also skateboarding can be an art, hobby, sport or A METHOD OF TRANSPORTATION. It is common knowledge that climate change is a by product of our dependence in fossil fuels to get us power including to power to drive our cars. It's quite fascinating to think of how much power would be saved if we'd all try out skateboarding, in the same way that we've ride our bikes to school or work.

Thinking about it makes me stoked enough to grab my busted Vans shoe and to ride my board to work while listening to Pennywise or NoFX, how about you?

Water

2006-11-16T14:24:00.000+08:00

Here's another post from Bangalore-based writer Samir. Read it and learn, and tell us later what fluid thoughts you plan to breed, and whether you know of a better escape clause than the person Samir asks at the end of his piece.

WATER

They say water is the source of life, and life was supposed to have started in water - well they cant be wrong. I know quite a few water borne diseases and I do know that water also breeds pests.

There is a town in India called Lakhpat in the state of Gujarat, local folklore has it that the town was so called because it was a very rich town and had many millionaires the verbatim translation in English is a town of millionaires. This was a port town around 300 years back. The town was on the confluence of the river sindh which came in from what is now Pakistan, it was a port town. Slowly the river changed course, today there is no hint that this was once a town of the rich. People have migrated, there are not more than a few families left in the town.

And, water, they say is source of life.
But it is, one of the pointers in the development index is how many people have access to potable water, politicians promise constant water supply if they get elected. There are villages in India that no one wants to marry into because the water there is no longer potable. There is a story that Lord Krishna was cursed by a group of sages because he offered his wife water before he did them.

In India every home serves its guests water, this was also a custom in every restaurant. Before the menu was handed the waiter would pour you a glass of water. But things have changed, the waiter comes and asks "bottled" or "ordinary". What was valued as emotive now has a value - we know how much a litre of water costs - Rs 12/-. There is a soft drink called Limca that goes with the sobriquet 'thirst quencher'. In Rajasthan, the Indian desert state, you may not be able to find drinking water in the villages, but every shop has Coca Cola stocked in its shelves. .

Those who can afford it will buy water and those who cant – well tough luck. I asked a person if the summers were getting hotter here, he replied in the affirmative and also told me that he had a way out - air conditioners in his house and car.

-samir from India

DISPATCH FROM NEW YORK!

2006-11-13T21:11:00.000+08:00

Here's a post from Ebong Camarillo, a Filipina teaching in New York, on young folks and learning and why it's never too early to teach the things that matter.
DISPATCH FROM NEW YORK:
HOW LOW CAN YOU GO?

Young minds are a challenge to get through across the board. Often we feel as if we are pulling teeth from them regardless of the fact that they are smart as you can imagine. Teaching middle school age kids pose so much obstacles. My favorite of all is figuring out a lingo that they use as I impart propositions on environmental issues. Are they ready for such vicissitude? Must this be a matter of importance when it derelicts material possession and want? So you reflect and spend a few days on how to inform squirming rug rats on conservation, recycling, preservation, reusing and the big one of all, global warming.

How young must we teach our children about our only home? John Locke in his empirical view of the human mind that pre-exists as a tabula rasa or a blank slate still holds water for most. Yet the world of obstetrics theorized that as early as the first trimester of child bearing, the young inside the womb; absorbs the world outside. The bucket yields on us no matter what. We teach our kids a million and one things everytime and we wonder, will they be okay at the end of the day? And you see them, choosing to dunk a ball of scrap paper where the can reads "PAPER" and empty juice bottles to dispose of on bins marked "PLASTIC or GLASS". And you smile, and you thank your lucky stars you must be doing something right. It will take a few more of sharing, learning and probably debating before they could relate climate change to fossil fuel addiction. It might feel ages knowing if you are getting through their hyper-passive mode. So, how young should we let them know? May I suggest...as early as we can.

Visit Ebong's blog for more of her...

tech savvy, climate friendly

2006-11-13T19:15:00.000+08:00

cutting co2 emissions never looked this great!

while my fellow blogger, dyabayns has found a creative way of using solar energy to make coffee, here is another great idea on how to utilize the sun's rays (and it looks quite good, if i may add).

charge your phone, ipod, digital camera or pda with Solio™, the Universal "Hybrid" Charger. it absorbs energy from an electrical outlet or the sun and stores this within the Solio’s own internal battery. it looks very streamlined (comes in white, black, silver and hot pink!), plus it saves you from lugging around several chargers for your gadgets.

utilizing solar energy is very practical! it's free, reusable, widely available and clean! let's hope that these people come up with more solar-powered gadgets in the future which look great.

would you know of any other tech savvy gadgets which we can use? let us know about it! :)

An Orocan is Forever

2006-11-13T16:15:00.000+08:00

You know you're Filipino when you have one of these in your bathroom.

The 'Orocan'.

Produced by the Ashlar Industrial Corporation in the 1990s, the name 'Orocan' actually stands for their entire line of plastic products; which includes not just their trademark plastic drum, but also laundry basins, coolers, jugs, pitchers, utility storage, etc. But to a Filipino, the word 'Orocan' pertains to the lovely, plastic container you see in the photo; so much so that any large, plastic drum, regardless of the brand, is referred to as an 'Orocan'.

The Orocan is a work of genius. Available in a range of attractive colors, and made of hardy material, the Orocan has evolved only slightly throughout the years, becoming more streamlined. The original ones in the early 90s looked like a plastic version of "Oscar the Grouch's" garbage can. If you look in your lola's (grandmother's) bathroom, you might still be able to find the original, vintage model. That's right, they are never thrown away. No matter how dilapidated they get, they go through a thousand and one incarnations (as you will soon read). An Orocan is forever.

The Orocan has a thousand uses, many of them yet to be invented. It's most common use is as a water storage receptacle. Like all Filipino kids, I have lived through dozens of calamities and natural disasters where we've had to survive without running water for a week: super typhoons, earthquakes, drought, broken pipes, week-long blackouts, coup de etat, and military uprisings (ok, so the last two aren't ' natural disasters, but I'm proud to have lived through a good dozen or so of them). To me, these trying times were marked by freezing-cold, candle-lit baths using our precious water rations, which we scooped out with a tabo (ladle) from (you guessed it) Orocans.

In many Filipino bathrooms, it is not uncommon to find a giant, water-filled Orocan squeezed into the tiny crevice between the toilet and the wall, with a bucket or can floating serenely on the water's surface. Especially in areas where water pressure is weak, many households still flush their toilets the old-fashioned way by pouring torrents of water down the loo, much to many a guest's discomfort I'm sure.

In the summertime, the Orocan makes for a great kiddy-pool. Not only is it less wasteful, requiring less water, but kids get a kick out of being stuffed into tiny, watery, restricting spaces. I should know. As a kid, my mother used to put me in a water-filled Orocan in our driveway on balmy summer afternoons, and I would have a blast.

Aside from being the perfect water-saving device, there are many other creative uses for the Orocan. In the old days, when the lids were still 'Oscar-the-Grouch' inspired, kids would use them as shields when pretending to be Lion-O from 'The Thundercats", Conan the Barbarian, or one of the ninja Turtles (even though they didn't have shields). They were also great places to hide in during games of hide-and-seek.

For the college dormer, the Orocan makes for a lovely side-table or stool when turned upside down; while for the musician, the Orocan can add lively percussion to any song. The possibilities are endless.

And now for my main point (bet you thought I didn't have one!).

