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ENVIRONMENT UPDATES
Ecological time bomb is ticking fast by Antonio M. Claparols
AS I write this, the world has never been in greater danger of destroying itself. The ecological time bomb, of which we have warned long ago, is ticking faster than ever. And if the many environmental concerns are not tackled with vigilance and resolve, the ecological time bomb will explode. This will be the end of humanity as we know it.
In the past, we had a healthy and balanced ecology. Our forest cover was over 22 million hectares and our ocean and seas were filled with bounty. Our seas are said to be richer and more diverse than the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Our forest and biodiversity were filled with species that have not yet been discovered and already have gone extinct. Our coastline is larger than the continental U.S.A.
We are a mega-biodiversity country in danger. Our soil and land were so rich that one could just plant a seed and it would grow. There was no poverty. In fact, we were the pride of the world.
It began with the industrial revolution and was followed by the green revolution. With the massive doses of fertilizer and chemicals put in our agriculture, our soil has been made useless and has run out of rich nutrients.
Our forests have been logged and we only have less than 800,000 hectares of pristine primary forests left. Our soil continues to erode in every rainfall we have.
A country so rich with rain and yet we have no water. All the soil erosion is wrecking havoc on all our rivers and destroying our rich estuaries and coral reefs -- the start of the food chain. We ask: why do we not declare a total logging ban? Why do we have to wait for the last tree to stand before, we do so? Are our politicians and leaders so blind that they cannot see beyond the sunset?
With all our richness, we have no reason to have a water and food crisis.
Why do we continue to mine our country dry? We ask: who stands to benefit? Certainly, not our people and country.
Several times in the past, we experienced oil crisis and we have advocated that we go on renewables. They argue that it is too expensive to change the infrastructure. We say oil is a finite and dirty resource. It will run out -- whether we like it or not.
The question is: will global warning and its disastrous effects kill the one and only planet we have? Why wait until oil is out? We say: change the infrastructure now and go on renewables. We say: declare a total logging ban and go on a massive reforestation program. We say: give jobs that will enhance the environment and restore, rest and rehabilitate our environment. We must give back to Mother Earth what we have taken from her.
In less than 50 years our planet has degraded to a point that it will no longer be able to sustain life. Just look at the glaciers melting, the floods, the droughts, and the famine. Poverty is on the rise and will continue to do so. The U.N. Millennium Development Goals have not even been attended to. Yet, we continue to mine our mountains, cut our forests and pollute our seas.
We need a sea change in our way of thinking; in our consumption patterns and in the fight for our right to a healthy and clean environment.
The UNIPCC has spelled out the future and it is real.
This will bring more and more havoc to our people and the planet. We do not have the luxury of time. We must act now as the ecological time bomb is ticking ever faster. For the welfare of our children and humankind.
During the last Wilderness Congress in 2005 in Anchorage, Alaska, we were told By Dr. Trista Patterson of the U.S.D.A. that ecosystems benefits amount to over $40 Trillion... and getting lower each day. It was there that we saw glaciers melting.
During the IUCN Asian Regional Forum last year in Katmandu, Nepal, we were told by the UNEP director for Asia that ecosystems benefits were estimated to yield over $47 Trillion.
Nature takes care of the Earth. Each day that we do not address the problems destroying the environment, we will experience ecosystems collapsing.
Already it has begun. Our coral reefs are bleaching due to climate change. We are in the coral triangle so rich in marine resources.
The UP Marine Science Institute estimates that in the KIG-Kalayaan Island Group alone, we get over 20 percent of our protein needs. What more the Visayan sea and the Sulu Sulawesi seas?
We cannot afford to destroy our rich marine biodiversity With the way things are going, it is evident that ecosystems will collapse and the Earth will no longer be able to sustain life. We are guardians of the Earth, not its destroyers. We all have to do our share to protect her.
(Antonio M. Claparols is president of the Ecological Society of the Philipppines. He received his BSBA degree, major in Finance, at De la Salle College in 1973. He obtained his MSM degree in 1982 at the Arthure D. Little MEI (now Hults International Business School) in Cambridge, Mass. U.S. He undertook Special Studies at Harvard University in 1982-83. In 1984, he received the Arthur D. Little Scholarship in Strategic Planning in Agri-Business).
RP warned vs importing GMO rice
The Ecological Society of the Philippines (ESP) has expressed alarm over reports that the Philippines is importing rice containing genetically modified organisms (GMO) from the United States.
