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PHUMP 3 Public Launch

MEF is providing support to 15 barangays in Pampanga under PHUMP 3

Monday, October 25, 2010

Grassroots democracy

What started out as a ploy to give the impression of legality to
tyranny has developed into this country’s clearest expression of
grassroots democracy.

The “barangay” system was hastily adopted by the Martial Law regime of
Ferdinand E. Marcos as a mechanism to ratify the 1973 Constitution,
which allowed the president who had already won reelection in 1969 to
remain in power beyond the two-term limit mandated by the 1934
Constitution.

The then-new charter, drafted by the dictator’s minions in the 1971
Constitutional Convention, handed the chief executive virtually
dictatorial powers. It was ratified by a mere show of hands in the
rural villages, which used to be called barrios and urban
neighborhoods that the regime had turned into the nation’s “basic
political units.”

For the most part, however, ba-rangay officials acted as the
dictatorship’s eyes and ears against “troublemakers,” which included
the political opposition and dissidents.

To be sure, village and neigh-borhood leaders were expected to perform
other functions such as law enforcement, dispute mediation, disaster
response and sanitation. Carrying out these tasks led to a feeling of
empowerment, especially after national political leaders began to rely
on barangays to muster the warm bodies for rallies, elections and
other political exercises.

Today the barangays have become a force to reckon with. Through the
years the national government has been plying them with “incentives,”
including a share in the Internal Revenue Allotments (IRA), which
amounts to a whopping P51 billion this year.

The increasingly important role barangays play in our national life
has led to a corresponding rise in public involvement and interest in
village and neighborhood politics.

Voter participation in barangay elections has been growing, according
to Director James Jime-nez of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

“Voter turnout in the affluent villages averages from 60 to 70
percent,” Jimenez said at the Kapihan sa Sulo media forum Saturday.
“But in the poorer barangays as much as 90 to 95 percent of registered
voters take part in the barangay polls.”

This Monday voters again are due to troop to polling precincts across
the country in order to elect a new set of officials in their
barangays. Filipinos aged 15 to 18 will also get to vote for
Sangguniang Kabataan (SK), or Youth Council, officials.

Monday’s polls will cost the Comelec an estimated P3 billion.

Residents of gated and other upscale communities used to scoff at
barangays because they tended to involve only their poorer neighbors.
However, with bigger amounts of public resources now made available to
these political units, authorities expect greater involvement in
barangay affairs from the previously snooty inhabitants of “exclusive
subdivisions.”

Zero waste
Environmental advocates were among the first sectors to recognize the
potential of barangays and SKs.

On the eve of Monday’s village and neighborhood polls, the EcoWaste
Coalition urged voters to back pro-environment candidates in the wake
of Super Typhoon Juan.

“Our country, a recognized disaster hotspot, needs grassroots leaders
who will take up the cudgels for our fragile environment,” said
coalition President Roy Alvarez.

“As they are at the forefront of public service, our barangay and SK
leaders have a tremendous role to play in fulfilling the community
task of protecting and conserving the environment amid the changing
climate,” he noted.

“Now more than ever, we need non-corrupt public servants who will
clean up our streets and rivers of garbage, halt toxic pollution,
plant trees and guard our mountains against destructive activities
such as logging, mining and dumping,” he added.

“So please include the candidates’ environmental track record and
platform when you vote,” Alvarez said.
“Go beyond the candidates’ looks, popularity and resources.”

One of the key challenges barangay and SK leaders face is how to
prevent and reduce community trash, the EcoWaste Coalition said.

Republic Act (RA) 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act,
provides a useful framework to guide communities in keeping their
neighborhoods clean and green by not resorting to littering, dumping
and burning of discards, the coalition said.

RA 9003 requires the establishment of materials recovery facilities
(MRFs) or ecology centers in barangays in order to energize
community-driven recycling and lessen dependence on dumps, landfills
and other polluting disposal facilities.

“Unfortunately, there are still many barangays that have yet to comply
with RA 9003,” coalition Vice President Romy Hidalgo said.

Citing information from the National Solid Waste Management
Commission, the EcoWaste Coalition said that only 6,141 MRFs operate
in 6,744 barangays of the country’s 42,000 barangays.

Of the 1,695 barangays in Metro Manila, only 435 are being serviced by MRFs.

“It is our hope that our new batch of barangay and SK leaders will
recognize the gravity of our waste disposal problem and pursue
climate-friendly ‘Zero Waste’ solutions,” Hidalgo said.

Zero Waste, according to the coalition, is the most practical
community action that barangay and youth councils can initiate and
carry out, together with residents, to promote ecological community
values, conserve resources, stop the discharge of climate damaging
pollutants and boost local economies.

“It is the best approach to turn our barangays into litter-free and
healthy communities that our children can safely and happily grow in,”
Hidalgo said.

A 2009 report by the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, a
member of the EcoWaste Coalition, listed the basic elements that
should form part of a community shift from waste disposal to Zero
Waste.
The basic elements include:

• reducing waste disposal in landfills and incinerators to zero;
• investing in reuse, recycling and composting jobs and infrastructure;
• requiring that products are made to be non-toxic and recyclable;
• ensuring that manufacturers of products assume full social and
environmental costs of what they produce;
• ensuring that industries reuse materials and respect worker and
community rights;
• and preventing waste and reducing unnecessary consumption.

Pick pro-environment Barangay and SK bets, voters urged

With only two days away to the Barangay ang
Sangguniang Kabataan polls, an environmental network urged voters to
choose candidates who are pro-environment.

EcoWaste Coalition president Roy Alvarez said what the country needs
at present are “grassroots leaders who will take up the cudgels for
our fragile environment.”

“We need women and men who will lead our communities to the path of
sustainability and ensure that the earth’s resources are faithfully
cared for,” he said.

Alvarez said the Barangay and SK leaders as public servants “have a
great role to play in the fulfilment of the community task of
protecting and conserving the environment amid the changing climate.”

“Now more than ever, we need non-corrupt public servants who will
clean up our streets and rivers of garbage, halt toxic pollution,
plant trees and guard our mountains against destructive activities
such as logging, mining and dumping,” he added.

He urged voters to consider the environmental track record and
platform of candidates and not be swayed by the candidates’ looks,
popularity and resources.

Citing the grave problem of waste management in many barangays, the
EcoWaste Coalition said the newly-elected Barangay and SK leaders
should find solutions to the problem of waste disposal.

“Zero Waste is the most practical community action that Barangay and
SK councils can initiate and carry out, together with residents, to
promote ecological community values, conserve resources, stop the
discharge of climate damaging pollutants and boost local economies,”
the group said.

Friday, October 22, 2010

Simple Lang

Ang Undas ay Hindi Araw ng Pagkakalat

Sa mahabang panahon ay nakaugalian na natin, laluna ng mga Katolikong
Pilipino, ang magtungo sa sementeryo tuwing una at ikalawang araw ng
Nobyembre upang dalawin ang puntod ng ating mga namayapang kamag-anak
at kaibigan, bitbit ang mga kandila, bulaklak at mga pamatid uhaw at
gutom.

Ano man ang lagay ng panahon, umulan man o umaraw, ay dadagsa ang
milyun-milyong mamamayan sa animo piyestang pagdiriwang ng pagala-ala
ng mga naulila sa mga minamahal na sumakabilang buhay na. Halos hindi
mahulugang karayom ang mga sementeryo at mga karatig lugar sa
sanglaksang tao at tindero na nagsisiksikan sa mga daan.

Bagamat kapuri-puri ang ganitong pagbubuklod nating mga Pilipino,
nababahiran ito ng walang pasubaling pag-aaksaya at pagkakalat sa
mismong himlayan ng mga mahal na namayapa.

Bago pa man mananghali ay makapal-kapal na ang mga kalat sa paligid ng
mga puntod at sa mga maliliit na daanan. Nagkalat ang upos ng
sigarilyo, balot ng kendi at tsitsirya, baso o supot na plastik para
sa palamig, basyong bote ng tubig at iba pa.

Kapansin-pansin ang di pagpansin ng marami sa masukal na paligid,
laluna kung dinatnan na nila ang lugar na marumi at makalat. Tila
araw ng libreng pagkakalat tuwing Undas, walang batas na nagpipigil sa
pagkakalat, walang sisita at magpaparusa sa mga magkakalat.

Sa pagnanais na maging malinis ang ating mga sementeryo ay nagpaabot
ng ilang mga praktikal na mungkahi ang Ecowaste Coalition sa Simbahan,
sa mga tagapangasiwa ng sementeryo, mga tindero at sa publiko.

Sa Simbahan, nanawagan ang Ecowaste Coalition na himukin at gabayan
nito ang sambayanan tungo sa simple, ispiritwal at makakalikasang
paggunita sa Araw ng mga Patay.