Australia is said to be facing it's worst drought in 1000 years. We are reminded of it everyday, on TV, in the news, on flyers you get in your mailbox reminding you of Sydney's on-going water restrictions. We do have a reservoir of recycled water used for flushing our toilets, and watering our lawns. Even then, it's not enough. Australia is a naturally arrid place, due to it's climate. But it seems the dryness has reached an alarming new level.

The local effects, as of now, are that I'm not allowed to water my garden as much as I'd like to. My plants are sad. The national effects include failed crops, a reservoir that is slowly being depleted, and possible drinking-water shortages in certain areas in the future.

They've identified the culprit as climate change. Already, the heat here is blistering on warm days (and I thought there was no place hotter Manila), and Australia is bracing itself for what is expected to be the warmest summer ever.

Australians seems pretty savvy on the issue of climate change (all except their Prime Minister, but I'm not in the mood to get political about this). There seems to be hundreds of on going campaigns on both national and grassroots levels to delay the frightening onslaught of global warming. There is definitely a greater sense of urgency in the fight against global warming here than in the Philippines. But while it's great that people are taking action, I can't help but feel frightened over how real it all is. It's become more than just mere theory. Just ask my plants.

Will I be seeing Orocans in Australian bathrooms in a few years time?

* The Orocan picture was taken from Orocan website.
** You can read more about Australia's drought here.

CHAOS AS A COMMON PLACE

2006-11-13T03:49:00.000+08:00

Greenhope reminded us last Wednesday about the drought in Australia, which has resulted in, among other things, a dramatic scarcity of water and "heaps of dangerous snakes coming out looking for food." It could all be quite mesmerizing, if the chaos hammering the planet wasn't so deadly. Still. The loam of thought is a little more fertile.

The truth is, when we change the jurisdictions of certainty, we are also altering the soil of our minds. What manner of stories can arise from the excursion of desperate serpents on increasingly arid land south of our world?

Everything is changing. Without concerted, urgent action, in as little as twenty five years, the ice caps of Africa's two highest peaks are expected to vanish. On this continent, loss is so final, so vivid. The other day, Richard from Kenya told me about the rapidly desiccating Lake Nakuru, one of the biggest fresh water basins in the country, and the evaporation of the great River Mau which resulted in the mass death of flamingos.

In this age of calamities, the deluge becomes commonplace while extremes of heat and monsoon become regular visitors to the hearth. Reference to all things may change. Even pining. "Announcement during a storm," goes the title of John Iremil E. Teodoro's poem.

"The jalousies are shaking
I imagine that when they shatter
The shards will be as sharp
As my pining for you
Which is wounding the skin
Of my jealousies."

Excerpt from "Panawagan habang bumabagyo," John Iremil E. Teodoro, What the water said: Alon Poems (University of San Agustin, Manila: 2004). Translation by Redster. The flamingo photo is from www.harunhaya.com, the Kilimanjaro pic is from www.diseno-art.com and the Australian drought image is from www.afrol.com.

HABOOB! DISPATCH FROM SUDAN

2006-11-11T23:05:00.000+08:00

Yvette, a Filipina, is one of Cool The Planet!'s featured bloggers. From Port Sudan, she weighs in with something that may not entirely be familiar to most Filipinos. Read all about it (yes, that's one humongous sandstorm in the picture...)

HABOOB! DISPATCH FROM SUDAN

No, the clouds didn't fall from the sky; this is not cloud tsunami either. Haboob! This is haboob, sandstorm. It is dust and sand combined with strong winds, and once it hits it will definitely take over your carefully polished floor and sneak into those tiny slots in your neatly placed electronics if you forgot to close your windows and doors. Like a strong typhoon, the haboobwill give you zero visibility as you travel city streets in the midst of its attack.

After living for 11 months in this part of Sudan I have grown familiar with this giant. The only warning we get is the extreme heat prior to its arrival. Sometimes the sky just turns mocha and brings in the dust-laden wind in our midst.

I've heard claims that Khartoum has reached a high of 50 degrees Celsius, this year. I am not surprised there are times when going out of the building is like entering a hot oven. It's extremely hot and dry. The Sudanese say this year has been hotter than previous years; they too can't help but wonder. For us, well, there is no escaping the heat. The only option is to simply wait indoors the whole day, wait for the more friendly night sky, and hope for the arrival of winter.

Winter? In Sudan? Yes, there is winter; there's no snow but the cold winds do come. Many people here look forward to the last quarter of the year. October usually marks the start of the season, but it's already November and the cold winds seem to be evasive and somewhere else.

Abubakr, a Sudanese friend in his mid-twenties explained to me how it was during his teenage years: "I used to wear sweaters at this time of the year, my mother would give me two to be sure that I kept myself warm. Well, not anymore. My younger brothers haven't even experienced it. Too bad for them. I keep wondering why we don't have good cold weather anymore. I remember the draught, maybe its that, hmm I don't know."

We haven't lost hope, there are still a good number of days before the year reaches its end. We will see the spark of winter at some point and hopefully be allowed by sister haboob to rest.

Sudanese sandstorm photo by Yvette; group pic (Yvette's on the right most in stripes) by Marissa in NYC)

barista-mama

2006-11-11T22:29:00.000+08:00

~Coffee Break ~

COFFEE FROM ANIMAL POOP ~ The most expensive coffee, which was sold at $500 per pound, is Kapeng Alamid (Philippines) or Kopi Luwak (Indonesia). It is coffee made from coffee berries which have been eaten by and passed through the digestive tract of the Common Palm Civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) or musang as it is known in the Philippines. Plain and simple -- it's animal poop.

What's the connection between climate change and coffee? Check this out...

There I was, under a tent, trying to get a brief and much needed break from the scorching Wednesday morning sun, when Mr. (C)hunk himself, Jasper "Yes, direct" Inventor pulled me aside and requested if I can assist at the Greenpeace Solar Cafe in front of the Philippine Senate Building.

Petite moi?!? A BARISTA-MAMA for a day?!? This is a much funkier, "you rock" experience than being appointed Senate President! Umm... no offense-meant to the Senate... kanya-kanyang trip lang :-)

I was beyond excited! Not only will I be living my hush-hush dream job, the Greenpeace Solar Cafe is proof that renewable energy such as solar power is feasible. Without any fuss, I said yes and stood beside Star Power ambassador Angel Aquino who was my fellow barista-mama. We were given a brief introduction on how the Solar Cafe booth works. Energy from the sun is captured by the solar panels, which is then transferred to the batteries, which then passes through the inverter to control the surge of electricity before it goes to the appliance -- in this case the coffee maker.

Not minding the heat, Angel and I were happily serving coffee and pandesal to the Senate staff. With the help of Greenpeace volunteers, the Solar Cafe was able to serve more than 100 guests! One of our distinguished "customers" was Senate President Manny Villar, who preferred his kapeng Barako black -- no sugar, no cream.

After a demanding but very fulfilling morning, the team packed the Greenpeace Solar Cafe. Our next stop? A Greenpeace Solar Bar at Boracay! We wish... :-)

~ Coffee Break ~

KAPENG BARAKO 101 ~ Kapeng Barako or the Philippine Liberica is considered rare and exotic, grown only in 3 countries out of about 70 coffee producing countries in the world. It takes its name from the Tagalog word for wild boar because these creatures are rather fond of dining on the plant's leaves and berries.

