Thousands joined an ecumenical prayer rally in Iloilo City
yesterday in protest against a proposed 164 MW coal fired power plant, which if
built would contribute to global climate change and lock the country in a dirty
energy cycle for years to come, according to environmental group Greenpeace.
Led by Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, president of the Catholic
Bishops Council of Philippines (CBCP), the interfaith rally sends a strong
signal to proponents of the coal-fired power plant they are not welcome in the
city. Hundreds of students from St. Paul's University formed a "Quit Coal" sign
to call on local and national government officials to reject coal.
The Philippines is ranked number one on the global climate
risk index in 2007 because the country is in a typhoon belt and many of the
low-lying islands are under threat from sea level rise. Coal-fired power plants
account for 36 percent of the country's total carbon dioxide emissions.
"Filipinos have realized that climate change is a real threat
to the country and are rejecting coal, one of the major contributors to global
climate change. People instead seek for better solutions offered by renewable
energy from wind, sun or geothermal resources," said Jasper Inventor, climate
and energy campaigner of Greenpeace Southeast Asia.
On this exact day four years ago, the people of Iloilo
rejected a proposed coal-fired power plant in Banate, a town approximately 40
kilometers from Iloilo city.
Other communities across the country have also rejected
proposed coal-fired power plants. In 2002, Negros booted out a proposed
coal-fired power plant and led to the declaration that the province becomes a
model for 100 percent renewable energy development. In 2006, the Philippine
National Oil Corporation stopped its coal fired power plant project in Isabela
after opposition from residents.
Over the years, the residents of Iloilo and nearby Negros
province have joined Greenpeace in urging for a switch to clean energy use in
the country. The Philippines' wind energy potential is estimated to meet seven
times the country's total energy demand. However, clean technologies such as
wind, solar and modern biomass represent less than 0.2 percent of the overall
Philippine power mix in spite of promises from the Arroyo administration to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
"Instead of harnessing the growing public opposition to
climate damaging coal-fired power plants to help enable the shift towards
greater use of renewable energy systems, the government sadly remains fixated on
prolonging the country's deadly addiction to polluting energy plants.
Climate change is far too great a risk for Filipinos that
coal should altogether be phased out of the country's energy mix," Inventor
concluded.
Greenpeace is an independent, campaigning organization which uses
non-violent, creative confrontation to expose global environmental problems, and
to force the solutions which are essential to a green and peaceful future.
