China and East Asian countries can cut down on Carbon Emissions

Some of the biggest nations of East and South-East Asia, including China, could stabilize their greenhouse gas emissions within 15 years at a price of $80 billion a year, the World Bank says. China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam could make a concerted switch to renewable energy and greater energy efficiency at modest cost in order to stop carbon emissions growing by 2025, the bank says in a report.

The Philippines for instance, like the other developing countries, is one the most affected countries having suffered extreme weather catastrophes in the world in the past several years. It contributes only 0.3% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the world, but gravely suffers from the 99.7% GHG emitted by other countries.

China is now the world’s biggest emitter and among those developing nations with the fastest growing emissions profiles as they rapidly industrialize, lifting their people out of poverty. Importantly, the World Bank study concludes that the low-carbon effort would not compromise the high rates of growth in the six countries considered. However, the bank also acknowledges that attracting the required $80 billion of investment annually in these countries will be a hard task, if history is anything to go by.

It is indeed high time for Asian countries to unite and concentrate its efforts on reducing its carbon footprint, aside from taking care of its normal economic concerns.  Because although these countries contribute much lesser carbon emissions, they suffer as badly as any other country in the world. 

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Climate Change Deniers continue to Intimidate Climate Change Advocacy

Climate scientists have been facing life threats due to an "ongoing campaign of cyber-bullying directed at climate scientists themselves. Any climate scientist in the news now receives a torrent of aggressive and abusive emails."

This has been ongoing since last year for several scientists and threats were not limited to verbal threats alone. "Climatologist Ben Santer even found a shredded animal on his doorstep late one night after someone rang his doorbell."

This intimidation campaign for climate change advocacy has shown to be indomitably pursued by conservatives." Targeting individuals at their residences is a strong indication that the intimidation campaign is determined and well-orchestrated."

The efforts of these  so-called 'climate denialists" who mostly are conservatives and conservative activists are undoubtedly unproductive. Man nowadays through technology has a profound effect of changing the earth much more rapidly than we were able to, hundreds and decades of years ago. Thus it is of no no doubt that MAN has truly caused what we are all experiencing right now, from the earthquakes of Haiti to the flooding in Manila, which caused thousands of death and millions worth of damages.

Thus if we just keep on arguing about the authenticity of climate change, then we are just wasting our time. Each second that passes by counts. We'd rather help fellow human beings prepare for the impacts and try to stop climate change at its roots.

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AN INVITATION: The Eastern Visayas Climate Project Forum

Twenty typhoons annually visit the country bringing heavy rainfall that causes flooding, landslides and mudslides. These in turn destroy valuable agricultural land and settlements, and claim many lives every year. Other hazards such as El Nino aggravate the extent of these damages, which sum up to an annual loss of 0.5% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP). 

Eastern Visayas, mainly consisting of the islands of Leyte, Samar and Biliran, is one of the most disaster prone regions in the Philippines, experiencing some of the worst typhoons ever recorded in Philippine history, killing over a thousand people through a mudslide in Feb., 2006, and over 6,000 people due to typhoons back in 1990-1991.  Disaster preparedness is one of the weaknesses of the region and for the most part, it is still seen as emergency management. The government and the local people are neither sufficiently prepared nor well equipped to implement preventive measures and execute the right actions in the event of an emergency. Furthermore, the archipelagic nature of the country further increases its vulnerability to the rising sea levels brought about by melting polar ice caps. Some of the islands will thus be underwater and marine resources will be extinct within the century, according to United Nations studies.

It is in this context that The Eastern Visayas Climate Project Forum was conceptualized to bring together concerned and committed people from the different sectors of the society who’ll be willing to help prepare communities and people toward climate change preparedness, adaptation and mitigation while uplifting the people’s economic and organizational capacity to withstand its adverse effects.

The Eastern Visayas Climate Project Forum aims to:

1. Educate: participants on the various aspects of climate change, including the scientific basis, environmental and social impacts, policy and strategy options, and operational measures to address climate change effects.

1. Unite: key representatives from the different sectors of the society to discuss and express their concerns about climate change-related problems.

1. Form a regional network of advocates: which will be known as The Eastern Visayas Climate Project, which will initiate research, policy proposals, or advocacy programs to address the different climate change issues in the region.

Climate change is affecting EVERYONE, and WE NEED YOU to help us, help other people through this project. If you want to donate to our cause please contact the Sponsorship Committee through: 

Dr. Eulito V. Casas (Adviser) - tevcpf@yahoo.com / veulitocasas48@yahoo.com /   

                                               63939.630.4202 / 053.321.8299

People around the world and all over Eastern Visayas are ready for action. Each of us has the power to make the transition to a better, more sustainable future for us, our children and the generations to come. Together, our efforts will help solve the climate crisis.