Coffee Break Trivia courtesy of Philippine Herbal Medicine and BBC News. Photos courtesy of BBC News, Jes Aznar for Greenpeace and Mr. Shailendra-baba Yashwant.

patintero

2006-11-10T19:18:00.000+08:00

Have you ever visited the Senate at 1:30 in the morning?

Eerie...

It's the only way to describe it.

Thanks to tag-team, Nori "Who's your dadeh?!?" Tolibas and Jong "Ukay-Ukay Hustler" Baloloy, I caught myself several times double checking if the silhouette at the corner is but a shadow or the ghost of a late Senator. If it is the latter, may he or she rest in peace...

Our 1:30 am field-trip was during the eve of the "Climate in Crisis: Philippines in Crisis" exhibit launch at the Senate. We were in the final stage of setting up the exhibit, making sure that the photos are secured and won't flop in front of a visiting Senator.

It was so different from the organized-chaos that I experienced during the three-day political work with Jasper and Greenpeace staff and volunteers after the launch of the exhibit. We went room-to-room, badgering the senate staff day-after-day, playing "patintero"(Filipino version of the cat and mouse) with Senators and getting their commitment before they enter the session hall.

Out of 24 Senators, we've gathered 5 commitments for Pilipinas, Go Renewable!, namely from Senate President Manny Villar, Senator Eduardo Angara, Senator Ramon Magsaysay Jr., Senator Jamby Madrigal and Senator Francis Pangilinan. Like the rest of the team, I was hoping for more. But what do you expect when the 10-year pending Renewable Energy bill is not even in the priority list of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) for the 13th Congress?

Wake up people! Climate change is real and it is happening! If we go business-as-usual with our dependence on coal, climate change impacts will be worse especially for developing countries such as the Philippines. The time to embrace solutions such as renewable energy and energy efficiency is NOW!

Help wake up the Philippine government! Log on to http://www.greenpeace.org/seasia/en/starpower/petition and sign the 10% by 2010 Petition. The Petition demands the Philippine government that by the year 2010, at east 10% of our energy must come from wind, solar power and modern biomass. Let's go 10% by 2010! Kaya natin ito!

Eerie photo courtesy of South Con Blog. Senate photos courtesy of Mr. Shailendra-baba Yashwant. Clean Energy Now logo courtesy of Fara Manuel and Miko Alino.

WATER AND WEEPING

2006-11-10T18:10:00.000+08:00

On the way to the UN conference center today, there was a short protest by members of the youth summit who were holding placards asking delegates to think of their children. It's just about the right time to remind the conference of their obligations. Snags have come up, dirty negotiating tricks have begun, and country representatives have started to retreat to the usual cynical positions defined by sickening self-interest.

I also came across an interesting article in the Khaleej Times of Dubai, which reminded me of the post from CoolMyPlanet blogger Samir, who weighed in from Bangalore about the elements and Indian film and how for some time rain has been shaping images and narratives projected in countless theaters in India.

Rain has a lot to do in Indian cinema, Samir tells us. Rain hides tears, "it is the thin screen that hides love scenes, it accentuates the curves of the curvaceous heroine and generates steam around the panting hero." How true. Similar scenes have also been used in Philippine cinema using rain as a frame. I think this is because the very character of rain inserts its own narrative in any story.

In India, adds Samir, "rain is beyond science, our very social fabric revolves around rains. During periods of low rainfall farmers have had weddings for frogs, have married donkeys - all to please the rain gods." This is an interesting notion, applying human ceremonies on animals in order to plead for favorable weather patterns, the word 'favorable' having come to mean more and more the word 'predictable'. And more and more, climate chaos appears to be the offspring of human kind's marriage with greed and fossil fuels.

I wonder what Samir will say about the Khaleej Times article on rising sea levels devouring islands in the Sundarbans, which is supposed to be the world's largest estuarine Delta. What are the Sundarbans like? Rising seas certainly have a lot of implications on Philippine cinema, which has for so long used large parts of the tens of thousands of the country's discontinuous coastline as settings for countless movies.

I wonder what the effect will be if the world indeed does not wise up and we get more extreme torrential rains and rapidly diminishing coastlines?

Would it mean that tears will have more hiding places?

Would there be more or less love scenes in movies?

Would more curves be displayed?

And what will happen to the steaming, panting hero?

One thing for sure, there will be more weeping. On the left, by the way, is Greenpeace volunteer, top model and actress Angel Aquino in the Filipino movie Crying Ladies...

What do you think? Tell us your thoughts. We want to know...

Climbing Without Shelter!

2006-11-10T13:02:00.000+08:00

"Must you seize my world by storm?" -Daisy Chain, Cynthia Alexander (of the Philippines)

Indeed, the world of some Pinoy sportclimbers have been seized by a storm called Milenyo. (To Ala: that's what's up here). Just when I was about to resume climbing after months of hiatus due to a knee injury, my favorite indoor climbing gym closed shop. Super-typhoon Milenyo took the gym's roof away, taking with it the routine climbing life of the climbers. It's been over a month now since the unfortunate incident happened and the gym still has no roof. Can't demand for an immediate re-opening, though. Indoor climbing (or rockclimbing per se) is not that big here in the Philippines and I can only wonder how climbing gyms still survive.

And I wonder, too, how we will survive when climate change already brings the worst of its wrath. Climate change is happening right now, alright, and the gym incident made me think how unprepared we are for the impacts of climate change (an example of which is the super-typhoon Milenyo). Something as simple as re-roofing, our gym cannot even afford. Indeed, it is the developing countries which will be hit most by climate change and the sad thing is, we do not have the means to combat it. Will the government's calamity fund, meager as it already is, suffice? Filipino families should probably start having their own calamity fund, that is, if the budget could allow.

It is more than money talks, I believe. Our way of life will be (and is already being) affected by this issue. Just last week, another super-typhoon visited the country and it managed to spoil my beach getaway. I can't help but ask, "when will the erratic weather patterns end," not realizing that these erratic weather patterns are only part of what is in store for us when we continue to ignore climate change! It is just the beginning, friends!

We are climbing without shelter. Climbing, progressing to a future that we are unsure of. Having the gym's roof blown away is already a bummer, but losing my future, our future to climate change? Saying that it's just a bummer is an understatement.

finding nemo

2006-11-10T12:29:00.000+08:00

Aspiring film maker and frustrated skateboarder Jennifer "Jed" Benitez shares her SolarGeneration Pilipinas experience during the launch of Greenpeace's Pilipinas, Go Renewable! at Apo Island, Dauin, Negros Occidental.

One of the perks of advocating in "saving the world," as a youth, with such a warped mind puffed up with hormones, views and provocation, it is important for me, for all of us, to have a voice.. empowerment... share in this sadistic world, a place to unearth the eternal search for purpose and meaning.

And in comes Solar Generation. SolarGen finds positive ways and means in promoting clean and renewable energy, amazing people advocating the usage of wind, solar power for a sustainable energy for the future. Basically, it is for a GOOD cause... and no, it's not about the money.

Thanks to SolarGen, and Albert, who took a chance in believing in me and my potential to take action in the installing a Solar Panel in the Apo Elementary School Library. Goes to show the effectiveness of the quote, one step for man; a giant leap for mankind. This proves that it takes little ways to make big changes. This is one of SolarGen's goals in highlighting the urgent need of remedies for Climate Change and Global Warming.