The government should investigate that the rice being imported from the US has not been genetically modified," ESP president Antonio M. Claparols said. " After all, the Americans themselves have been vigilant with regards to the GMO controversy."
The Center for Disease Control in the US recently launched an investigation on "Morgellones Disease" after receiving thousands of complaints from people with unexplained skin condition. In addition to skin manifestations, some sufferers also report fatigue, mental confusion, short-term memory loss, joint pain, and changes in visions.
Claparols said preliminary findings suggest a link between Morgellonos Disease and Agrobacterium, a soil bacterium extensively manipulated and used in making GM crops.
The Swiss and many European countries, meanwhile, have opted for a moratorium on the further use of GMO.
"Until proven safe beyond reasonable doubt, we should not be consuming genetically engineered crops, " Claparols added. "It will affect the people, our agriculture and our biodiversity. It will also destroy our rich organic farms, not to mention our environment."
Claparols added that, with better management, the Philippines can produce enough organic crops to feed its own people.
RP must abandon biofuels plan now - ecology group
'World on the brink of a food crisis'
If some scientists agree that plants converted into fuel can help mitigate climate change, the Ecological Society of the Philippines (ESP) believes that food scarcity is a threat to global security.
"We are on the brink of a food crisis not only here but worldwide," said ESP president Antonio A. Claparols. "We need to abandon the biofuels plan to convert food for fuel."
In other parts of the world, rioting has begun as caused mainly by the escalating price of basic food. The food shortage the world is experiencing today is being blamed on biofuels.
Two years ago, the United Nations had campaigned for the use of biofuels which it said would eradicate hunger and mitigate climate change. Because of this thousands of farmers in the United States and Europe switched from food to fuel production.
Today, the UN has warned that the rising food prices could spark worldwide unrest and could threaten political stability.
"We must stop land conversation of agricultural lands and enhance biodiversity. This must be acted on rapidly and with vigilance as the situation gets worse, " Claparols said. "We need to feed our people first. What good is a car without a driver?"
Instead, Claparols said, the Philippines need to promote organic farming.
"We need to go organic to mitigate the effects of climate change and lower to cost of rice and corn," he said. "Organic agriculture can feed the world, compensate for all greenhouse gas emissions due to human activities and free us from fossil fuels."
ESP traces global food crisis to biofuel thrust by: Antonio M. Claparols - ESP President There is food shortage in the world today and some scientists and world leaders are putting the blame on the mass production of biofuel. Two years ago, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations reported that biofuels can help eradicate hunger and poverty for up to two billion people and at the same time help counter climate change. Because of subsidies and commitments by first world countries to the use of biofuel, thousands of farmers all over the United States and Europe switched from food to fuel production. In the last two years the US has diverted 60 million tons of food to fuel. This year 18 percent of all US grain production will go to biofuel. In additional, large areas of Brazil, Argentina, Canada and eastern Europe are diverting sugar cane, palm oil and soybean crops to production of biofuel feedstock. The result, exacerbated by energy price rises, speculation and shortages because of severe weather, has been big increases of all global food commodity prices. "That is why the Ecological Society of the Philippines (ESP) is calling on the Philippines government to look closely on the biofuels bill and plant food for people and not for cars," said ESP president Antonio Claparols. "If we ask our farmers to shift from planting food to growing plants for fuel, it will create a food crisis here and worldwide. We call on government to feed our people. We have enough agricultural land." Claparols suggested that instead of shifting to biofuel, the RP government must promote organic farming because not only will it help reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, it will also assure high yields to farmers and encourage biodiversity.
Biofuels to blame for food shortage, eco group says There is food shortage in the world today, and some scientists and world leaders are blaming the mass production of biofuel for it. Two years ago, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations reported that biofuels can help eradicate hunger and poverty for up to two billion people and at the same time help counter climate change. Because of subsidies and commitments by first world countries to the use of biofuel, thousands of farmers all over the United States and Europe switched from food to fuel production In the last two years the US has diverted 60 million metric tons of food to fuel. This year, 18 percent of all US grain production will go to biofuel. In addition, large areas of Brazil, Argentina, Canada and eastern Europe are diverting sugar cane, palm oil and soybean crops to biofuels. The result, exacerbated by energy price rises, speculation and shortage because of severe weather, has been big increases of all global food commodity prices. That is why the Ecological Society of the Philippines (ESP) is calling on the Philippine government to look closely on the biofuels bill and plant food for people and not for cars, said ESP president Antonio Claparols. "If we ask our farmers to shift from planting food to growing plants for fuel, it will create a food crisis here and worldwide. We call on government to feed our people. We have enough agricultural land."