Sa mga tagapangasiwa ng mga sementeryo, pampubliko man o pribado,
iminumungkahi ng Ecowaste Coalition na magtalaga ng sapat na
"recycling station" sa loob at labas ng sementeryo para sa madaling
pagbubukod ng mga nabubulok at di nabubulok na panapon. Makakatulong
rin ang paglalagay ng mga karatula na magpapaala-ala sa madla na huwag
magkalat, magtambak o magsunog ng basura.

Sa mga tindero't negosyante, nakikiusap ang Ecowaste Coalition na
iwasan ang mga isahang gamit na plastik (supot, istro, baso at iba pa)
at sikaping huwag lumikha ng anumang basura. Sa mga mamimili, mabuti
ang magdala ng bayong, bag na katsa o anumang sisidlan na magagamit
muli para sa mga bagay na dadalhin sa sementeryo at mga bagay na
bibilhin doon.

Sa mga magsisidalaw, ito naman ang panawagan ng Ecowaste Coalition:

-Piliin ang mga kandilang di lumilikha ng maitim na usok at abo, at
magsindi ng sapat na bilang lamang.

-Mag-alay ng mga lokal na bulaklak, at iwasan na balutan pa ito ng plastik. .

-Iwasan ang labis-labis ng pagbabaon o pagbili ng pagkain at inumin.
Iwasan ang paggamit ng mga isahang gamit na sisidlang plastik o
Styrofoam.

-Magbaon ng inuming tubig upang hindi na bumili ng "bottled water."

-Ilagay sa tamang sisidlan lamang ang mga panapon at huwag na huwag
magkakalat sa sementeryo at paligid nito.

-Kung kulang o walang sistema para sa wastong pangangasiwa ng mga
panapon sa loob ng sementeryo, iuwi na lamang ang mga tira o
pinaggamitan. Ipakain sa hayup o gawing kompost ang nabubulok, at
i-recycle ang mga bagay na mapakikinabangan pa.

Igalang natin ang himlayan ng mga patay at panatilihing malinis at
ligtas sa kalat at polusyon.

Kids’ jewelry shows high levels of toxic metal cadmium: Health Canada documents

Three in 10 pieces of children’s jewelry tested by Health
Canada for cadmium in the past year were made of as much as 93 per
cent of the highly toxic metal, internal government test results show.

The Health Canada records, released exclusively to Postmedia News
under access-to-information legislation, show 28 of 91 samples tested
since last fall contained cadmium levels greater than Health Canada’s
established limit of 107 mg/kg.

Cadmium is used as a substitute for lead in cheap imported jewelry.

None of the tested pieces were recalled for their elevated cadmium
levels because, unlike lead, which is banned in children’s jewelry in
Canada at levels exceeding 600 mg/kg or 0.06 per cent of the total
weight, there is no set limit for cadmium in kids’ jewelry.

Some of the items may have been recalled because they also contained
lead levels in excess of 0.06 per cent, but Health Canada was not
immediately available to comment on this.

It is unknown how many of the toxic pieces remain in stores and homes.

Cadmium, considered more harmful than lead if ingested through the
sucking or swallowing of a jewelry piece, is a known carcinogen. The
soft, whitish metal, which occurs naturally in the soil and is used in
nickel-cadmium batteries, can also wreck havoc on the kidneys.

Of the 28 pieces with elevated levels of cadmium, Health Canada found
that three of the pieces — moulded into cupcakes, ladybugs and foot
pendants — were made of almost pure cadmium, ranging from 84 to 93 per
cent cadmium.

Three other pieces were comprised of about a quarter cadmium,
including smiley face and ballerina pendants made with 23 and 28 per
cent cadmium.

The remaining pieces ranged from 0.011 per cent cadmium to 13 per cent cadmium.

The release of the test results come ahead of an announcement Tuesday
by Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq about cadmium in children’s jewelry.

The summary released alongside the internal test results states that
the cadmium tests were carried out to guide Health Canada for possible
regulations to ban its use in children’s jewelry.

The U.S. Congress earlier this year proposed a bill that would
consider any piece of children’s jewelry containing cadmium a banned
hazardous substance. Legislators drafted the bill after independent
tests conducted by Jeffrey Weidenhamer, professor of chemistry at
Ashland University in Ohio, showed multiple pieces of children’s
jewelry sold in the past year at major retailers in the U.S. contained
cadmium, including some very high levels of the metal.

In an interview Sunday, Weidenhamer said Health Canada’s test results
don’t surprise him — given the restrictive standards for lead in
children’s jewelry in North America and the low cost of cadmium for
Chinese manufacturers.

“The price of cadmium had gone down because of declining demand for
nickel-cadmium batteries, which is where most of that was used, so the
price pressures on the products, when the price of cadmium went down,
it was an easy substitute because there were no regulations. So I
think it was something people in this side were not looking for. It
happened for economic reasons and now needs to be addressed,” said
Weidenhamer.


Health Canada also conducted leaching tests on the samples that
contained cadmium levels greater than 107 mg/kg for migratable
cadmium. The department found three of the items leached cadmium at
levels above the safety threshold established by British toy safety
standards, set at 75 mg/kg.

Two of the three items were made of almost pure lead, but the third
one was a “K” charm made of 2.6 per cent cadmium.

Weidenhamer said his tests showed the same variability on the leaching test.

“It doesn’t surprise me to see levels as high as this, and in the
leaching tests that we’ve done we also get quite variable responses
and not directly tied to the level of cadmium,” said Weidenhamer, who
added the leaching test results should be analyzed with caution.

“The question is, if children are wearing the jewelry item, they do
get worn, the outer coating does get worn down, and in that case, are
these leachability levels going to be the same over time?”


In January, following a number of these tests, Health Canada issued a
general consumer-safety advisory telling consumers of the hazards of
cadmium in children’s jewelry without specifying brands or specific
pieces.


Cadmium then made headlines in June, when McDonald’s announced the
voluntary recall of 1.4 million Shrek-themed promotional drinking
glasses in Canada and 12 million glasses in the United States.

Tests conducted by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission found
cadmium in the cartoon designs on the glasses at levels "slightly over
the commission’s highly protective level currently being developed."
The commission declined to say what the proposed level under
development is.

Special Report: The problem with phthalates

Imagine a child sitting in his classroom, gazing through
the window at the rain. He picks up his pencil and chews distractedly
on the eraser at its top. Chemicals, classed in Europe as "toxic to
reproduction," dissolve in his saliva and enter his body.

It's a scenario that may not be unusual. A report published last week
by a consortium of 140 environment groups shows that potentially risky
chemicals are present in dozens of everyday plastic items for sale by
European retailers -- from shoes to erasers, from pencil cases to sex
toys.

The study focused on a group of chemicals known as phthalates, six of
which have been virtually banned in toys in the European Union since
1999 over fears they can damage the sexual development of children.
But as the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) found in its study,
phthalates are present in items routinely used by children and on sale
in big supermarkets such as Carrefour and Tesco.

The study, based on a chemical analysis by PiCA, an independent
chemical laboratory in Berlin, found one pink pencil case with levels
three times those which the EU says should be the maximum in toys and
"childcare articles." A phthalate that scientists suspect may be
particularly harmful to humans was found in an eraser at a level close
to that which would be banned in a toy.

Concerns about phthalates are not new, and retailers selling products
containing them are not breaking the law, because the regulations do
not cover objects such as pencil cases and erasers.

But the EEB study also found that retailers appear to be ignoring a
legal obligation to provide information about the presence of
phthalates to shoppers. Less than a quarter of retailers in its survey
provided satisfactory answers to requests for information about
chemicals in their products.

"All citizens ought to be given full information about properties of
chemicals in the products they buy," said Christian Schaible, EEB
Chemicals Policy Officer. "A parent, for instance, should
automatically be informed whether a pencil case for their child
contains phthalates which can impair sexual development.

"Unfortunately suppliers are only obliged to give information under
specific conditions. We have shown that not even this legal right is
guaranteed in practice."

Carrefour told Reuters that it does adequately address requests for
information on risky chemicals and said it deals with such requests
within 45 days. Tesco said it was aware of its duties and has its own
code of practice in place to keep worrying chemicals out of clothes
and shoes. "We have worked closely with our suppliers to identify
these substances and have replaced them with suitable alternatives,"
it said in a statement.

LINK TO SEXUAL DEVELOPMENT

Phthalates are a range of chemicals regularly used to make plastics
more flexible. There are about 25 of them, and in recent decades they
have permeated the very fabric of our society, right down to the shoes
on our feet. They are in the air we breathe and the paint on our
office walls, they soften the vinyl floors of kitchens and bathrooms,
they put the flex in our shower curtains and electric cables.