Not only did I have an instant vacation but I get to improve the kids' welfare and education, did the most awesome things like swimming with the fishies and I freakin' found Nemo!!! Freaked out a bit with the fact that I was inches to the precious corals...

Wait, there's still more haha.. went up to the old lighthouse and seeing that solar panels are being used there too and i get to meet and acquainted with hot celebrities like Angel Aquino and Juddha Paolo.. (He still owes us a pic..cool cam btw, Juddha... :)

Photos courtesy of Solar Generation Pilipinas.

BIZARRE ENCOUNTERS IN NAIROBI

2006-11-10T03:36:00.000+08:00

Some years ago I visited North Africa -- Morocco, to be exact. It was an amazing place with different sounds, scents and daily rhythms. Such places leave something behind inside your mind, which you somehow always carry around wherever you go.

The same holds for Kenya's fine city, Nairobi. It's my first time in the continent's sub-Saharan region and it's an entirely new place filled with many things so strange and fascinating -- and I'm saying that without having even explored the minutest fraction of Nairobi.

On the main highway, and at least twice along Uhuru road, I've seen immense Marabou storks perched and plying short routes atop trees along the island in the middle of the boulevard. Now, I grew up in Manila and the birds I encounter there usually do not get any larger than my hand, unless they're pigeons or the rare brave falcon soaring on the outskirts of the metropolis (and they're not beings that you can call large). The Marabou storks, they're something else -- they're humongous and they were on the highway's trees and they looked as big as vultures.

Maybe it was just a silly Asian awed by the occasional weird thing. In the world of humans, things can often be more bizarre, actually.

The other day in the UN climate conference in Nairobi, the representative of the Australian government took the floor in a plenary session and beseeched the rest of the delegates to understand empathize with its climate plight. A leading member of the wealthy few and probably the highest carbon dioxide emitter per capita in the world (not to mention the number one exporter of climate-destroying coal), the Australian government continues to play the role of lapdog to the Bush administration with its continued refusal (like the US) to bind itself to dramatic emissions reductions by ratifying the Kyoto Protocol, which can drastically reduce the risks faced by millions of lives due to the threat of dangerous climate change... And as if that was not enough, the Australian negotiator in Nairobi even had the gall to compare his country's vulnerability to climate change during plenary to the extreme vulnerability of impoverished, suffering Africa.

It definitely felt freakier listening to the Australian representative plead for understanding than seeing the Marabou stork upfront and personal, a scavenger bird which would probably look cuddly when compared to the hooligan-like behavior of Australia and the US with respect to the Kyoto climate negotiations.

The first marabou photo is from www.zestforbirds.co.za, and the second is from www.harkphoto.com. The last pic is an image of the Australian flag used in the blog post of CAN-Australia coordinator Julie-Anne Richards.

THE ANSWER IS BLOWIN' IN THE WIND...

2006-11-08T07:13:00.000+08:00

Today, Nov 7th, is election day in America. Though I have seen several elections come and go during the six years I have lived in the San Francisco-Bay Area, here is one election-issue that is worth saying YES to...it has caused so much debate, oil companies have spent about a 100 million dollars trying to confuse voters to vote against it. Why?

WHAT CAN PROP 87 DO?

PROP 87 will reduce California's dependence on oil and foreign oil (1/2 of our consumption comes from the Middle East!) with alternative sources like BIOFUELS, WIND and SOLAR; it will stop the hold of oil conglomerates on CA energy market and give choices that are cheaper and cleaner. It reduces energy cost and green house emissions. California has the worst air quality in the nation-- mainly concentrated in the Southern Los Angeles area. This law will reduce air pollution that causes asthma, lung disease and cancer.

What do you say? I say Bob Dylan was right 44 years ago -- the answer is blowin' in the wind...

NI WAKATI WA KUTENDA!

2006-11-08T05:01:00.000+08:00

In Swahili, radiant young Ann of Kenya tells us the title of this post is what the youth today are demanding from their elders: Ni wakati wa kutenda means "It's time for action!" Ann's smile is as bright as the sun and she probably has the same amount of energy too... By the way, the earrings Ann is wearing she made herself, fashioned out of the logo of Solar Generation, the fine, rapidly growing global youth group Ann belongs to...

For young people who have gathered in Nairobi, action means saying no to the things that harm our planet, such as fossil fuels. Action also means embracing solutions, such as wind power.

Wind is common to us. Winds bring change. Wind brings power. Wind brings hope -- renewable hope through renewable power.

I asked some members of the historic first African Youth Summit on Climate Change keeping a watchful eye over the Nairobi climate negotiations what the equivalent of the word "wind" was in their native tongues. Here is what four of them said:

Elom from Togo: in Ewe, wind is Eya!.

Catherine from Uganda (right most): in the Runyankole language, wind is Omuyaga!.

Golam (between Ann and Catherine) from India: wind in Hindi is Pavan!.

Richard from Kenya: in Swahili, wind is Upepo!.

Wind power is a huge part of the solution to climate change. In addition, wind power can provide much-needed jobs while significantly addressing the energy security needs of developing countries such as the Philippines, India and China.

Elom, Catherine, Ann, Richard and Golam want to know what "wind" is in your language. And while you're at it, maybe you can also tell us what place reminds you best of a memorable breeze that passed your way, whether recently or sometime ago... No secrets ;-)

What say you?

POWER STRUGGLE

2006-11-07T17:15:00.000+08:00

it is another ordinary night as you walk into your bedroom after a hard days work, may it be from the two-hour, traffic-laden drive from the office or from the sweat-filled late afternoon bus ride from school and you turn on the switch to instantly literally light up the room where your glorious bed awaits you... what a familiar sight, isnt it? Yet, this normal occurrence could be a source for something wonderful to ponder about as we effortlessly alter the dark to instantaneous brightness,just a simple question we can ask ourselves as we jump into our cots and cradles,how does this important yet seemingly overlooked bulb work?

Time-warp to grade school, you might say, but, my dear kiddos, lets pay homage to this long-time snubbed appeal. Can you even move without difficulty in the dark? Let us all thank Thomas Edison for that splendid radiant gadget! How can you catch Prison break, Project Runway, the Amazing Race and of course, Spongebob Squarepants? And why did that past super typhoon cause a supreme fuss about the seemingly endless blackout? Indeed, a lot of simple queries can squirm in our minds yet it is answered by complicated although very, very interesting facts!

Can you even recollect who discovered electricity or where on earth it came from? Was it Michael Faraday, who found out that magnetism can produce power?...He probably initiated as well that charm, puppy love and that first kiss are anonymous to electricity. And who can forget the kite-flying Ben Franklin chap who showed that lighting is a form of electrical energy? Then again, where does it PRIMARILY come from? Try asking your buddies around and most of them will come up with gas, water, electrons and neutrons. One friend of mine even thought for awhile and changed the topic! Well, there are a lot of connected theories but to put it simply, the ultimate source of energy is the one thing we blame the heat for: the hot, shiny sun. Its light and warmth are essential for our existence. NOTE, THOUGH, THAT SOME ENERGY RESOURCES ARE QUITE HARMFUL TO THE ENVIRONMENT. but of course, wind power, solar power and modern biomass are the safest bets. I would like to believe, however, that living without electricity is not the end of the world. Still, sadly, life without electricity would be radically different, and a lot more difficult. Hey, I’m all for microwave popcorn, hair-drying and internet surfing!