Ecology group pushes organic farming practice The Ecological Society of the Philippines (ESP) is reiterating its stand in favor of organic farming. “We strongly urge the Philippine government and the agricultural private sector to go organic,” said ESP president Antonio M. Claparols “This will benefit the farmer, protect our biodiversity, help eradicate poverty and lessen the effects of global warming.” Claparols said that less industrialized nations like the Philippines can benefit most on organic farming. In southern Brazil, yields doubled on farms that changed to green manures and nitrogen fixing leguminous vegetables instead of chemical fertilizers. In Mexico, coffee-growers who chose to move to fully organic production methods saw increases of 50 per cent in the weight of beans they harvested. In fact, in an analysis of more than 286 organic conversions in 57 countries, the average yield increase was found to be an impressive 64 per cent. But the most important thing that is gained in promoting organic farming is its ability to mitigate the effects of climate change. “Already the effects of Climate Change are being felt. From floods to droughts to lower yields and destruction of biodiversity and top soil,” Claparols added. Despite organic farming’s low energy methods, it is not in reducing demand for power that the techniques stand to make the biggest savings in greenhouse gas emissions. The production of ammonium nitrate fertilizer, which is indispensable to conventional farming, produces vast quantities of nitrous oxide – a greenhouse gas with a global warming potential some 320 times greater than that of CO2. In fact, the production of one metric ton of ammonium nitrate creates 6.7 metric tons of greenhouse gases (CO2e), and was responsible for around 10 percent of all industrial greenhouse gas emissions in Europe in 2003. Organic farms actively encourage biodiversity in order to maintain soil fertility and aid natural pest control. Organic production systems are designed to respect the balance observed in our natural ecosystems. It is widely accepted that controlling or suppressing one element of wildlife, even if it is a pest, will have unpredictable impacts on the rest of the food chain. Instead, organic producers regards a healthy farm, rather than a barrier to production. According to the World Health Organizations there are an estimated 20,000 accidental deaths worldwide each year from pesticide exposure and poisoning. More than 31 million kilograms of pesticide were applied to UK crops alone in 2005, 0.5 kilograms for every person in the country.
RP urged to follow EU's lead on carbon reduction
The Ecological Society of the Philippines (ESP) is calling on the Philippines government, as well as the private sector, to adopt the plan of the European Union with regards to reduce emissions of the harmful carbon dioxide in the environment.
The European Union has pledged to cut carbon emissions by 20 percent. They also plan to get 20 percent of their energy from renewable sources.
According to ESP president Antonio M. Claparols, the Philippines should follow the European Union's lead.
"We need to take concrete action and not just keep on talking," said Claparols. "The effects of climate change are getting more severe.
Floods, droughts, typhoons, deseases, food shortages and poverty will increase. And it will get worse."
Scientists from all over the world agree that emission of fossil fuel, such as methane and carbon dioxide which end up in the earth's atmosphere, is the main culprit of global warming because it damages the ozone layer.
They also believe that the world needs at least a 25% reduction of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere by 2020 to save the planet from climate change's severest consequences such as rising seas, droughts, extinction of species and severe weather.
"The private sector and all individuals must take their own actions to mitigate climate changes," said Claparols.
Group calls for protection of fores
The destruction of forests has been tagged as one of the major culprits of global warning during the recent United Nations Climate Change in Bali, Indonesia.
This is because forests help clean the atmosphere by absorbing manmade carbon dioxide which harms the earth's ozone layer.
Despite being a relatively small country, Indonesia has been ranked the third largest greenhouse gas emitter in the world behind the United States and China not because it burns tons of industrial fuel but because of rabid deforestation.
Indonesia is losing nearly two percent of its forest each year," said Ecological Society of the Philippines (ESP) president Antonio M. Claparols. "Let us not allow this to happen in our country. We cannot afford to lose our rich organic resources and our bio-diversity."
Additionally, a recent study confirmed that cutting down forests increases the risk of flooding. According to the research made by the Charles Darwin University and the National University of Singapore, a 10 percent loss of trees in the forest leads to an increase of 28 percent risk in flooding.
"With these scenarios in mind, ESP is calling for the Philippine government to protect our remaining forest and natural capital," added Claparols, who added that reforestation can also reduce erosion and increase water capture.