In your car, phthalates coat the chassis against rust and soften the
plastics of its doors, dashboard and the steering wheel in your hands.

They are in our food, some scientists think, after leaching out of the
pipes and plastics used in food processing machinery. They are in our
bodies.

The global chemicals industry produces nearly six million tonnes of
phthalates every year. Some scientists, and an increasing number of
governments, have begun to suspect that phthalates might be connected
to a massive drop in male fertility globally over the past few decades
-- in the developed world, repeated studies have shown sperm counts
have decreased by about 50 percent in the past half century -- as well
as to problems with the sexual development of boys in the womb.

The most volatile of the chemicals disperse easily from plastics and
have been shown to interfere with the sexual development of fetal
rats, by interrupting the production of testosterone. Some studies
have suggested similar effects in humans.

As well as the toy ban, the EU controls or bans certain phthalates
from things like cosmetics and paints. It has also begun to examine
restricting the use of some phthalates in other products, a process
that is likely to take years. The United States has limited the use of
certain phthalates in toys since 2008, and says it is investigating
the safety of others. Australia bans the sale of items containing more
than one percent of a single phthalate.

NOT FULLY MASCULINISED

If there is a connection between phthalates and impaired fertility in
people, they would not be the first chemicals to have had this impact.
In July 10, 1976, an explosion tore through a pesticide factory in the
small Italian town of Seveso, releasing a dense vapor cloud laced with
the chemical dioxin.

Nobody died, and the accident went largely unnoticed, at least
initially. But what followed gave scientists the first insight that
tiny concentrations of chemicals could have a disproportionate effect
on human fertility.

A few hours after the explosion, burn-like lesions began appearing on
local children. In the weeks that followed many developed chloracne, a
severe skin disorder typified by acne-like blackheads, cysts and
pustules. In the years after the accident, an unusually high
proportion of boys were born to parents exposed to the chemical cloud.
Those same boys grew up to have abnormally low sperm counts, medical
studies later showed.

Just as Seveso taught us a lot about dioxins, we're now learning more
and more about phthalates -- not because of one single incident, but
because scientists are putting them under increasing scrutiny in the
quest to understand trends such as decreased male fertility.

In pregnant rats, numerous studies have proven that exposure to some
phthalates reduces testosterone levels in the male fetus, interfering
with normal development of the penis and descent of their testicles.
But it was not until 2005 that scientists made a link between the
chemicals and changes in humans.

A group of researchers at Rochester University, New York, studied the
masculinity of newborn boys. As an indicator, they measured the
distance between anus and the base of the penis -- the anogenital
distance -- which is typically twice as long in males as in females,
and is often used by scientists as a marker of masculinity. Low
anogenital distances are associated with problems of reproductive
health, such as undescended testes or deformed penises.

The researchers then compared that measurement with the phthalate
levels in the urine of the infants' mothers.

"We found that in human male infants, as predicted by animal studies,
when the mother was exposed to some phthalates, the boys had changes
in their reproductive development, which was not fully masculinised,"
says Shanna Swan, who led the study.

Respected journal Environmental Health Perspectives named Swan's
team's study "paper of the year" in 2009 for its massive impact on
current thinking about phthalates. The study was not perfect -- at
just 134 infants, the sample size was very small -- but Swan is
working on a new, bigger and more rigorous study that could help
settle the science.

GETTING CLOSER

Other scientists are also trying to pin down the link between
phthalates and changes in humans. In an Edinburgh laboratory, a mouse
wanders through its cage to sip at some water tainted with plastic
softeners. Under the skin on its back are grafted tiny pieces of
tissue from the testicles of a human fetus. The objective is to
directly ascertain if those softeners could be confusing our hormones
and mutating the genitalia of unborn infants. Professor Richard
Sharpe, an expert in male reproductive health at Edinburgh University
and the leader of the study, believes people will find a link between
our environment and lifestyles and male reproductive health. "We have
solid evidence testicular cancer has increased progressively across
Europe in the past 50 to 70 years," he says, "and it has happened in a
space of time that coincides with lifestyle and environmental
changes."

Sharpe believes that "understanding whether or not phthalates play any
role in human male reproductive disorders is pivotal." Animal studies,
he says "point clearly toward effects, but human studies are very
mixed. We'll have a much clearer idea in the next 12 months. If we
don't find any effects of phthalates on the fetal human testis, they
really drop down the list of suspects. If we find a positive effect, I
think it could be the end of phthalates."

THE SLOW WHEELS OF REGULATION

In Europe, the group tasked with evaluating and restricting
potentially risky chemicals such as phthalates is the European
Chemicals Agency (ECHA), based in Helsinki. Its main role is to
implement a 2007 law aimed at improving understanding of and control
over 30,000 chemicals regularly used around Europe that currently face
few regulations.

Known as REACH -- Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and
Restriction of Chemicals -- the law was one of the most intensively
lobbied in European history. European chemical firms opposed it, as
did the administration of George W. Bush, which argued it would choke
off transatlantic trade.

The law now forces companies to register the chemicals they want to
sell; the Agency is combing through data given to it by the industry
to decide which should be phased out fastest. From an original broad
list of around 1,500 chemicals of concern, 38 have so far been
classified as "substances of very high concern" including four
phthalates -- DEHP, BBP, DBP and DIBP.

Many activists are unhappy with the pace of progress and feel the
Agency should look beyond the 38 substances it is tackling.
Environmentalists and health campaigners, including Greenpeace and the
Health and Environment Alliance, have compiled a list of 356 chemicals
they want curbed immediately. The European Trade Union Confederation
has a list of 334 it wants banned from the workplace.

But the task of evaluating the evidence is so huge, and the resources
of the agency so limited, that even the initial 38 chemicals will take
years to phase out or approve. Geert Dancet, ECHA's executive
director, says it may take until 2014 to decide how these first few
chemicals should be dealt with. "Then there are those chemicals we
don't even know about yet, and in that case 2020 is the target date."

FROM SEX TO FOOD

It's not just children who are at risk.

As well as testing children's shoes, make up bags and pencil cases,
the Berlin laboratory tested samples from the shaft of E09-039/10, a
smooth blue vibrator. It was one of five sex toys tested, four of
which showed high concentrations of DEHP. The blue vibrator had 55
percent DEHP by weight, while another sold as "Prince Charming" had 63
percent. Many experts feel uncomfortable discussing the issue in
public, but all agree sex toys are likely to add to the overall
phthalate level present in adults, and in the case of pregnant women,
might affect an unborn child.

Scientists are beginning to better understand how phthalates enter our
bodies. One of the main channels may be the food we eat. In one 2006
German study, three volunteers abstained from eating for 48 hours,
drinking only mineral water, while the levels of phthalates were
measured in their urine.

Within the first 18 hours, levels of DEHP plummeted and remained low
for the remaining 30 hours, suggesting that food was the main source.

"I am certain that food is the main exposure route for DEHP, but
spikes in phthalate levels seen in the study show there are other
exposure routes too," said Dr Holger Koch, who led the study. "We
suspect phthalates are getting into food via the plastics used in the
various steps of food processing."

"If a non-toy product is manufactured outside the EU and imported,
there's very little protection -- a notification to the authorities
and not much more," says Schaible of the EEB. "The process to remove
only a few very high-concern chemicals will take several decades at
this pace... Decision-makers proposed back in October 2008 a dozen
substances to be phased out, but measures will only be in place for
some of these by 2016."

RIGHT TO KNOW

To protect European consumers in the meantime -- or help people
protect themselves if they are concerned about chemicals in their
products -- the EU has instituted transparency provisions, laws to
make information about the chemical composition of products available
to any consumer who asks.

But Vito Buonsante of activist lawyers group ClientEarth says these
"right to know" laws were largely gutted of their powers from the
outset, due to pressure from industry lobbyists. And as the European
Environmental Bureau's study shows, virtually nobody in the EU has
even heard about that right -- not the shoppers who are supposed to
ask the questions, nor the retailers who are supposed to give the
answers.

As well as sponsoring the lab testing, the EEB sent out 158 "right to
know" requests to 60 European retailers between April and August this
year. More than half did not answer at all, and only 22 percent gave a
response that met the minimum standards laid down by the laws.

"In practice it is extremely complicated, even for companies that want
to comply, to find out about the presence of dangerous chemicals in
the products we buy," says Buonsante. "There are fines foreseen for
not providing the information, but so far these provisions have been
ignored."

(Additional reporting by Michelle Martin in Berlin and Dominique
Vidalon in Paris; Editing by Simon Robinson and Sara Ledwith)


TARRED WITH THE SAME BRUSH

Despite the emerging evidence, some in the chemicals industry deny
there is a problem. "The European Union has confirmed that DEHP poses
no general risk to human health," says industry website DEHP
Information Center, which is managed by the European Council for
Plasticizers and Intermediates (ECPI), and represents the interests of
producers including Germany's Oxea and Arkema of France.