And as we now notice the complexities of the power of electricity and with the rapid collapse of our natural resources we often neglect, this is one supply we should not slay which, if I may say, we are gradually and unconsciously doing. Aaah yes, from air-conditioners to DVD players, from charging your Ipods to simply switching on the lamp, we are gratefully eons ahead from the head- whacking cavemen because we get to enjoy these holidays of life. However, it is not always Christmas, we should remember that we should not wait for Mr. Potatohead to light up the world. My, theres more I want to utter indirectly yet suitably about power and this country but thats another story.

Now, my dearies, we can reflect and inquire all day about electrical beginnings and wonders and of course, its extinction but you might be too tired to deliberate. So as you close your weary eyes to the still of the night, the poetry of stimulating brainwaves forms the dreams of your new crush. Oh wait! You want to hear about the building which was fueled by cow droppings?

CLICK! Did I wake you, sleepyhead? Oh, that’s the light bulb in your head.

climate friendly clothes

2006-11-07T11:22:00.000+08:00

what do you look for when you go shopping?

style?

comfort?

affordability?

how good it looks on you?

it usually is a combination of a number of factors but it's highly unlikely to be looking for CLIMATE FRIENDLY CLOTHES.

there is this climate neutral company in australia called slingfings? they calculate their climate impact from the freight of raw materials down to their operations and delivery to ensure that they emit the least amount of carbon dioxide possible.

this dress from them costs AUS$230. quite expensive for most, but that's the price that you have to pay if you want environmentally friendly duds.

that's good news for australians. but what about people from other countries? i want to know if there are other climate friendly clothing brands from your area. i don't know any from the philippines.

be on the lookout. readers, lead us to the right direction!

HOPE FOR THE FUTURE OF CORAL REEFS

2006-11-07T10:47:00.000+08:00

Greenpeace recently visited the municipality of Dauin and Apo Island as part of the Defending Our Oceans Tour. Highlighting the role of Marine Reserves in ensuring that our oceans remain a sustainable resource, the Apo Island Protected Landscape and Seascape has been the model of community-based coastal resource management since the early 1980s.

However, Apo Island has not always been a good example of coastal management. Years ago, illegal and destructive fishingpractises were rampant on the island such as the use of dynamite and cyanide as well as muro-ami. It was only when the Silliman University, under the leadership of Dr. Angel Alcala, stepped in and convinced the members of the community that the destruction of their coral reefs is their own loss.

The protection and management of Apo Island's coral reefs can be attributed to the strong community participation in implementing the project wherein both benefits and responsibilities are shared by the people living on the island. Aside from deputised fish wardens and the local officials, almost everyone on Apo Island is steadfast in guarding their valuable coastal resources. In fact, even children report any unknown vessel that they observe fishing or doing other activities in the surrounding waters of the island.

At present, Apo Island is considered the centre for learning of a well-managed marine reserve and has hosted countless study tours from all over the Philippines as well as from other countries. Revenues from the park fees are also used to sustain the management and protection of the marine reserve as well as several projects for the community of Apo Island. The municipality of Dauin, through the leadership of the current Mayor Rodrigo Alanano has replicated the experiences from Apo through the establishment of nine (9) marine reserves on the municipality’s coastline. Revenues from these marine reserves alone has contributed greatly to the municipality’s income, around P2 million in 2005, not to mention the benefits of increased fish catch that directly benefits the local fishing communities in Dauin and the rest of the province of Oriental Negros. Aside from these concrete efforts to invest in coastal management, the town also celebrates the Kinaiyahan (Nature) Festival every September 7 as part of the town fiesta featuring presentations centred on the rich cultural heritage of Negros that is anchored on nature.

Greenpeace returned again to Apo in October to fulfil its promise to help in providing clean and renewable electricity. I was honoured to return and continue what was started during the Defending Our Oceans Tour when we conducted a feasibility study with the assistance of Barangay Captain Mario Pascobello. This time, under the Climate and Energy Campaign led by Abi, a solar energy system was installed on October 19 at the Apo Island Elementary School library. We were also joined by our fellow staff Beng, together with star power supporters Angel Aquino and Juddha Paolo.

Mayor Rodrigo Alanano mentioned during the turn over ceremony that Apo Island’s future does not only rest on its well-managed marine resources but also to have 100% renewable energy by 2010. Coral reefs are very fragile ecosystems and, like the rest of the Earth's ecosystems, are threatened by climate change.

We left knowing that the solar energy installation is a catalyst to add to Apo Island's journey towards a sustainable future. Stay tuned!

Rains in Indian Cinema

2006-11-07T10:37:00.000+08:00

Samir, a writer from Bangalore, shares us his thoughts on rain, the silver screen and that interesting thing people have for so long taken for granted, called weather.

Rains have a lot to do in Indian cinema - they hide tears, it is the thin screen that hides love scenes, it accentuates the curves of the curvaceous heroine and generates steam around the panting hero.

The indian economy revolves around the monsoon - the usually ignored meteorological department suddenly becomes the savant who has words that can soothe millions. A mere hiccup from him can bring down the stock exchange. Every year it is the same - newspapers and TV stations try to be the first to get a sound bite from him about the monsoon.

It rains every Christmas in my hometown in Nagpur and in Bangalore there is a shower before the festival of Diwali. There is a feeling of incompleteness if it does not rain during such occasions - its like a meal without a dessert.

Rain in India is beyond science, our very social fabric revolves around rains. During periods of low rainfall farmers have had weddings for frogs, have married donkeys - all to please the raingods. Every year before the monsoons municipal governments clean out the drains and promise that there will not be any problems with drainage - but that never happens.

But there have been changes to rainfall patterns there was a deluge in Bombay a few years back which brought the city to a complete stand still or the recent floods in the deserts of Rajasthan. Worse still Cehrapuni which used to be the wettest place in India if not the world is no longer so.

These patterns have 'easy' answers 'its a cycle' say the scientists, 'who can predict the weather' say others, while regular Indians have always believed in fate, something which absolves them of responsibility or the need to act. 'Its all written on the forehead' thats what they usually say - as they go ahead and buy smoke belching SUV.

Samir

FIRST DAY FUNK

2006-11-07T04:41:00.000+08:00

On the opening of the Nairobi conference, a few interesting shots from the last hours of the first day.

Maybe the delegates to the UN meet anticipated the amount of hard work that lay ahead, which is essentially two weeks of slogging through difficult and oftentimes tense negotiations. But goodwill advanced can always be goodwill collected later on, and perhaps this is why most everyone under the big Kenyan tent on the first night of the gathering invested their personal and political concerns with a few hundred shakes and jigs. It also helps to dance away bad vibes -- there's always plenty lurking around in conferences like this, peddling scam climate solutions, such as "clean coal" and nukes.

In this UN-sponsored climate conference, most everyone looks proper and the language used is hyper-polite and framed by the formalities of diplomacy, and yet many know that beneath this veneer of civility lies the fact that failure to successfully negotiate results that can prevent the onset of dangerous climate change will likely consign countless lives to misery, suffering and death.

The time for talk is long over. It's time to act.

High spirits are present here in the Nairobi negotiations, but so are vile ones, such as the government representatives of the US, Australia and Saudi Arabia, each of whom are out to derail any outcome that may result in long-term climate protection just so that they can protect the massive, short-term financial interests of the greedy few. The battle lines are drawn and the bad guys are counting on the good guys -- which also means you, dear reader -- to stay indifferent and to stay away from the fight. Which of course is a really bad idea.