Nepal's environment problems merit the world's attention by: Antonio M. Claparols - Contributor SITTING ON THE TOP OF THE WORLD, Nepal, one of the stepping stones to Mt. Everest, is a country of immense natural beauty with a deep-rooted cultural heritage. A great part of its beauty derives from the many rivers that flow from the Himalayan mountain range and support many countries in Asia. You can say it is the watershed of Asia--a world marvel and the home of World Heritage sites. Its condition should make it one of the points of world attention, in view of the ongoing conference on climate change in Bali, Indonesia. In September, we had the opportunity to travel to Nepal. We visited Bhaktapur, literally the city of devotees and site of the country's highest temple, and marveled at how the ancient city had been restored. We went on the nearby Nagarkot, where one can enjoy a panoramic view of the majestic Himalayas. Our journey also brought us to Durbar Square in Kathmandu, with its beautiful architecture and the most outstanding cluster of exquisite temples and royal palaces. But Nepal, where the rural folk live in self-sufficiency, and the Himalayas are in grave danger. Already, the effects of climate change have resulted in the melting of the glaciers. But it is not only climate change that poses danger but also projects planned for the next 10-20 years to dam the many rivers for hydroelectric development. Dams can adversely affect the health of rivers and streams. They alter channel form and structure, flow regimen and sediment transport, thus changing water temperature and chemistry, modifying algal and macro-in-vertebrate communities and disrupting resident and migratory fish communities. One threatened river is the Karnali, Nepal's "sacred gift to the world". Damming the Karnali and other rivers will ultimately wreak havoc on the greatest resources of all--water. It will have negative impacts on the many countries that are beneficiaries of this water resources. It was but fitting that the IUCN (The World Conservation Union), together with the government of Nepal, hosted the 4th Asian Regional Conservation Forum in September. About 400 delegates from more than 30 Asian countries participated in the conference, which had as its them "Synergies for a Sustainable Asia." It was enlightening to listen to the experiences of other Asian countries in dealing with environmental issues. What struck us most were the experiences of Bhutan and Thailand--two examples illustrating how oneness with nature has been embedded in their respective cultures. The Constitutions of Bhutan specifies a forest cover of 60 percent. And the Bhutanese have what they call their GNH (Gross National Happines) benchmark instead of the GNP (Gross National Product) of the western world. Their happiness is more important than economic development and material wealth. This, to us, is remarkable. Meanwhile, the Thais espouse a philosophy set forth by their revered King Bhumibol--a philosophy of self-sufficiency. These are great lessons in sustainability that we can all share in order to preserve our respective parts of the world, including Nepal's endangered rivers.
Biological biodiversity, the basis of human life Biological biodiversity provides the basic human needs as it the source of the basic goods and ecological services on which all life depends, according to Antonio M. Claparols, a leading environmentalist in the country today. Biodiversity is now recognized as crucial to sustainable development, the eradication of poverty and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals adopted by most countries, including the Philippines. Claparols stressed the importance of biodiversity in ensuring food security and adequate supplies of water and in protecting the wide array of traditional medicines and modern pharmaceuticals that are based on the world’s biological riches. Biodiversity has assumed an increasingly important place in the forums where human development and the survival of our planet are debated, Claparols, who heads the Ecological Society of the Philippines said. Governments are recognizing that the Convention on Biological Diversity and its Biosafety Protocol, as well as the processes the two agreements have set in motion, are crucial for the conservation and sustainable development of biodiversity and for the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising form the use of genetic resources, he explained. The consequences of failing to stop the loss of biodiversity are too awful to contemplate. Our highest priority should be to guarantee the health and effective functioning of the earth’s life support systems – on land, in the seas and in the air. Claparols stressed that we must renew our pledge to promote global awareness of the value of biodiversity and most of all to do our outmost to preserve our priceless source of life.
Search for biofuels hurting natural foods
The ethanol craze is putting the squeeze on corn supplies and causing food prices to rise.
The market prices of chicken and beef are expected to ticken up especially with the onset of the holiday season because feed is more expensive, according to Antonio M. Claparols, a leading environmentalist as he cautioned that the mad rush for alternative fuels is expected to put its dent of the common man's diet.
Scientist are engineering microscopic bugs to extract fuel from a variety of non-corn sources, including the human urinary tract, a Russian fungus and the plant responsible for tequila. The quest for alternative energy is more complicated than just finding a replacement for petroleum. Scientists and a growing number of biotechnology companies are attempting to remove corn from the ethanol equation because it has created huge demand for the global food staple.