But ECPI manager Maggie Saykali takes a more nuanced approach,
stressing a shift in Europe toward the safer phthalates, such as DINP.
"Scientific evidence repeatedly shows that they are safe to use," says
Saykali. "The danger is that all phthalates are being tarred with the
same brush."

Some producers have begun substituting higher-risk phthalates with
those scientists think may pose less of a risk. According to the
Helsinki-based registration agency, DEHP today makes up around 18
percent of phthalates in western Europe, down from 42 percent in 1999.
The use of DINP, which has a longer chemical chain, is growing.

But even DINP -- manufactured by companies such as Germany's BASF and
U.S.-based ExxonMobil Chemical -- is not beyond suspicion. "Scientific
information regarding DINP ... is either lacking or conflictual, but
it cannot be excluded that they pose a potential risk if used in toys
and childcare articles," says the EU's 2005 toys directive.

And even if phthalates such as DEHP are phased out by European
manufacturers, it can still enter Europe in imported products --
nearly two-thirds of which originate in Asia, mainly China.

A life-and-death issue

WITH THE nation remembering the first anniversary of the days when the
deadly and destructive storms “Ondoy” and “Pepeng” struck Metro Manila
and a great part of Luzon, now is a good time to remind ourselves of
the causes of the great flood. One of them was the unprecedented
volume of water that Ondoy brought: about six months’ worth of rain in
just 24 hours. But this was aggravated by other causes, like discarded
plastic bags clogging esteros, canals and other waterways.

Several legislators have filed measures to prohibit, regulate or
discourage the use of plastic bags or encourage their recycling and
reuse. Among them are Senators Loren Legarda, Miriam Defensor-Santiago
and Rep. Aurelio Gonzales Jr. All these measures should be
consolidated into one, into something like “An Act for Plastic
Pollution Prevention and Reduction” as suggested by Sonia Mendoza of
EcoWaste Coalition’s Task Force on Plastic.

Data from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources show
that of the nearly 757,000 kilos of trash recovered from the country’s
shoreline and waterways, more than 622,000 kilos were composed of
plastic and rubber items. Plastic bags are non-renewable,
oil-consuming and non-biodegradable. A 2006 survey conducted by
EcoWaste Coalition and Greenpeace in 2006 showed that plastic bags and
other synthetics comprised 76 percent of the garbage retrieved from
Manila Bay.

Plastics are not only a major cause of flooding, especially in urban
areas. They pollute the earth and bodies of water. EcoWaste Coalition
said that plastic bags account for most of the litter that clog
waterways in the metropolis, making it difficult for floodwaters to
recede after a heavy rain.

Worldwide, an estimated 500 billion to one trillion plastic bags are
consumed every year, meaning that more than one million plastic bags
are used each minute. There is today a humongous island of garbage
that floats on the Pacific Ocean. It is called the Great Pacific
Garden Patch, except that instead of containing flowers and plants, it
is made up of plastic bags, food wrappers, sachets and other debris
that have floated from distant land-based sources.

Much of these plastics and other debris are eaten by fish and other
marine animals, often with lethal results. For instance, turtles
mistake plastic bags for jellyfish and swallow them. Plastic bags
don’t biodegrade—they photo-degrade and break down into smaller and
more toxic plastic particles to contaminate both water and soil. On an
earth where everything is connected, these chemicals enter the food
system and ultimately poison people.

Plastics, like diamonds, are forever. Plastic bags can last 1,000
years. But the difference is that while diamonds are a boon
(especially to the ladies), plastic bags are proven to be a bane to
the environment and the people. Realizing this, many people have
thought up ways of reducing the number of plastic bags in circulation.

Many people and organizations have gotten into the act and are
proposing ways to reduce plastic bag pollution. Some have designed the
Envirosax, SM’s eco-bag, a new bayong and other reusable containers
for shoppers. But what is needed is an intensive, comprehensive
campaign against the use of plastic bags involving all sectors of
society. The entire nation has to be made aware that plastic bags are
dangerous things, and that they are actually a life-and-death issue,
as Ondoy and Pepeng have shown us last year.

Several years ago, consumers in a department store in Europe
effectively protested plastic packaging by unpacking their purchases
in the store and leaving the plastic mess for the store to clean up.
This ultimately resulted in a countrywide plastic packaging reduction
and recycling effort as the stores were forced to pay for the disposal
of their packaging materials. A concerted effort like this by
consumers in several big malls and department stores in Metro Manila
should shock their owners to their senses.

Also, consumers should mount a massive campaign to prod President
Benigno Aquino III to certify a consolidated measure on plastic bags
and other polluting materials and get Congress to pass it as soon as
possible. Every year the problem is getting worse. It’s time all
sectors of society worked together to do something about it.

Some grave reminders for All Saints' Day

You’d be committing a grave mistake if you didn’t heed this dead
serious warning from concerned souls, what with All Saints’ Day just
around the proverbial corner. If you truly want to honor the dead —
and show respect for our dearly departed — you should keep our
cemeteries and surrounding communities trash-free, say our pollution
watchdogs.

This timely appeal was aired by the EcoWaste Coalition, an
environmental network of more than 100 groups, with the nationwide
celebrations of All Saints’/All Souls’ Days expected to draw the usual
hordes of people to the cemeteries and columbaries.

Roy Alvarez, president of the EcoWaste Coalition, laments, “The
beautiful tradition of remembering the dead has become a huge garbage
challenge with the supposedly hallowed burial sites instantly turnined
into dumpsites by insensitive visitors.”

He pleads, “Let us respect the dead and not desecrate the cemeteries
with trash.The fragile state of the earth’s climate should rouse us
into simplifying our rituals and make do with less candles, flowers,
meals, and definitely less plastic disposables.”

Let us pray for our dead and let us have an eco-friendly and
waste-free Undas, to curb the impact of climate change, one of the
pressing realities of modern living. “To increase the recovery and
recycling of resources, and lessen the amount of trash going into the
dumpsites,” Alvarez points out.

Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez Jr. says amen to that. “Please cut
back on garbage, noise and air pollution for a healthier environment
for all,” exhorts the good bishop who heads the Public Affairs
Committee of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.

For a truly meaningful Undas celebration that cares for the dead and
the environment, here are some very down-to-earth tips from Bishop
Deogracias Iñiguez Jr., Franciscan priest Fr. Pete Montallana,
ex-Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr., and environmental leaders from
Buklod Tao, Citizens Concerned with Advocating Philippine
Environmental Sustainability, Global Alliance for Incinerator
Alternatives, Mother Earth Foundation, Sagip Sierra Madre
Environmental Society, and the EcoWaste Coalition Secretariat.

For cemetery administrators

• Carry out a recycling program within their sites, including the
possibility of engaging the service of waste pickers in adjacent
neighborhoods.

• Put up recycling stations (at the minimum two separate bins for
biodegradable and non-biodegradable discards), especially in high
traffic areas (entrances, exits, toilets, vendor areas etc.).

• Hang cloth banners in strategic spots to announce that the cemetery
is a waste-free zone and that everyone is enjoined not to litter, dump
or set discards, including grass clippings, ablaze.

• Integrate the ecological management of discards in catering and
vendor rules and regulations, including essential waste prevention and
reduction requisites.

• Orient and require other potential waste generators such as the
accredited volunteer support groups to abide by the cemetery waste
policy.

• Make use of the public address system to politely inform and
persuade all to support the cemetery’s effort to avoid and cut trash.

For ambulant merchants, fastfood stalls, and other business shops

• Refrain from giving away plastic disposables such as bags, straws,
cups, and other single-use plastic items. Hand them out only upon
request.

• Serve food and beverage in reusable glasses and mugs, plates, and cutlery.

• Courteously show your customers where to put their discards for
recycling or disposal.

• Bring your own trash bags or bins, keep them from overflowing, and
keep your areas clean at all times.

• Make a final sweep of your assigned spaces, ensuring that all trash
has been properly removed.

For the general public

• Clean the tombs of your departed ones without causing pollution —
for example, from the burning of grass and plant cuttings and garbage
piles.

• Walk, bike, carpool or take the public transportation to the cemeteries.

• Select clean-burning candles that do not yield black fumes or ash.

• Lit a reasonable number only to minimize heat and pollution. Do not
let candles’ plastic receptacles or holders to burn.

• Offer local fresh flowers, not plastic ones, or consider bringing
potted plants and flowers instead. Simple, inexpensive flowers will
do. Avoid wrapping floral or plant offerings in plastic, which will
sooner or later end up as trash.

• Don’t play loud music, tone down noise in the cemetery, and help
make the place conducive to prayers and to family bonding, too.