 For more information, you can visit our website at https://sites.google.com/site/evclimateforum/home

Growing urbanisation brings business risks (continued...)

OTHER RISKS

Climate change is likely to contribute to the trend of urbanisation. Heat waves are forecast to become more frequent in hotter climes, which may turn what was fertile farmland into dustbowls, leaving rural communities with little choice but to head to already-crowded cities.

This migration will be as likely to be across national borders as within them, creating further risks to businesses, says Lloyd’s 360 Risk Insight report Climate Change and Security.

If swathes of farmland in Mexico become arid due to global warming, the displaced people may be more likely to look to cross the border into the US than to move to the teeming barrios of Mexico City. This would likely trigger rising social, political and security tensions both within and between the two nations, the report says.

The growth of sprawling mega-cities creates other risks. Large migrant populations living in slums with poor sanitation and inadequate healthcare mean the threat of outbreaks of disease and pandemics may rise and be more difficult to contain.

Population growth and urbanisation are also set to increase pressure on supplies of food and fresh water at a time when climate change will make it harder to grow food crops in some regions. Already in 2008, riots flared in cities across the world when rice and corn supplies ran low as food production failed to keep pace with the world’s growing population.

All of these potential implications of urbanisation present challenges to businesses that may already operate in these cities, or look to do so in the future.

Urbanisation will present both threats and opportunities to international companies. Rural migration to cities will increase the pool of labour from which a business can choose. But social tensions between city dwellers and migrants for scarce resources and jobs could become an increasing problem, leading to political and religious extremism that could result in violence and terrorism.

The key for businesses will be to understand these demographic shifts so that they may be able to better plan a response to them should they occur. In the same way as insurers must plan for the worst no matter how remote that prospect is, it would make sense for corporates to formulate their business plans on the assumption that at least some of these situations may become reality. It is vital they develop robust risk management strategies for these situations as well as test them and update them regularly as the social landscape changes.

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COMMENT:

Growing urbanisation brings business risks

The growing drift of people into cities from rural areas has been a key factor in the increasing modernisation of developing countries. But although urbanisation is crucial to a nation’s economic growth and development, it also brings with it increasing risks to businesses.

Between 2007 and 2050, the world population is expected to grow by 2.5 billion, according to data from the United Nations’ Population Division. During that time, the number of people living in urban areas is forecast to increase by 3.1 billion.

Most of the expected population growth will be in conurbations in less developed regions. Asia is set to see its urban population grow by 1.8 billion, Africa by nearly 1 billion and Latin America and the Caribbean by 200 million.

“Population growth is therefore becoming largely an urban phenomenon concentrated in the developing world,” the United Nations said in a 2007 paper.

The issue will be particularly acute in China and India. Between 2007 and 2025, these two countries are predicted to account for over a third of the increase in the urban population.

Much of this growth will be in coastal cities, whose growing affluence and development act as a magnet to migrants. But the effects of climate change are set to put these cities at growing risk from natural disasters.

There is increasing scientific evidence that global warming will cause sea levels to rise and will bring more frequent and more severe natural disasters, such as hurricanes, typhoons and extreme rainstorms.

By 2070, India and China will have five of the ten cities most exposed to coastal flooding. Their rapid economic development coupled with urbanisation and climate change, will mean Guangzhou, Calcutta, Shanghai, Bombay and Tianjin will be among those cities most vulnerable, both in terms of the number of people exposed and the value of assets at risk, according to a 2007 report by the OECD and RMS.

In China, growing trade and commerce, often supported by government incentives, are still attracting people to the coast. Between 1995 and 2000, around 17 million people moved to the coastal provinces of China, many of which are in low-lying regions at high risk from rising sea levels.

Other large Asian cities deemed by the OECD to be at high risk from flooding in the future include: Bangkok, Rangoon (Myanmar), Dhaka, Ho Chi Minh City and Hai Phong.

Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan and the Philippines are among the other countries expected to contribute strongly to growing urbanisation. All are prone to natural disasters.



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COMMENT:

Enter Generation G: Living good and green

By Isabel Berenguer Asuncion
Philippine Daily Inquirer

THE YEARNING FOR WELLNESS, the threat of global warming and climate change, and the longing for a better quality of life has created a new mindset. From the predominantly adrenaline-fueled, ladder-climbing and rat-racing member of the past and present generations evolve the change-purveying members of Generation G.

Members of Generation G are passionate and empowered, and are willing to give, share, collaborate and be generous in order to help build a community with the shared principles of sustaining the Self and others while caring for Mother Earth. Generation G wants to bring about changes for the greater good. They consume less, preserve more, live well, live good. These are the guiding statements of Generation G.

And so what is Generation G’s environment like? What is their lifestyle? What kind of spaces does someone from Generation G move through?