"There is enormous growth potential" for alternative fuels, Claparols said as he cited Jens Riese, an international analyst who cited that the next ethanol plant from corn produce may just be around the corner.
Researchers are racing against time, the Ecological Society of the Philippines said as he cited that more than 114 plants are now under construction and producers are chewing in billions of gallons increase from the previous year.
And nearly all off of it was made from edible corn kernels.
That's good news for farmers, but consumers are suffering at the checkout stand because corn prices have nearly doubled over the last two years and will continue to climb, he said.
And with farmers planting corn at unprecedented rates, often instead of other crops, prices for other products may soon rise as well.
Corn is a fundamental food ingredient, found in everything from soft drinks to cough syrup. It's also a staple throughout Southeast Asia and they feel the sting of rising corn prices the most.
Organic food is safer and better for environment
It costs more, but it's worth, and it's better for the environment and safer. And while those who buy organic food regularly are still a minority, their number's are growing bigger all the time. Most organic food buyers overwhelmingly believe it tastes better and is worth the extra cost.
Citing findings of a Harris Poll of 2,392 adults surveyed in the US by Harris Interactive, the Ecological Society of the Philippines said more and more people, including Filipinos are finding it good for the health and the environment to consume organic foods.
Antonio M. Claparols, president of ESP cited the survey which says that only seven percent of all adults report buying organic food all or most of the time." A further 21 percent say they buy it occasionally;
Some segments of the population are more likely to buy organic foods regularly: College graduates (11%), Liberals (11%), Westerners (10%), Echo Boomers (those aged 18-30; 10%,) and Gen Xers (those aged 31-42; 9%);
Those who buy organics (including those who only buy it occasionally and rarely) report that their organic purchases are much more likely to have increased (32%) than to have decreased (5%); evidence that organic food consumption has been rising, Claparols reported.
The ESP chief added that the very large majorities of the public believe that organic food is safer for the environment (79%) and healthier (76%). Almost all frequent organic food buyers believe this (92% and 98% respectively). Most (86%) frequent organic food buyers also think it tastes better, but only 39% percent of all adults think this way. Almost everyone (95% of the public, including 88% of frequent organic food buyers) believes organic food is more expensive. About a third (36%) of the public, including almost all (91%) frequent organic food buyers, believes that "organic food is much better for you" and that "the extra expense is worth it to have a better food." A smaller 29 percent of the public believe it is "a waste of money as it is no better for you than conventional foods." Fully 36 percent are not sure.
The many people who have positive attitudes to organic food suggest that the increase in consumption of organic food is likely to continue and, in a few years time, could account for a much larger share of the food market, Claparols said.
Freedom from fossil fuel pushed by Antonio M. Claparols Organic farming frees us from reliance on fossil fuel. It can address local and global food security challenges as organic farming is no longer considered a niche market within developed countries but a vibrant commercial agricultural system being practiced in over 120 countries, according to Antonio Claparols, president of the Ecological Society of the Philippines, as he pushed for more organic farming in the countryside. The organic market is worth $40 billion in 2006 and is expected to reach $70 billion by 2012, he said. Organic farmings is a holistic production management system that avoids the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides and genetically modified organisms, minimizes pollution of air, soil and water and optimizes the health and productivity of plants, animals and people, Claparols explained. We should count on the strongest benefits of organic agriculture such as freedom or independence from fossil fuel, the use of locally available resources that incur minimal agro-ecological stress and are cost effective. Claparols said organic farming is a neo-traditional food system which combines modern science and indigenous knowledge. The ESP chief cited the Food and Agriculture report which strongly suggests that a worldwide shift to organic agriculture can fight world hunger and at the same time tackle climate change. FAO's World Food Summit report said that conventional agriculture, together with deforestation and rangeland burning are responsible for 30 percent of the carbon dioxide and 90 percent of the nitrous oxide emissions worldwide. Organic farming therefore, fights hunger, tackles global warming, is good for farmers and consumers and the environment as a whole, Claparols.