• Bring your own water jug to avoid purchasing bottled water. Please
watch The Story of Bottled Water to find out why:
http://storyofstuff.org/bottledwater/

• Go for waste-free meals. Say yes to reusable carriers, containers,
and utensils such as lunchboxes and thermos, cloth napkins and
silverwares. Say no to throw-away bags, wraps, foil or Styrofoam,
paper napkins, and forks and spoons. Also, refrain from patronizing
junk food and go for simple yet nutritious home-prepared baon.

• Buy less or only as much as you know you will consume in terms of
food and beverage. Bring bayong or other reusable bags to carry your
stuff and purchases, and refuse plastic bags and wrappers from
vendors.

• Cut your waste size by not creating trash in the first place such as
by purchasing products with the least amount of packaging and avoiding
single-use plastic disposables.

• Take full responsibility for your discards. Put them into the
recycling bins and never litter. Better still, bring your own discards
bags and bring them home for sorting, reusing, recycling or
composting. Remember to leave the resting places of your loved ones
litter-free.

The good news is Buklod Tao, a member group of the EcoWaste Coalition,
has kindly offered to receive used Undas flowers and leaves for
shredding in their facility. They will also accept discarded fruit
juice doy packs that community members can recycle into bags and other
functional items. Buklod Tao is located at 7 Dama de Noche, Barangay
Banaba, San Mateo, Rizal. Now, we know where to take our wastes the
mourning after.

And may we take our rest (from trash) in peace now and forever.

Mindfully Greenie - Stop the plastic scourge

A week ago, I decided to walk from the church to the corner of a
street. The kilometer-or-so hike turned out to be another first-hand
learning experience about human’s irresponsible treatment of our
planet. I mindfully took note of the litters that the “toss-and-throw”
populace did, which are potential cause of floods and ailments, not to
mention species and habitat destruction.

Frankly, I did not plan the “instant” observation trip. To lessen the
anxiety seeing two or three dogs roaming around which, I am sure, did
not have anti-rabies vaccination, I decided to entertain my mind – by
staying focused on the trash.

There were all sorts of debris every two steps that I took. I still
vividly remember the flattened Marlboro and Winston cigarette packs
and softdrink aluminum cans, cigarette butts, “chichirias” and candy
wrappers, empty caps and lids. But, piece by piece, nothing could beat
the waste champion - the perilous plastic bags that came in different
sizes, colors and thickness. Others had the names of stores emblazoned
on them.

Knowing how hazardous and risky plastic bags can be, it is definitely
not a badge of honor now for the establishment owners and operators to
see their plastics filling the illegal open dumpsites and flood-prone
streets. Putting the “recycle” symbol or the once-a-week no-plastic
bag campaign are inadequate to respond to the serious problems caused
by plastics. In the midst of the lethargy of government, we, however,
salute the initiatives of the Philippine Retailers Association and
establishments in coming up with the program.

It is likewise encouraging that local government units are starting to
craft ordinances regulating plastic bags usage. Mandaue City had their
plastic bag ordinance published. Muntinlupa is banning the use of
plastic bags by January 2011.

Even DENR Secretary Paje, who is the National Solid Waste Management
Commission (NSWMC) Chair, took a strong stand against littering a week
ago. Same with the NSWMC OIC Executive Director Emelita Aguinaldo who
“lauded Sen. Manuel Villar's Senate Bill 1103 and Sen. Miriam
Defensor-Santiago's Senate Bill 1543. SB 1103 seeks to promote sound
waste management by requiring all department stores, malls and
commercial establishments to utilize reusable environment-friendly
shopping bags and provide them free of charge to customers and
patrons. SB 1543, on the other hand, seeks to regulate the use of
plastic grocery bags (www.gmanews.tv)

However, the initiatives to regulate plastic bags need not be taken by
the private sector, the local government units or even by Congress. RA
9003 IS ADEQUATE TO SOLVE OUR GARBAGE WOES – if only government
agencies mandated by the law perform their responsibilities, in
partnership with stakeholders. If seriously implemented, the law, R.A.
9003, which became effective in 2001, would have solved our garbage
woes.

It should likewise be mentioned that IF ONLY a specific government
agency under the Office of the President chose not to play
coy-and-innocent on its role in the proliferation of plastic bags in
this mega-diversity rich but oh-so-vulnerable nation, we would have
been one of the first countries to regulate the same.

Not even the fury unleashed by Ondoy, where mountains of garbage piled
up in Metro Manila for all to see, can make this agency move and
perform one of its crucial functions. Not even the Notice to Sue sent
to them by the environmental crusaders last year can make the
officials call for a public hearing and come up with the list of
non-environmentally acceptable products, or NEAP.

This year, Eco-waste Coalition also “specifically urged the NSWMC to
prioritize the adoption of long-delayed policy that will curb
pollution from plastic bags and other non-environmentally acceptable
products and packaging
materials”.http://ecowastecoalition.blogspot.com/2010/07/open-letter-to-denr-and-nswmc-regarding.html).

R.A. 9003 directs this agency, the NSWMC to “formulate and update a
list of non-environmentally acceptable materials”, after public notice
and hearing, within one (1) year from the effectivity of the law.
Until now, NSWMC has stubbornly refused to do so.

By its defiance of the law, section 30 on the prohibition on the use
of Non-Environmentally Acceptable Packaging and section 48 (10 and
11), of R.A. 9003 on the prohibited acts on the use of NEAP and penal
sanctions, are rendered empty, meaningless and inutile.

Who are the members of NSWMC? There are several agencies involved,
including the DENR, DTI,DILG, the Ligas of the barangays,
municipalities, cities, provinces and NGOs.

Why the obstinate failure of the NSWMC to perform this ministerial
function? Only NSWMC officials and members can answer this question.
Only President Aquino and two institutions can, in fact, make the
officials tell the truth: Congress, in the exercise of its oversight
functions, and the Supreme Court, should a petition for a writ of
continuing mandamus be filed by citizens and the former finds the same
meritorious.

In the meantime, while we, and our environment, are held hostage by
the executive agencies’ utter failure to implement R.A. 9003, PLASTICS
ABSTINENCE is a good habit to maintain. In addition, the following
tips can be of help in reducing the plastic scourge:

1. Bring your own reusable bag, bayong or container.

2. Grow or buy organic vegetables (without plastic packs) and plant
fruit trees in your backyard.

2. Be involved in the information campaign to change behavior and for
people to be more aware of their responsibilities.

3. Monitor the level of performance of the barangays, municipalities
and cities, like what law students from the University of Cebu College
of Law did. They visited ten barangays in Cebu City and, as expected,
only Bo. Luz substantially complied with the requirements of the law.

4. Claim your rights to life, health and a healthful and balanced
ecology against non-performing LGU and DENR officials. By not
complying with R.A. 9003, officials of government agencies should be
held accountable.

5. Never give up – just decide to do your share and act accordingly.

Remember what Margaret Meade said: “Never doubt that a small group of
thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the
only thing that ever has.”

You can make a difference – go for it. Say No to Plastic.

Ecowaste issues election appeal

WITH the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections only a week away,
green group Ecowaste Coalition yesterday asked Comelec to remind
candidates to spare the trees from their campaign activities.

"We request Chairman (Jose) Melo to join us in asking the candidates
to show mercy to our life-sustaining trees and spare them of posters,
banners, and other materials meant to woo voters," said EcoWaste
president Roy Alvarez.

"We urge all candidates and their supporters to demonstrate ecological
responsibility by ensuring that their campaign gimmicks do not in any
way harm the trees and degrade the environment," he added.

Reports said campaign materials were found nailed, stapled, and hanged
on some trees situated along Bronce St. in Malabon City, N. Garcia
St., J.P. Rizal Ave., Zapote St., and South Ave. in Makati City and at
Pedro Gil St. in Manila.

Campaign posters on trees were spotted in Quezon City such as in
Barangay Amihan, Barangay Quirino 2-A, Barangay Pinyahan, and Barangay
Central.

According to a report from the Department of Environment and Natural
Resources, a surge of tree infections occurred, particularly in urban
areas five to six months after an election was held, due to the nails
and staples hammered or stacked into trees used to place campaign
posters.

The report also noted that many trees died in just one or two years
unless rehabilitated through tree surgeries.

Ecowaste reminded candidates that election laws forbid posting of
campaign materials on trees as well as in bridges, churches, electric
posts, schools, shrines, public structures, buildings, and along main
roads.

"Let not the ten-day campaign period be an occasion to violate the
trees and our Mother Earth as a whole. Instead, let it be an occasion
to show our connection and respect for all the gifts of creation," the
group said.