Generation G lives simply and uniquely. A Gen G space will probably look unlike the typical Filipino home because this generation is independent from the pressures of conformity, to what is trendy or “in,” or what is talked about. It will also likely have many handcrafted indigenous decorative items many would have forgotten to appreciate.

Generation G is not into the habit of bringing things halfway across the world—too big of a carbon footprint. Gen G buys Filipino. Local furniture have excellent designs and are of international quality. Think Budji and Cobonpue. There are also many local woven fabric or fibers that are woven into beautiful material: abaca, tinalak or abel iloko can be made into carpets, beddings, pillow cases and even curtains. Check out shops like Narda’s, HM Fabric and Sou Mak.

Generation G thinks of durability as a long-term sustainable solution. Gen G does not mind using preowned items. Restyle, refinish, reupholster and repair. Most of the cost to upgrading old items goes to local labor.

Gen G’ers get the TV out of the bedroom. Bedrooms are for rest and regeneration and should provide a calm and relaxing environment to support hectic days. TV hampers creativity and on the long term, destroys the ability to focus. One TV per home is more than enough.

Generation G knows that OFF is the new ON. They pull the plugs on appliances that are not in use as they still consume (phantom) power loads. They use timers to minimize the use of lighting and appliances. Unplugged never sounded so good.

Because Generation G is into the habit of reaching out, it likes open spaces that reach out and harnessing light and air just as it would reach out and harness the kindness of humanity. The simplest way to lessen the carbon footprint is to open the windows and let the light in. This little habit of opening up spaces not only lessens your need for artificial light but is great for your well-being. Sunlight helps regulate the body clock, it kills out mold and mildew which are the primary cause of allergies at home. Watch your spaces as light—with all its shades and shadows—beautifully transforms its character throughout the cycles of the day.

Generation G has a comfortable, well-equipped kitchen. Slow food is the better food and nothing beats engaging in the process of making home-cooked meals. A well-designed kitchen is not only efficient, it makes the whole process of nourishing yourself more enjoyable.

Generation G goes low-flow and dual-flush. Toilet fixture choices are made easy by the many options for bathroom fixtures, with many inexpensive ones coming from China. No budget to change your fixture? Then at least get an aerator for your faucet and reduce tap water consumption. Dexterton’s “Neo-Pearl” does the job.

Generation G can be from any age group or social level. Gen G was not born in a specific period of time, but rather evolved with a consciousness that supports, promotes and practices positive changes to create a more humane society and a better place to live in. From my point of view, design, and any living space for that matter, can only be good when it supports the values of humanity.

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COMMENT:
I can definitely say that I am a Generation G member! I hope the Filipino youth would become members as well.

Global warming, forecasts and resolutions (continued...)

The resolution

Forty percent of greenhouse gases that directly affect global warming are caused by generating electricity from conventional sources. By merely using less energy, we are already positioning ourselves to become a part of the long-term solution rather than contributors to the problem.

For example, air-conditioning consumes the most power in an office or household. If we can manage it, it is ideal and healthier not to use air-conditioning at all. In the instances we cannot, we could just set the thermostat to a comfortable level of 25º and not too low. In most cases, the air-conditioning units are overworked to compensate for poor room insulation, air leaks and unprotected building surfaces directly exposed to the sun. Effective planning and construction techniques, through installation of eaves and awnings or the application of heat-reflective paint to walls and glass, can all be done to correct the situation.

There are appliances that are more energy-efficient and must be preferred above others. Older appliances may already be faulty and could prove more cost-efficient if replaced.

Natural lighting is best, but when artificial lighting is required, we should choose energy-efficient bulbs. In addition, the location of lighting fixtures and the color and finishes of a room add to lighting efficiency.

Planting more trees and vegetation in and around our buildings will help cool the environment. Communities must respect and maintain open spaces to promote natural air flow. A lot of these concepts have already been studied and put down in building codes; the least we can do is to adhere to them. We would do well to not overbuild communities. There are studies that show that too many concrete surfaces incubate and discharge toxic gases.

As a rule, we must exercise proper waste management by recycling, minimizing trash and sorting garbage. Our homes must have the facilities to do so. The less dumpsites we fill and the less incineration we require, the less we contribute to global warming.
Be mindful of the kind of cars you drive. You may want to trade your SUV for something that produces less carbon emissions. Better yet, walk or bike more.

These choices may seem small but a concentrated effort by an aware community is like a seed that eventually grows into something positive, productive and communicable. This is the best resolution we can make as a global community. Everyone must be involved in the effort to save our lives!

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COMMENT:
"A concentrated effort by an aware community is like a seed that eventually grows into something positive, productive and communicable." -- This is absolutely true. It is like a small candle, when lighted, can light and brighten up an entire room.