Mining
firms urged to respect rights of indigenous people With the imminent rise of the
Philippines as one of the new producers, of metallic and non-metallic
minerals and as the new haven of mining in the coming years, a leading
environmental group yesterday asked the government and the mining sector
to respect the rights and privileges of the indigenous peoples whose
lands are affected by mining activities. Antonio M. Claparols, president
of the Ecological Society of the Philippines said they want foreign and
transnational mining companies to respect the rights and wishes of
indigeous peoples in not allowing the entry of large scale mining
operations in their areas. Claparols explained that through
the Philippine Mining Act of 1995, the government has reaffirmed the
economic orientation views that the Philippines is a mere resource
export base for extracted raw minerals. The Mining Act clearly favors
foreign mining interests which have control of both capital and
technology and ensures a sell out of the country’s sovereignty and
patrimony, he said. Like other patriotic
environmental groups, the ESP is against large scale, open cast and
mechanized mining operations which virtually destroy the lands, forests,
rivers, and oceans leading to habitat alteration, loss of rich
biodiversity and irreversible impacts on climate change, he added. The government’s continued trust
in the extractive minerals industry undermines not only the
administration’s own tenous credibility, but the Filipino people, he
said.
http://archive.inquirer.net/view.php?db=1&story_id=75389 MANILA, Philippines - As
usual, the city of San Francisco was blessed with lovely weather. My nephew Joey and I
spent almost a week there, visiting, among other special places, St.
Mary’s Church near Chinatown. It is the oldest church
in California and continues to draw big numbers of the faithful. But it is
now struggling to keep afloat because of lack of funds. There must be a way to
sustain this historic church that survived the great earthquake of 1906
and has since served as a center of unity and strength for its
parishioners. We went to St. Mary’s to
thank God for His blessings and to pray for the souls of our parents and
brother.
MY NEPHEW Joey Claparols in San Francisco San Francisco will always
have a special place in our hearts. Riding the cable cars and walking in
Union Square remind us of our parents, who first took us there in 1970. The music of the city was
playing for us as we met with childhood friends. How difficult it is to
say goodbye. New York From San Francisco, we
flew to New York, the greatest city in the world. We spent another week
there and caught two plays on Broadway—"The Wicked" and "Mamma Mia," both
excellent musicals. The Rockefeller Center
and the top of the Empire State building are still wonderful places to
visit, as are New York University at the heart of Greenwich Village, Soho
and Bryant’s Park near the Public Library. We had an interesting
time in New York because we experienced four seasons in a week. The issue of climate
change was in every broadsheet, magazine and tabloid. The G-8 was then
meeting in Germany, and the United States was experiencing freak storms
with hail, snow and rain—and drought at the same time. The effects of Hurricanes
"Katrina" and "Rita" were still fresh on our minds as we walked through
that grand green spot called Central Park, 5th Avenue, 42nd Street and
Times Square. It’s truly a city that
never sleeps, with people and cars thronging the streets as night breaks
into a new day. Boston And onward to Boston. The
oldest city in the United States will always be my second home, next to
Manila and Paris. I studied and lived there
in 1980-’83, and I was back to attend the 25th reunion of our Class of
1982. It was known as Arthur D. Little then, but today it’s called the
HULTS International Business School. We stayed in Cambridge,
where I lived during that time. It’s a quaint city across the Charles
River where Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are
located.
CAMBRIDGE with Boston skyline We walked the freedom
trail from Cambridge to Boston and spent time revisiting the past. It was like I never left.
Classmates from Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Colombia, Philippines and
United States flew in to attend the reunion and address the new faculty
and students of the Class of 2007. It was a good year, 1982.
It was our class that first put up an environmental management course as
an elective subject—the first of its kind in any business school. What a challenging step
it was, especially during a time when the environment was just a word not
to be taken seriously. Today, with unmistakable
signs of global warming and climate change manifesting everywhere on the
planet, the environment is part of every business school’s curriculum. I was invited to address
the graduating class, and I felt honored to speak about our 25 years since
graduation and how the environment and economics traversed parallel lines. But as we spoke, the
waters of Lake Superior set new records, receding by more than 20 feet.
The Great Lakes were running dry! Saying goodbye to Boston
was harder than the rest. How does one bid farewell to a city one has
lived in and continues to love? Addressing the problem Back in New York, we
arrived at the JFK Airport to see the traffic of airplanes on the tarmac.
It took us an hour to take off. With air traffic and
other aggravations, the question persists: How can we really address the
problem of global warming and climate change? If this trend continues, how
long before the planet dies? The June 2007 issue of
the National Geographic shows us in vivid color the effects of global
warming: "The Big Thaw"—ice on the run and seas on the rise. From Greenland to the
Antarctica, the world is losing its ice faster than anyone thought
possible. The threat posed by the vanishing sea ice of the Arctic and the
retreating glaciers all over the world is real. The current battle cry is
to save the environment, yet no one seems to be addressing the problem.