Mga kandidato binalaan sa basura

Pinaalalahanan ng isang environmental group ang
mga kandidato sa Barangay at Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections na
huwag nang ulitin pa ang pagkakamali noong nagdaang May 10, 2010
elections pagda­ting sa usapin ng basura.

Ayon sa grupong EcoWaste Coalition, kailangang iwasan ng mga kandidato
sa naturang halalan ang sobrang paggamit ng campaign materials na
nagdudulot ng tone-toneladang basura, gayundin ang pagkakaroon ng
disiplina sa pa­ngangampanya.

Sabi ni Roy Alvarez, pangulo ng EcoWaste Coalition, bilang potensiyal
na mga lider na direktang nasa serbisyo-publiko, inaasahan ng grupo na
lahat ng mga kandidato ay ipapakita ang kanilang pananagutan sa
pagprotekta at pagpreserba sa kalikasan sa pamamagitan ng pagsusulong
ng malinis at luntiang komunidad.

Kabilang umano sa mga pagkakamali noong nakaraang presidential
elections na sana ay hindi na maulit pa sa paparating na Barangay at
SK elections ay ang pagpapako ng campaign materials sa mga puno at iba
pang lugar na ipinagbabawal ng Comelec; pagsasayang ng mga materyales
sa pangangampanya; pagmamaneho ng smoke-belcher na campaign vehicles;
masyadong mala­lakas na political jingles at talumpati; pag-iiwan ng
mga basura sa campaign sorties at hindi pag-aalis ng mga campaign
materials pagkatapos ng halalan.

Tricycles become mobile poster boards for bets of barangay polls

As the campaign period for the Oct. 25 barangay (village) and
Sangguniang Kabataan (youth council) elections progressed, tricycles
and pedicabs in parts of Metro Manila were turned into mobile poster
boards.

In Manila, stickers of candidates were placed on the rear of tricycles
in the Intramuros and Malate districts.

But some pedicabs and tricycles became virtual common poster areas,
with the campaign materials of entire tickets plastered in the front
part of the sidecar.

The campaign period got off to a festive but messy start Thursday,
with some candidates holding street parties and others placing
campaign materials on posts and even hanging them on electric wires.

Meanwhile, ecological activists appealed to candidates in the October
25 elections to keep their campaign clean and environment-friendly.

The EcoWaste Coalition particularly exhorted the bets not to repeat
the environmental lapses of candidates the May 10 national and local
elections.

“Let us not forget the wastefulness of the May 2010 local and national
elections and together aim for an environmentally-responsible exercise
of our right to suffrage," EcoWaste president Roy Alvarez said on the
group's blog site.

“As potential leaders in the frontline of public service, we expect
all the candidates to demonstrate their commitment to protect and
preserve the community environment by campaigning 'clean and green,’"
he added.

He said some candidates in last May's elections committed "major,
major" lapses such as nailing campaign materials on trees and other
prohibited areas.

Other lapses included wasting too much campaign funds and materials,
driving smoke-belching campaign vehicles, blasting loud political
jingles and speeches, leaving trash in campaign sorties and not
removing campaign items after the polls.

"Another major, major shortcoming that we have observed was the
failure on the part of most politicians to integrate the environmental
agenda into their campaign platforms and pledges," EcoWaste added.

The group re-issued its practical guidelines for a "clean and green"
campaign, including assigning a person or team in the campaign
structure who will be responsible for greening the campaign strategies
and activities.

Candidates should refrain from using excessive campaign materials such
as leaflets, pamphlets, posters, stickers, decals, cloth and tarpaulin
streamers, and other campaign paraphernalia.

As much as possible, propaganda materials should be in post-consumer
recycled paper and carry a friendly reminder that says “para sa ating
kalusugan at kalikasan, huwag pong ikalat, itambak o sunugin" or its
equivalent in local languages.

Candidates should refrain from using campaign materials that are
hardly reused or recycled such as confetti, buntings and balloons,
which often get burned or discarded in waterways, seas and dumpsites.

Politicos should spare the trees of propaganda materials that can harm
and even kill them, and reject graffiti or vandalism to popularize
themselves.

For litter-free campaign meetings, sorties and related activities, the
EcoWaste Coalition recommends the following:


•Shun throwing confetti, exploding firecrackers or releasing balloons
in campaign events.


•Refrain from using Styrofoam, plastic bags and other single-use
containers for volunteers’ meals and drinks.


•Set up segregated waste bins for biodegradable and non-biodegradable
discards in campaign assemblies.


•Designate “eco-volunteers" to look after the bins and guide the
public in the proper separation of their discards.


•Clean up right after the campaign event.


•Hire eco-aides to handle the segregated wastes for recycling and
composting.

Warning aired over South Cotabato River’s high mercury content

The Tampakan municipal environment office has
sounded the alarm on the rising mercury content of the Pula Bato River
due to illegal gold mining operations which it said could affect the
health and safety of residents.

Eileen Estrada, municipal environment and natural resources officer of
the gold-rich town of Tampakan in South Cotabato, said the rising
mercury level was caused by sluice mining in the villages of Danlag,
Pula Bato, Tablu and Palo 19.

In sluice mining, unlicensed small-scale miners pour large quantities
of water on a mountain surface to wash out rocks with gold ore. The
miners then pan the ore and extract the gold with the use of highly
toxic mercury.

According to data gathered by Estrada’s office, the increase in
mercury level at the Pula Bato River, an important water source for
the town’s residents, started in 2008. The data was backed by a later
test conducted by Xstrata-owned Sagittarius Mines Inc.

Estrada said that in November last year, her office’s monitoring
showed that the mercury level in the river was 0.4 micrograms per
liter, or double the tolerable level of 0.2 micrograms per liter. Last
January, another test showed the mercury level had risen further to
0.8 micrograms per liter.

“That is way above the tolerable limit,” she said.

Estrada said her office was trying to remedy the problem by
intensifying the crackdown on illegal mining activities in the
hinterlands.

Superintendent Rolito Pidlaoan, Tampakan police chief, said since the
crackdown started, at least eight people engaged in sluice mining have
been arrested.

Pidlaoan admitted, however, that illegal miners persist in their
activities despite the seizure by the police of some 30,000 metric
tons of ore.

He said miners have resorted to various ways of avoiding detection,
such as operating during heavy rainfall or at night.

Estrada said to boost the municipal government’s campaign, police
outposts would be established in the four villages where sluice mining
takes place.

Simple Lang

Huwag Balutan ng mga Poster si Inang Kalikasan

Simula Oktubre 14 ay magsisimula ang kampanya para sa eleksyon sa
Oktubre 25 na kung saan ay libu-libong mga kandidato ang magtatagisan
sa 336,200 puwesto sa mahigit 42,000 barangay sa buong kapuluan.

Upang maipabatid sa mga kandidato ang kritikal na kondisyon ng ating
kapaligiran ay isang malikhaing pagkilos ang isinagawa ng mga kasanib
ng EcoWaste Coalition sa harap ng Quezon City Hall na nagpapakita sa
isang may sakit na Inang Kalikasan.

Sa naturang pagkilos ay makikitang nakaratay sa isang kama ng mga
basurang plastik si Inang Kalikasan, may nakasubong non-mercury
thermometer sa bibig at nababalot ng isang kumot.

Ang kumot na gawa mula sa mga pinagtagpi-tagping campaign material na
tira mula sa eleksyon noong Mayo 2010 ay pagpapakita sa posibleng
mangyari sa papalapit na halalan – ang muling mabalutan ng mga poster
si Inang Kalikasan.

Nasa tagiliran naman ni Inang Kalikasan ang tatlong kababaihan na tila
“Tatlong Hari” na inihahandog ang mga dalang kahon ng balota na
sumasagisag sa kapangyarihan ng mamamayan na magluklok ng mga pinuno
na mangangalaga at magpapagaling kay Inang Kalikasan.

Tungo sa pangangampanyang may pagrespeto kay Inang Kalikasan ay muling
inilabas ng EcoWaste Coalition ang kanilang patnubay para sa
makakalikasang pangangampanya:

1.Huwag magpako, magsabit o magdikit ng mga campaign material sa mga
puno at iba pang lugar na ipinagbabawal ng COMELEC. Igalang ang mga
puno!

2.Huwag gumastos ng lampas sa itinakdang hangganan ng COMELEC na
tatlong piso lang kada rehistradong botante sa barangay. Ang
labis-labis na paggastos ay pandaraya rin.

3.Huwag magpagawa at magpamudmod ng sangkaterbang campaign material na
kinalaunan ay magiging basura lamang.

4.Huwag gumamit ng mga mausok na sasakyan sa motorcade. Maglakad na
lamang o magbisikleta sa binabalak na pagbabahay-bahay.

5.Huwag magpatugtog ng sobra-sobrang lakas na mga political jingle at
mga talumpati. Ang ingay ay polusyon rin.