"Normal is normal no more," said a woman poet from Kenya who opened the Nairobi climate meeting with verses beseeching delegates to act with urgency. One day and soon, said the poet, we may just realize together that "Our planet is the indisputable landlord" and that we should not seem "so determined to court our own eviction."

Such wise words.

Distinguished delegates of the planet, the future is our canvas, and it's time to paint our own painting. It's time to make our own future.

voice of the youth

2006-11-06T16:58:00.000+08:00

We are the young people who want to change the world.
We are putting our foot forward against climate change because we have the most to loose.
We are demanding a stop on the use of fossil fuel as an energy source.
We don't want to live in a disaster of our own making, our future is at stake.
We are one with our brothers and sisters around the world demanding a shift to renewable energy.
WE DEMAND CLEAN ENERGY NOW!
~ Solar Generation Pilipinas ~

Good morning everyone, I am William Sia a SolarGeneration Pilipinas volunteer. Today, we are once again going to witness the installation of a new Solar Panel system to supply power to the library of the Apo Island Elementary School.

This installation reminds me of my hometown, Pulupandan in Negros Occidental. We were successful in our fight to reject coal as our main source of power. And upon choosing renewable energy as the best alternative to coal, my town is now a potential site for wind farm.

This event reminds me as well of a school back home, Our Lady of Lourdes Academy. OLLA, as it is locally known, had solar panels installed on top of their library’s roof. Those panels have shown the people that we have a choice instead of dirty fossil fuels.

SolarGeneration Pilipinas is here to extend its help its help and to show the effects of climate change which is due to the dependence of man on fossil fuels. More than that, as voice of the youth, we want to highlight not only the negative effects but also introduce solutions.We are also here to extend the fact that climate change is real and happening, and that its process is a gradual destruction of our only living planet. The effects of climate change would really affect not only this island but other developing countries as well that cant afford to protect and give remedies to the impacts of climate change. Today we have the chance to provide young minds with the opportunity they need and deserve that will further enhance their education, while also opening their eyes to the great possibilities that renewable energy has to offer.

William Sia. During the launch of Pilipinas, Go Renewable! at Apo Island Elementray School, Dauin, Negros Occidental.
Photos courtesy of Rap Rios for Greenpeace and Solar Generation Pilipinas.

You can now link to CoolThePlanet!

2006-11-06T15:25:00.000+08:00

Here's a fun way to help save the planet link to us by putting the banner below on your site all you have to do is copy the html code below and paste it to your blog/site's template.

Fighting Climate Change, Aussie-style!

2006-11-05T06:10:00.000+08:00

Hello, all! Ala here! Yes, the one who used to appear on TV and billboards, and who now lives in Australia, in case you haven't heard yet. ;-) I finally found sometime off from my busy life down-under to post on this blog. I've been out in the wind and rain all day, and I have brain-freeze, so for this entry I shall let photos do most of the talking. Here is how we take action on the issue of climate change, Sydney-style!

Cold, wind, and rain didn't stop the Walk Against Warming from happening in Sydney today, in accordance with the International Day of Action on Climate Change. 50,000 people came to participate: students, parents, children, senior citizens; there was even a birthday celebrant who decided to make the walk her birthday party, and invited all her guests to come.

I spent the entire morning with the Sydney local group of Greenpeace volunteers, wheeling a queen-sized bed around a part of the city.

Ok, that's supposed to be the Australian prime minister, John Howard, "in bed with the coal industry". Australia is the largest exporter of coal in the world. Maybe that's why people love throwing barbeque parties here. Shrimp on the barbie, mate! :-p

Whew! What a work-out! Now I have a sore back! Next year I'll be smart and volunteer to be one of the people on the bed. :-p

Crikey! John Howard with dirty smoke stacks!

We love clean energy too!

Alot of the people who joined the action were kids. Parents even brought tiny infants with them!

The Radical Cheerleaders!

They had entire choreographed routines cheering against coal/ climate change, and for renewable energy! Hmm, imagine if we got the Sexbomb dancers to do this. That would definitely get the message across!

You can view all the pictures I took here.

So what's happening back in the homeland, mates?!

the great frog tryst

2006-11-03T21:03:00.000+08:00

Ever wondered how Greenpeace staff spend their mornings in Bangkok
after an ardous office planning meeting?

People... What did you feel while stroking the frog?!?

From the masters:

Greenpeace Southeast Asia ED Mr. Arthur Jones got pumped by the sensual croaks and was tempted to boogie his heart out. (By the way, ED stands for Entertainment Director)

While Mr. Shailendra-baba hoped against hope that a female frog would fall for his full throated call.

Our ever-dashing balladeer Francis "Kiko" dela Cruz felt like he was a frog prince waiting for a kiss.

And without batting an eye-lash, Pele, our resident chick-boy (Can be chick. Can be boy.) confirmed that it was hot and sweaty, eventually making him hungry! (Hungry for what Pele?)

First timers got excited as well!

Our anime-loving, kendo-rocking media campaigner Lea just tilted her head, gave me a slow grin and a "giggle. giggle. giggle."

Mommy Beng simply said, "Damn!"

Hug-a-lot Care Bear Judy was definitely into it. She said it was hot, dusty and it made her hor**.

Classic. But before anybody concludes that we are keeping frogs in the office as.. umm.. pets, check out the real story behind Greenpeace and our great frog tryst at this link.

Sneak preview

Heatwave FM - Climate Rescue Radio

2006-11-03T13:57:00.000+08:00

The revolution will not be televised but you may well hear it on the wireless! Check out Heatwave FM - Climate Rescue Radio following the global day of action as it unfolds - Saturday November 4 - Tune in at www.heatwavefm.net

sex and climate change

2006-11-03T13:27:00.000+08:00

Sex has always been a big issue for everyone - both for those who got it and for those who do not. Sex is something that the world needs, what we need, heck, it's what we want. Sex is to proliferate, to continue the life here on earth... it's practical and we ENJOY it! So, I thought of asking several people what they think climate change will do to their sex lives... so have fun peeking in people's sexual fears and fantasies!

My thoughts on how my husband would start complaining on how hot and tiring it would be to enjoy sex bothered me. Darn, we might even fight a lot as what my colleague Jasper and his wife said… "Global warming will cause less sex and more fighting because of the heat". - is this a good excuse for married people?

Arvin, my sister's friend, also said that there will be less children because of lower sperm count. In relation to this, there are also studies that say frogs and turtles tend to produce gender-specific offsprings because of warming temperatures - given that there are successful sexual incidents...but all of them producing males? Dear me...

There were those who were in denial of a sex life. A successful 30-year old advertising director said that she doesn't know anything about sex and climate change! "I'm innocent" was her answer. There were quite a few who simply said that they don't have a sex life or simply said "I don't know". - hmm, makes us think how people are very much unaware of climate change...or perhaps turn a blind eye to it and deny even to have a sex life?

Pele thinks that sex tourism will be greatly affected. As was evident in Thailand, go-go bars (or what some of us call as night clubs or girly bars) closed down because of the floods - I'm not sure if this is good or bad...probably good for us wives?