Are we too late to do anything? I say: No, as long as we walk our talk and
start a sea change right now. The bottom line is this:
Healthy ecology means good business. What good are San
Francisco, Boston and New York when the planet is at risk? The author is the
president of the Ecological Society of the Philippines.
Climate change, a
hot issue around the globe The issue on climate change is
perhaps one of the most talked about issues in the world today as it
affects the rich and the poor, young and old alike and almost all life
forms on earth. In the developed west, erratic
weather patterns bring destructive hale storms and thinning ice caps to
hot summers, while in the less developed world, flooding, landslides and
searing heat strokes bring death and destruction to millions of people,
according to Antonio Claparols, president of the Ecological Society of
the Philippines, as he cited the need for a concerted effort from all
stakeholders from all walks of life to remedy this situation. Almost all newspapers, magazines
and other reading materials around the world are talking about climate
change, from the thinning ice caps in Greenland to the resurfacing of
the bird flue virus in Hongkong brought by climate change, Claparols
said. Since the H5N1 virus or bird flu
strain is related to global warming, the epidemic is considered a threat
not only in Hongkong but more so for its neighboring countries such as
the Philippines, he added. ESP enjoins the world in
combating global warming and climate change by doing their little share
in facing this ecological disaster that will spare no one in this
planet, Claparols stressed.
‘Natural
Capital’ a sound environmental investment Sound and solid investment in the environment will go
a long way towards meeting national targets on poverty reduction, the
supply of drinking water and fighting the spread of infectious diseases. The goods and services delivered by nature including
the atmosphere, forests, rivers, wetlands, mangroves and coral reefs are
worth quadrillions of pesos and to fight poverty we need three kinds of
capital – financial, human and environmental. When we damage natural
capital we not only undermine our life support systems but the economic
basis for current and future generations, Antonio Claparols of the
Ecological Society of the Philippines stressed. Claparols said targeted investments in this natural
capital have a high rate of return in terms of development, according to
both financial analysts and environmentalists who noted that damaging
the natural capital will have adverse effects on financial investments. While restoring them to health, after they have been
damaged, is a costly and often time- consuming affair, so better to keep
them intact than undermining them in the first place. These cover vital
areas such as halving the number of people living on less than a dollar
a day and the reversing of women, the ESP chief added. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, the work of
1,300 scientists and experts form 95 countries in which UNEP has played
a pivotal role, gives some of the first firm figures on the
environment’s economic value and thus its role in meeting the goals. It states that tropical mangroves, coastal ecosystems
that are nurseries for fish, natural filters and coastal defenses, are
worth around $1,000 a hectare when intact. Cleared for shrimp farms the
same area of coast is worth only $200 a hectare. These estimate that the value of the timber and
fuel-wood from a forest is worth less than a third when compared with
the value of services such as water-shed protection, recreation and the
absorption of pollutants like greenhouse gases. Claparols said costs of restoring a damaged ecosystem
back to health are also high. In the American state of Louisiana,
billions of dollars is being spent to restore coastal marshes and
wetlands as part of measures to reduce storm surges generated by
hurricanes. The GEF is the most important source of environmental
funding for developing countries, helping them in areas such as
mitigation and adaptation to climate change, conservation and
sustainable use of biological diversity, phase out of harmful and
persistent chemicals and combating land degradation. Governments must
ensure its continued success by giving it the necessary financial
backing", he said.
by Antonio M. Claparols - Contributor
IN CAMBRIDGE MASSACHUSETTS, WE were experiencing one of the heaviest
rainfalls ever. The spring of
hope had turned into a winter of despair. The whole of New England was
literally underwater as all the rivers of the Merrimac had overflowed,
delaying flights, grounding traffic and leaving floodwaters everywhere. A state of
emergency had been declared-a clear sign of the effects of global
warming and climate change. Thank God,
the beauty of Boston and its intellectual ambiance remained. We strolled
through Quincy Market and the Boston Gardens, as well as the campuses of
Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Harvard has
purchased a parcel of land in Alison to put up an organic farm, and has
established the environment as a major part of its curriculum. Boston is
replete with history, being the first settlement in the New World. The rambles
of Commonwealth Avenue and the quaint streets of Newberry and
Massachusetts Avenue provide an inkling of its glorious past. But Copley
Square and the old churches beside the modern John Hancock building
illustrate how the old and the new can coexist. Meanwhile,
the Boston common and the Gardens fill the city center-including Beacon
Hill where government offices are based-with greenery. Boston is
best during the fall, when the trees show off their multicolored
splendor. It’s a sight that, to me, is the most beautiful in the world. Living in
Boston will rejuvenate anyone. The diversity of people from all over the
world and the many languages spoken make the city one big classroom. They say that
if you don’t like the weather, just wait a while for it to change. The sun comes
out and disappears, followed by a slight drizzle. You hunker down for
the long cold winter, and then Indian summer allows you to enjoy the
last of the sunny days. When winter
comes, the first flurries are a sight to cheer.
