IN MY e-mailbox during the weekend is the following news story in Sun-Star Pampanga: City joins war vs climate change CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — The City Government of San Fernando over the weekend joined various sectors in a conference about the battle against climate change at SMX Convention Center in Manila.
The conference, themed “Strategies of a Green Economy: Facing Climate Change and Achieving Sustainable Growth,” was participated in by different public and private groups from around the world.
In his remarks during the forum, Mayor Oscar Rodriguez said the city has already embarked on a massive campaign against climate change.
“Several programs like solid waste management, Biosphere, Sagip Ilog, creek cleaning, among others were launched and are going on to help reduce climate change and its result which is global warming,” said Rodriguez..
He added that through the help of the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office, the implementation of laws like anti-smoking and anti-littering are also being implemented strictly in the city.
“The city is resilient and good governance must be embraced by different cities in the Philippines,” added Rodriguez, who also is the president of the League of Cities of the Philippines.
Rodriguez said that the city will pursue a more serious battle to eliminate climate change and any hazardous effect concerning nature as “the future is at stake.”
While lauding the city for its efforts, the conference convener committee Chairman Neric Acosta said local sector plays a vital role in the battle against climate change and lead others towards changes and reduce global warming.
Cities like San Fernando and Quezon City have a big opportunity to set as national examples to other local government units,” Acosta said. The Department of Trade and Industry and Department of Environment and Natural Resources facilitated the global climate change conference.
Even before I could do some puny improvisation of Mark Anthony’s ululations over my namesake Gaius Julius Caesar’s murder: “Cry havoc and let loose the dogs of war,” there appeared the commentaries at the bottom of the e-mail.
Sonny Dobles, chair of the environment committee of the Advocacy for the Development of Central Luzon advanced the following: If Mayor Oca learned anything from the conference, maybe he should start closing down the city dumpsite and stop burning garbage.
He should order the removal of the mountain of plastic at the Lara dumpsite. All these produce methane gas.
While at it, Mayor Oca should order the closure of all piggeries in his city as these also produce methane gas.
And as everyone knows, methane gas is a major cause in the destruction of the ozone layer which results to a greenhouse effect and ultimately, global warming.
The Andal Ampatuan clone expressed full solidarity with the mayor in the anti-smoking and anti-littering drives in the city, even as he hoped that “creek-clearing” would go beyond taking out the garbage deposited in the waterways.
Past the eleventh hour for the City of San Fernando to reclaim its creeks and esteros from greedy individuals and companies that encroached upon, and many times, totally sequestered them.
Indeed, in one recent presentation at the Capitol, aerial video shots around the city taken by a team led by 3rd District Rep. Dong Gonzales showed Baritan Creek disappearing under a jungle of concrete – homes, roads, buildings; the creek meandering through De la Paz, Del Rosario, Alasas, Magliman in some now-you-see-it-nowyou- don’t state of un-being and un-becoming.
Very valid and relevant observations there. So what’s my take of this? War of attrition. Protracted war. Whatever.
Engaging in a war against climate change also comprises the protection and preservation of old trees and the unceasing planting of more trees to combat the greenhouse effect.
Trees, as everybody knows, breathes in carbon dioxide and breathes out oxygen in the atmosphere. Sadly, nowhere was this mentioned in the Sun- Star Pampanga story of Rodriguez’s city joining the war versus climate change.
And we have yet to hear Rodriguez backing out of his stand – along with the Pampanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Department of Public Works and Highways – to cut down all the acacia and other trees along MacArthur Highway.
With trees unfactored in, that’s no war against, but ready capitulation to, climate change. With trees unfactored in, Rodriguez’s war versus climate change is nothing more than a word war. An acoustic one, loud but devoid of any impact, much less of any victory.