Some interesting answers were also expressed. Friends from fundraising unit, Judy and Elbert, said that "...unexpected sex and unexpected children may be direct effects"" - this made me think of orgies and overpopulation, not good not good at all

Hapsoro, the man without a family name, said that clothes will be skimpier - "g-strings will be publicly worn, which will then lead to more and more sex!" - no to butt exposure please. Hey, we have to be realistic, some will be sagging, some would need exfoliating spa treatments

Juddha Paolo, one of our celebrity supporters, said it in 2 words - "extra moist", while Abi said "extra sensation due to sweat" - sweaty partners...not for me

Pat, our GE campaigner, thinks that sex will be done in shorter periods of time because people won't be able to last long anymore - do we really have to say if this is good or bad?

How about you? What will climate change do to your sex life?

climate change shortening hemlines?

2006-11-02T18:35:00.000+08:00

fashion forecast for 2007: shorts are in.
women get to show off their legs. men are happy.
but the reason for this fashion phenomenon is hardly something to be happy about.
top fashion designers such as giorgio armani have taken climate change into consideration when designing clothes for emporio armani's spring/summer collection 2007.

short hemlines, loose fit, strappy footwear and light materials dominate the look.

compare it with his collection for spring/summer 2000

he uses more layers, closed shoes (even boots!) and longer hemlines.

it has only been 6 years but the change in fashion is quite evident.

the earth's temperature is rising and people literally need cooler clothes. global temperatures have increased by .75 °C since 1979. severe damage has been done to our environment. plant and animal species are rapidly becoming extinct, rising sea levels are wiping islands off the map and extreme weather conditions have caused destruction and sadly, even death.

wearing lighter clothes will relieve us of the earth's warming temperature for now but it won't help solve climate change.

for how long do you think can fashion designers keep shortening hemlines and removing layers before they disappear altogether?

*pictures taken from www.style.com

bliss of a water baby

2006-10-31T19:35:00.000+08:00

I am a water baby.I can waddle, swim, dive or float in the sea from dusk till dawn. Imagine my excitement when I learned that I'll be visiting Apo Island in Oriental Negros -- one of the best community-based marine reserves in the world!

It's a 45 minute boat ride from Malatapay port to Apo Island where outrigger boats brave at least 1 meter high swells during the Amihan season.Hundred meters off-shore, one gets to see the breathtaking view from the rocky outcrops on the white sand beach to the light house on the top of the hill.

Once on-shore I was greeted by fishermen on paraos (outrigger boat without an engine) paddling their way to the community, kids playing tag on the white sand beach and mothers selling sarongs to the tourists.

The view made the one hundred thirty steps leading to the top of the hill all worth it. If you're brave enough to climb the rusty stairs of the old light house you'll see Mount Talinis looming over mainland Oriental Negros and the province island of Bohol and Siquijor at a distance. The new solar-powered light house and communication station were a clear example of how decentralized renewable energy systems suit our archipelagic country.

Underwater, Apo Island is also bliss. Imagine this... on your right side the deep blue, on your left an explosion of colors! Massive brain corals and sea fans that are teeming with fishes, a sea snake slithering on nooks and crannies and three... yes, three sea turtles! And this dive site is not even at the sanctuary!

This is why community-based marine reserves are vital to the Philippines. It translates to livelihood, food security and diversity. But these efforts are at threat to the most urgent and devastating concern to date - climate change. To know more about how climate change affects our coral reefs and our oceans, click on this link.

Photos courtesy of Danny Ocampo and Abigail Jabines

Island in the sun

2006-10-31T15:36:00.000+08:00

When you're on a golden sea
You don't need no memory
Just a place to call your own
As we drift into the zone
On an island in the sun
We'll be playing and having fun
And it makes me feel so fine
I can't control my brain
- Island in the Sun, Weezer

Last October 22, I was fortunate to join Greenpeace in Apo Island, Dauin , Oriental Negros to launch Pilipinas, Go Renewable! The event was celebrated by the Apo Island community Greenpeace and Solar Generation by installing a solar photovoltaic system at the library of Apo Island Elementary School.

Our day started early at 6am. We were supposed to take test shots just to make sure the documentation of the event is perfect. But guess what... while I was climbing the roof, it started to drizzle! I then took a deep breath, looked at the sky to say thanks for the blessing and fervently hoped that by 9am the rain clouds will go away. It worked :-)

By 9am, the courtyard of the school was packed with students, teachers, parents, community members and the Greenpeace team. Dauin Mayor Rodrigo Alanano supported the need for renewable energy targets but said they will go beyond 10% by 2010 -- he committed to make Apo Island 100% renewable by the year 2010!

Solar Generation member William Sia of Pulupandan and Star Power celebrity Juddah Paolo assisted in the installation of the panels while Angel Aquino read a story to the students . Sushmita, a grade 6 student, turned on the system to signal the shift of the community to renewable energy .

Meeting a community, such as Apo Island, who is passionate about their environment, gives me hope for our nation. It showed me that by empowering the youth and the community, people find their voices and are more than willing to make a stand for their future.

Photos courtesy of Rap Rios for Greenpeace Southeast Asia, Danny Ocampo and Aris.

Climate Change sunk the Titanic!

2006-10-25T19:15:00.000+08:00

On the April 11, 1912, the Titanic, in her maiden voyage, started her trip from Southampton for New York. The building and launch of the luxury ship made world headlines with the Titanic heralded as unsinkable and the largest, the fastest, the finest and the most luxurious liner in the world.

On the evening of April 14th, she struck an iceberg off the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. Four hours later she sunk. Titanic became one of the worst and most well known disasters in marine history.

So, is climate change responsible for the sinking of Titanic?

In 1997, the Titanic was once more brought to international attention by no less than Leonardo Dicaprio in the movie aptly named...Titanic. The soundtrack My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion and the line "...If you jump, I'll jump" captivated audiences worldwide.

So, whats the relation between the sinking of Titanic and climate change? Check out the link below and find out.

http://www.leonardodicaprio.org/whatsimportant/globalwarming_movie01.htm

Watcha think?

____
photo taken from the Smithsonian Institution

DA BLOGGERS

2006-10-23T17:05:00.000+08:00

So, who's your dadeh? The answer to that one you can email to the blog -- we'll keep it a secret if you want... But right now, apart from you, dear, the next best thing to ask is who the other bloggers of this site are. Herewith, the short shorts on some of the bloggers who plan to take you on the wild weather ride...

1. The cool sprite's name is Densio. Full stop. A young hardy soul who believes deeply and doubts some of today's certainties with high passion, Densio's a weather watcher who likes caves and clouds and major league baseball.

Blogger.com posed a question to Densio based on a hypothetical situation. Her response may be indicative of her general disposition.

Blogger.com: "You've successfully slain the dragon! How will you toast your marshmallows?"

Densio: "I don't have the marshmallows."

Of her great reads, she lists The Woman Who Had Two Navels as one of her fave books and for raved about movies, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is among her greatest hits.

Densio may have a few hundred blogspots out there but for coolmyplanet she chose one of her more recent ones to display with this blog. Check it out here. And be sure to keep an eye out for the rest of her wild weather entries...

Now, where would Densio's marshmallows likely be?

2. Here is Chuck, a sharp blade with few words and an enigma even to his colleagues. Despite his blurred portrait, he's no fuzzy guy and there ain't an ounce of fluff on him (okay, let's be honest, there's at least an ounce...)

Chuck's 25-years old, his sign's Cancer and he was born on the year of the Rooster. Chuck's interested in skateboarding, the superb DC & Vertigo comics and he likes punk music and ska and emo. Do any of you know what emo is? Well, you may just find out if you visit his personal site...