FANEUIL Hall
Market Place at Quincy Market Center of culture Oh, yes, I
love Boston. A renowned
center of culture and learning, Boston supports art museums, theaters,
symphony orchestras and 50 colleges and universities. Cambridge
Square and its environs make up an ethnically rich community of tightly
knit neighborhoods and academic institutions. The Freedom
Trail is a two-and-a-half-mile walking tour of 16 historic buildings,
sites and monuments that documents Boston’s remarkable contribution to
US history. Marked by a conspicuous red line, the trail winds past the
Park Street Church, the Granary Burying Ground (where Samuel Adams and
John Hancock are buried), the Old State House and the Old North Church,
the Charlestown Navy Yard with Old Ironsides… It is like
walking through time. And the
Charles River that separates Boston from Cambridge-its waters are clean,
and the fish caught from it make a delicious meal.
COPLEY
Square, Boston Trinity Church BOSTON IS
BEST DURING THE FALL, WHEN THE TREES SHOW OFF THEIR MULTICOLORED
SPLENDOR. IT's THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SIGHT IN THE WORLD. Energy
matters But as we
toured the city that was my home for three years, I found that the
ISIS-Institute of Science in Society had published its 2006 energy
report discussing the future of energy should the planet survive, the
use of renewable energy vis-à-vis oil, coal and dirty fossil fuels, as
well as biofuels, ethanol, solar and wind power, and waste. At the same
time, oil prices had reached another record high. Even worse, President
George W. Bush had announced the deployment of 6,000 troops to the
border of Mexico. For the
protection of Fortress America? What has happened to the land of the
free and the home of the brave? What has happened to the land founded by
immigrants? The world has
indeed changed and will never be the same. Traveling the
way it was-as in the book written by James Michener, "The Drifters,"
about the empty pristine beaches of Mozambique-is no more. Just the
same, the beauty of the Charles River brought me joy-and yet the New
England states were underwater! Indigenous
peoples On May 15,
the permanent forum on indigenous peoples’ rights began at the United
Nations. The keynote address was delivered by Victoria Tuali-Corpuz, a
Kankaney from Baguio City. She highlighted the many forums that had led
to this day, when the assembly will finally grant the social rights of
indigenous peoples-a right long overdue. (Viva Evo Morales of Bolivia!) Even as
Corpuz was delivering her address, the extractive industries of mining
and logging were continuing to wreak havoc on our beautiful land. (Think
of the mining activities in Bicol that are displacing people and
destroying the tourism industry in Donsol, Sorsogon, home of the famed
whale shark, and in Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte.) More than
that, environmentalists are being killed. And up north in the Bering
Sea, the ice is melting. Global
warming has taken center stage, as noted by Time magazine and other
publications. This is no longer a joke; it is a clear and present danger
to humankind. Crazy but
true: Gone are the spring flowers, destroyed by the rains, gone are the
days when one could tell spring from summer, winter and fall. They seem
to all come at the same time. Yet the Kyoto
Climate Change Protocol has neither been ratified by our government nor
signed by the US government. Have the effects of "Katrina" and "Rita"
been forgotten so soon? Let us not
forget: We have only one Boston, and only one world. The author is
the president of the Ecological Society of the Philippines.
More eco
groups call for speedy Guimaras clean-up With the threat of more sea areas being exposed to
the dangers of oil spill and similar sea tragedies involving the natural
environment, more environmental groups yesterday called for more
vigilance against the prospect of marine pollution. The Visayan seas is rich with marine species and is
the migratory path of fishes plying the Indian and Pacipic oceans.
Similarly, the Visayan region is within the coral triangle and is touted
as a megabiodiversity region. While these damage done is irreversible,
according to Antonio M. Claparols, president of the Ecological Society,
a prominent environmental group in the country. | ||||