6.Huwag magkalat at mag-iwan ng anumang basura sa mga kampanya.

7.Huwag iwanan na lamang ang mga campaign material sa lansangan
pagkatapos ng eleksyon. Tanggalin agad ang mga ito matapos ang
botohan sa Oktubre 25.

Para sa mga walang kalat na pagtitipon na karaniwang dinadagsa ng
publiko, ito naman ang kanilang rekomendasyon:

1. Tiyaking di magkakalat sa mga lugar na pagdarausan

2. Tanggihan ang pagtatapon ng confetti, pagpapaputok o pagpapakawala ng lobo

3. Iwasan ang paggamit ng mga Styrofoam, plastic bag at iba pang
isahang gamit na lalagyan para sa pagkain at inumin

4. Magtalaga ng hiwalay na sisidlan para sa nabubulok at di nabubulok
na mga panapon

5. Magtalaga ng mga “eco-volunteer” upang makatulong sa paggabay sa
publiko sa wastong pagbubukod ng mga panapon

6. Kagyat na linisin ang lugar pagkatapos ng pagtitipon

7. Upahan ang mga mangangalahig upang kolektahin ang mga
pinagbukod-bukod na mga panapon para ma-recycle o gawing compost

“Ang eleksyon sa Oktubre 25 ay oportunidad para sa mga nag-aasam na
maging pampublikong lingkod na manindigan para sa kalikasan,” pahayag
ni Dra. Leah Primitiva Samaco-Paquiz, Kalihim ng EcoWaste Coalition.

Nawa’y hindi mabigo si Inang Kalikasan sa mga kandidato at sa publiko,
at pagtulung-tulongan ang pagsagip sa kanya hindi lamang mula sa
basura at polusyon, kundi pati na rin sa nakamamatay na pagkagahaman
at paglapastangan.

Canada Declares BPA Toxic, Sets Stage for More Bans

Canada has declared bisphenol A a toxic chemical,
prompting calls for far-reaching curbs on the industrial chemical that
is used in everything from the linings of aluminum cans to coatings on
electronic till receipts.

Canada added the compound, known as BPA, to a list of substances
deemed potentially harmful to health or the environment in a notice
published in the Canada Gazette on Wednesday.

That makes it easier for Ottawa to regulate the use of the chemical,
perhaps by limiting how much BPA can be released into air or water or
perhaps with outright bans on its use in specific food containers.

"The risk assessment of BPA put together by our federal government is
very strong in terms of its conclusions, so I think it's a foregone
conclusion that it will drive further action rather quickly," said
Rick Smith, executive director of Environmental Defense, which
campaigned to ban BPA.

BPA is mass produced and has been used for decades to harden plastics.
It is widely used to line food and beverage containers, and a recent
government report said it was present in the bodies of 91 percent of
Canadians.

"We are literally marinating in it on a minute-by-minute basis," said Smith.

The primary health concerns center on BPA's potential effects as an
endocrine disrupter, which can mimic or interfere with the body's
natural hormones and potentially damage development, especially of
young children.

"Our science indicated that Bisphenol A may be harmful to both human
health and the environment and we were the first country to take bold
action in the interest of Canadians," Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq
said in a statement.

CANADA LEADING CRACKDOWN

Smith said Canada has been a world leader in its crackdown on BPA. It
promised the first steps to control use of the chemical in 2008, and
in March this year banned plastic baby bottles that contain BPA. A
next step could curb BPA use in the lining of baby formula tins, he
added.

Environmental Issues Pushed in Barangay, SK Campaigns

With the start of campaign period for the
Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections Thursday, green
advocates appealed to all candidates to take into consideration the
condition of the environment during and after the electoral campaign.

“The October 25 polls provide an exceptional platform for would-be
public servants to make a stand for the environment. We call upon all
candidates and their supporters to conduct a simple and caring
campaign that will preserve and protect the community environment from
destructive practices,” EcoWaste Secretary Dr. Leah Primitiva
Samaco-Paquiz said.

“We further request them to emphasize environmental and health
education, protection and mobilization at the grassroots as integral
components of their proposed program of government,” she added.

All candidates aspiring for some 330,000 elective posts in the
country’s more than 42,000 barangays are urged to adopt some
guidelines prepared by EcoWaste to keep wastefree elections.

The group reminded the candidates to prevent from nailing, hanging and
pasting of campaign materials on trees and other places prohibited by
the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

It also asked the aspirants not to produce too much campaign materials
that would only end up as garbage.

During sorties, candidates were recommended to prevent blasting
extremely loud political jingles and speeches and leaving trash.

EcoWaste also proposed that all those running for the polls should
assign a person or team in the campaign structure who will be
responsible for greening the campaign strategies and activities.

Candidates should refrain from using excessive campaign materials such
as leaflets, pamphlets, posters, stickers, decals, cloth and tarpaulin
streamers, and other campaign paraphernalia.

As much as possible, propaganda materials should be in post-consumer
recycled paper.

Candidates should refrain from using campaign materials that are
hardly reused or recycled such as confetti, buntings and balloons,
which often get burned or discarded in waterways, seas and dumpsites.

They should also spare the trees of propaganda materials that can harm
and even kill them, and reject graffiti or vandalism when asking for
the electorate’s support.

Metro garbage is MMDA’s problem

Friends from environmentalist and cause-oriented groups were ecstatic
over the recent on-the-air commitment given by Department of
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Ramon Paje that the
controversial—and lethal—Payatas dump will be closed by December 31
this year.

In more ways than one, this on-the-air public commitment is a victory
for these groups who took up the cudgels for the victims of the
Payatas tragedy of July 2000 and who kept the issue alive throughout
the past one decade. Paje’s commitment—which in turn is based on a
written pledge by Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista—is the best we
can do for the many who perished in that tragedy.

It is also the best that the government can do for all of us who
breathe the oxygen contaminated by the foul air emanating from the
Payatas dump.

Our friends, however, called out attention to some very important
aspects of this whole Metro Manila garbage issue. And based on their
inputs, it looks like we overlooked something major.

As Secretary Paje pointed out in our interview with him in our radio
program Karambola sa dwIZ, there is a “division of labor” as far as
the whole garbage problem is concerned. The DENR, both as the lead
ecological agency and as chair of the National Solid Waste Commission,
is in charge of policy and enforcement of the laws aimed at protecting
our environment.

Meanwhile, local government units are responsible for the waste
disposal and management systems within their respective localities.
They are also responsible for making sure such systems conform to laws
and policies.

But in Metro Manila, who is supposed to think up, plan and give us a
viable waste disposal and management system that comply with the law?

By the looks of it, this responsibility belongs to the Metro Manila
Development Authority.

Yes, MMDA. The agency that seems to have expended all its attention
and resources to traffic management (or mismanagement) and hardly any
to another important responsibility—making sure we, Metro Manilans,
have a viable and legal solid waste management system.

It looks like this is the aspect of Republic Act 9003 which we may
have overlooked in the apparent rush on the part of the cause-oriented
sector to pass judgment on the role of the DENR in the Payatas
brouhaha.

It is pointed out that RA 9003 itself clearly explains that the MMDA
is responsible for ensuring that Metro Manila has a viable,
sustainable and legal solid waste disposal system.

It appears RA 9003 has designated the MMDA as chair of the Solid Waste
Management Board for Metro Manila. As such, the MMDA is tasked with
making sure that the local government units within Metro Manila follow
and comply with RA 9003. In addition, RA 7924 which created the MMDA
was also clear in tasking this agency to oversee metro-wide services
which include the solid waste management and disposal.

It is unfortunate that the DENR had to take most, if not all, of the
flak for the continuing operation of the Payatas dump which, as
Secretary Paje himself admitted on the air, was outright illegal by
virtue of the ban imposed by RA 9003.

The fact may have been overlooked that the agency is tasked with
overseeing garbage management in the National Capital Region and that
the chairman is supposed to be the garbage czar of Metro Manila.

Paje had publicly explained the role of the DENR in the garbage
controversy spawned by the continuing illegal operation of the Payatas
dump. It is about time MMDA chair Francis Tolentino explained to us
what the MMDA has done in the face of this continuing illegal
operation.

He may also have to explain to the public why the agency has merely
stood by as the Payatas dump continues its illegal existence. And if
that really was the case, then Tolentino may have to convince us all
that the MMDA was not a willing accomplice in the perpetuation of the
injustice which is the illegal Payatas dump.

More important, Tolentino has to tell us what the MMDA’s overall plan
for Metro Manila’s garbage is.

According to Paje, there are still around 800 illegal dumps operating
all over the country, and we suspect some of them are actually here in
Metro Manila. The question is: Are these illegal dumps operating
because of the absence of a legal alternative that the MMDA is
supposed to provide us?