If someone were to probe some more to get more detail on who Chuck really is, this is the enigma's actual answer: "I am basically me: a human being capable of converting oxygen into carbon dioxide and to be honest I've been very good at it since I have been doing that for exactly 24 years."

Blogger.com posed the hypothetical situation and question to Chuck and this is his response:
Blogger.com: "You have to dig a hole to China. Where do you start?"

Chuck: "On the North, the north of everywhere including the North Pole."

Can anyone guess why Chuck chose north as his digging direction?

3. Here is Chico, cool young fashionista with an easy smile and gentle disposition who goes by the name icequeen in the Bloggerworld. She laughs at the slightest provocation, has funny adventure stories (ask her about puting kalabaw) and loves bags and bags and bags. Ok, shoes as well. Actually, she makes both... Her thoughts and some of her wares can be found here.

"You've been invited to a fancy ball but the only thing you have to wear is an orange wooly jumper," Blogger.com tells Chico. "What shoes do you wear?"

Chico: "I will ditch the fancy ball and go to a pub with my friends wearing white pumas."

Smart. She's a generous 25-year old woman, a Scorpio who was born in the year of the Monkey and whose fave music is Johnny Cash and Coldplay, The Beatles, Imago and Sugarfree. She also likes moozik and chocolates (the ones with brandy or nuts?)

She reads voraciously as well and lists among her best reads Memoirs of a Geisha, The Lorax and Chronicles of Narnia and anything by Ayn Rand. For movies, tops are The Incredibles, Patch Adams, Finding Nemo and Kill Bill! How's that for a fine mix?

Bags make Chico tick. Can anyone guess what names Chico gives to her bags?

4. Here is Ala, also known as koAla Paredes, or just Ala. Because sometimes, despite her celebrity status, we think it is her convictions that also serve to define her.

Ala's 23-years old, and not just 23-years old, a free spirit and a nymph who sings (captivating) and paints (captivating) and writes (captivating) and blogs in prolific captivating fashion.

Though we are not sure she'll agree, from the online site that Ala maintains it should be clear to any visitor that Ala grew up with a mature way of weighing the things life keeps bringing her way, which in a way may be responsible for the gentle manner with which she seems to be growing younger by the day.

Her sign's Aries and she was born in the year of the Boar and she can wipe the great big bronze compass of an old ship till it gleams like gold in three minutes. Ala the environmentalist and weather watcher has much to say about many things and her eye for great detail stands out. And while we don't know her as well as her closest friends, this much we know -- there seems to be little gray in Ala's radiant world and there will likely not be any in the foreseeable future. For all the things that she's written in her blog, which has created a hefty following, the truth is this young model/rockstar/painter/writer/vj/blogger's intellect is just beginning to hum...

Every now and then, she'll be sending stories our way so keep a tight watch. Meantime, why not browse through Ala's visual work and wonder how she manages to put word and image and sound all together...

Other bloggers over twice the number of the intros here will be introducing themselves soon. If you have any hypothetical situations-questions you want the un-introduced bloggers to ponder on and answer if and when they manage to do introduce themselves, help cool the planet -- post your thoughts and questions in the comments section right below, or send an email to planetcosmo(at)gmail(dot)com.

REGARDING MUSIC AND CLIMATE

2006-10-23T11:51:00.000+08:00

By Redster

I was surprised when I first heard Parokya ni Edgar's version of the classic Apo Hiking Society classic, Pumapatak na naman ang ulan. It's a song anyone can sing, actually, and yet, apart from private sessions with a clutch of friends and bottles and a guitar, before the tribute album came out only Apo could deliver the song in its intended simplicity without slipping into sappiness or melodic sophistry. Until Chito Miranda and the manic Parokya gang came along, that is, to remake the song into something equally compelling.

The rain is falling again, sings Chito. When I first heard how they rendered the classic I sat down and smiled. It's the old story retold well with Parokya's modulated verve.

That's the thing with good music. A great tune merges with fine words and the distinct sound that sets great bands or musicians apart from the multitude, and you just have to nod your head because everywhere things are OK.

The Apo song reminds me of many things, a good drizzle being a theme that evokes lethargy or introspection or daydreaming. When the rain falls on my solitude, I don't know what else to do now that you're gone, Noel Cabangon sing, in a great bossa nova piece he composed in 1998 called Sa pagpatak ng ulan. Why did it take so long for the song to be included in the albums he has worked on, I asked him one time? The song wasn't quite political, Noel replied somewhat sheepishly, and somehow his answer doesn't feel quite right. As a solitary experience, rain can be quite political -- you wrestle alone with your certainties and your indifference. When a downpour is spent with a group or with someone, it can be positively liberating.

"Make believe we've landed on a desert island, bathe me in the waters, roll me in the moonlight," sings the wonderful Agot Isidro, truly crush ng bayan forever to some. The song's called The Island, one of twelve songs the singer recently put together in a similarly titled album that should make the listener swoon and the weather more humid.

Rainfall, islands, waters. Like good music, the elements give much more than immediate pleasures. We get to take with us memories of the moment and musings of things to come.

But then, what's good music? Well, to each his own, actually. Good music is personal.

I suppose it's easier to say which ones you dislike. Bad music for me is like a hot arid season that overstays its welcome or a summer that seems to take forever to arrive. It can be jarring and disruptive, kinda like Salbakuta playing Bamboo's epic Hallelujah, or Bonnie Raitt singing Barry Manilow.

But what about you? What is "good music" to you? Do you associate rain or quiet islands with any particular song? And yes -- the fun part -- what's your idea of jarring music? Tell me...

Negotiating One World

2006-10-10T15:08:00.000+08:00

Welcome. Let's call this our own project. Our O.W.N. project. One World Negotiations. And it's all about you.
The world climate treaty negotiations will take place in Nairobi, Kenya from November 6 to 17 and we'll be blogging soon from Asia and Africa about our climate, our planet, our music and our lives. Blogging about our common canopy -- the one sky we have.

It's important that you take part. Everyday, there's so much to share.

Take what's playing on the stereo right now, Sugarfree's take on the Eraserheads classic Tikman -- new sound re-creating recent music, and it's beautiful. Now, why that kind of gorgeous exchange is not happening elsewhere regarding things that matter just as much -- that's the bummer.

In November, the talks in Nairobi will be all about the future of our planet. Some call the treaty meetings the Kyoto Protocol. Many refer to it as The Climate Change Treaty -- a global agreement designed to stop dangerous climate change from taking place. Climate what? You know, extreme weather becoming more severe. Rising sea levels. Melting ice caps. More coal and oil and deforestation meaning more global warming. The works. And yet the negotiations and issues surrounding the meeting have grown so technical that discussions about it have discouraged too many from taking part and having a say on things.

Fact is, those who may suffer the most -- the voices of the developing world, our voices -- are not being heard. Truth is, now is as good a time as any to join the climate fray.

This blog is one small way for you to get involved -- a small window to Africa and Asia and the climate negotiations that we wish to open for you. So come on in. Welcome to a conversation.

One good future -- shouldn't this be our common project? Tell us all about it -- we'd like to know. After all, di ba it's all about you.

Photo: Raja Ampat, West Papua, October 2005. (c) Greenpeace; Eraserheads pic from Wikipedia; Children from Somalia by Alethea Abuyuan.

Next up -- what's in Nairobi? Who are the bloggers? Where is this headed? Stay tuned... We'd love to swap links...