We noticed that some quarters have raised the specter of a possible
Metro Manila garbage crisis once Payatas is closed down in December
this year in line with the written commitment of Quezon City Mayor
Herbert Bautista.

This could merely be a scare tactic being employed by those who want
to keep Payatas open.

But this could also be true.

Whether or not a garbage crisis is looming, nothing can justify the
continuing operation of the largest illegal dump in the country.

Tolentino has to assure us that such scenario will not happen because
his agency is ready to deal with the garbage problem.

We do hope he is.

SJDM folk concerned over landfill

Residents here are clamoring for the
closure of the VGP Sanitary Landfill located in Bgy. Minuyan.

In Tuesday’s Mass held in front of the landfill’s gate, they sought
divine intervention to protect the residents and environment of the
city from the perceived ill-effects posed by garbage dump.

Tonight learned from Fr. Ety Ignacio, parish priest of the Saint Peter
Parish in Bgy. Tungkong Mangga, that they are opposed to the
sanitary landfill, operated by the Puyat Group of Companies since it
is located in a residential area and near the compound of the local
water district there.

Ignacio explained that the continuous dumping of garbage in the area
might pose health hazards to the residents living near the landfill,
and could contaminate the potable water being supplied by the local
water district.

The priest said that they are also protesting the dumping of garbage
from other towns at the landfill because the roads being used by dump
trucks hauling garbage from other towns will deteriorate fast.

Residents, church leaders, environmentalists and other people’s
organizations are also worried that the landfill, constructed near the
Marikina fault line, might pose danger to the environment when a
strong earth quake occurs and eventually contaminate their
groundwater.

Instead of the landfill, Ignacio said that they are pushing for
zero-waste management in answer to the growing garbage problem of the
city.

Bro. Martin Francisco, chairperson of the Sagip Sierra Madre
Environmental Society Inc., echoed Ignacio’s sentiments, adding that
their group is against the dumping of mixed waste in the sanitary
landfill as specified in the provisions of Republic Act 9003 or the
Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.

Francisco said, only residual wastes are allowed to be brought in a
sanitary landfill and mixed wastes are not allowed to be dumped there.

Say no to plastic bags, diocese says

A diocese in the Philippine capital has urged Catholics to use grass
baskets, locally known as bayong, instead of plastic bags when they go
to market.

“Let us take pride in using the bayong—knowing that we are saving the
planet, ourselves and future generations by cutting our craving for
plastic bags,” said Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez of Kalookan.

The diocese’s ecology ministry and the EcoWaste Coalition held a
bayong parade on Oct. 9, eve of the Global Work Party, an event
addressing the global climate crisis.

“Let’s switch to the versatile bayong that our elders were accustomed
to before our society fell in love with anything convenient and
disposable,” said Romy Hidalgo of the EcoWaste Coalition.

Bishop Iñiguez lauded the initiative, saying plastic bags are
polluting the environment.

Environment groups said switching from plastic bags to the traditional
basket will help achieve the safe upper limit of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere.

Worldwatch Institute revealed that some 12 million barrels of
non-renewable petroleum oil are required to produce 100 billion
plastic bags.

Some 500 billion to one trillion plastic bags are used annually and
over one million bags end up as litter worldwide.

In the Philippines, plastic comprises 15 percent of Metro Manila’s
solid waste, with food and kitchen waste accounting for about 45
percent, paper 16 percent, glass and wood 9 percent and other discards
15 percent.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources said some 756,986
kilograms of garbage were collected during the coastal clean-up
operations in 2009, with plastic bags constituting 300,176 kilograms
or almost half of the retrieved garbage from shorelines and waterways.

“I commend market vendors for heeding the call for ecological
stewardship by encouraging consumers to drop the ubiquitous plastic
bags,” Bishop Iñiguez said.

He was referring to the move by vendors in his diocese who decided to
observe every Monday, beginning Oct. 11, a No Plastic Bag Day.

Canada Declares BPA, a Chemical in Plastics, to Be Toxic

The government of Canada formally declared bisphenol A, a chemical widely used to create clear, hard plastics, as well as food can liners, to be a toxic substance on Wednesday.

The compound, commonly known as BPA, has been shown to disrupt the hormone systems of animals and is under review in the United States and Europe.

Canada’s move, which was strenuously fought by the chemical industry, followed an announcement by the government two years ago that it would eliminate the compound’s use in polycarbonate bottles used by infants and children.

The compound was formally listed as being toxic to both the environment and human health in an official notice published online by the government without fanfare, a noticeable contrast to the earlier baby bottle announcement, which was made by two cabinet ministers.

George M. Enei, the director general of science and risk assessment at Environment Canada, one of two government departments that made the designation, said the move would make it easier to ban the use of BPA in specific products through regulations rather than by amending legislation, a cumbersome and slow process.

But he said the government’s first step would probably be to set limits on how much BPA can be released into the air or water by factories that use the compound.

“This is a step in a journey,” Mr. Enei said. “Once you’re on the list, it signals Canada will do something.”

While Canadian industry groups did not respond to requests for comment, the decision was condemned by the American Chemical Council.

“Environment Canada’s announcement is contrary to the weight of worldwide scientific evidence, unwarranted and will unnecessarily confuse and alarm the public,” Steven G. Hentges, who leads the polycarbonate and BPA group at the council, said in a statement.

Rick Smith, the executive director of Environmental Defence, a group that lobbied for the designation, said he hoped that the government would ban BPA from infant formula can linings.

“This toxic designation is a very strong regulatory power that gives them firm legal footing on any number of things,” Dr. Smith said.

However, Dr. Smith agreed that the toxic designation was likely to bring an abrupt end to a variety of food-related uses for BPA, even without new regulations or laws. Refillable polycarbonate bottles for adults — once popular because of their clarity, light weight and durability — largely vanished from the market after negative publicity around BPA about two years ago.

In addition to food containers, BPA is used to produce some of the epoxies that line cans used for soft drinks, fruits and vegetables.

BPA is widely seen as a test case in an era of mounting worry about household chemicals, pollution and the possible links between illness and environmental exposures, especially in fetuses and young children.

Many scientists believe that it is an “endocrine disruptor,” a term applied to chemicals that can act like hormones. Studies using lab animals and cell cultures show that BPA can mimic the female hormone estrogen.

Last year, the Endocrine Society, a scientific group, issued a 34-page report that said there was strong evidence of adverse health effects from endocrine disruptors, including harm to the reproductive system, causing malformations, infertility and cancer.

In the United States, about half a dozen states have banned BPA in children’s products. The federal government has taken no action, saying there is no proof of harm in humans. But health and regulatory agencies have concerns about BPA and have commissioned more studies.

In a statement, Dr. Josh Sharfstein, the principal deputy commissioner at the Food and Drug Administration, said the agency was working with the National Institutes of Health “and other partners to advance scientific understanding of BPA and inform our decisions.”

In an extensive study of BPA retained by Canadians’ bodies that was published in August, Statistics Canada, a government agency, found that almost no one escaped the chemical and that the highest concentrations of the compound were found in teenagers, with younger children a close second.

The presence of a chemical in the body, however, does not necessarily mean it is harmful.

Canada’s designation is at odds with Europe’s approach. Last month, the European Food Safety Authority released an update that concluded that “data currently available do not provide convincing evidence of neurobehavioral toxicity of BPA”

But France and Denmark have independently imposed temporary bans on some uses of BPA.

Australia joins other countries in banning endosulfan

A federal government agency has banned pesticides that use the toxic
chemical endosulfan, reversing earlier rulings that said it was safe
if used correctly.

The endosulfan ban is expected to affect a wide range of industries
that still use the pesticides, including many tropical fruit and
vegetable growers, nut farmers and cotton farmers.

''Substantial evidence demonstrates that endosulfan is highly toxic
for most animal groups, showing both acute and chronic effects at
relatively low exposure levels,'' said a report prepared for the
Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority, the federal
agency responsible for the new ruling.

Advertisement: Story continues below ''The continued registration and
approval of endosulfan in Australia is likely to have unintended
effects on the environment that cannot be mitigated,'' said the
report, which was prepared by the Environment Department and the
Department of Health and Ageing.

But the chemicals are ''not a significant risk to public health,'' the
report said, despite some international reports which have identified
endosulfan as an endocrine disruptor - interfering with hormones and
reproduction.

''The overall weight of evidence is that endosulfan has limited
endocrine disrupting potential in mammals,'' the report said.

In earlier updates, the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines
Authority had resisted calls to deregister pesticides that contain
endosulfan. New research that has emerged since 2007 was responsible
for its change of position, it said yesterday. ''The previous decision
was made on the best available science at the time,'' said a spokesman
for the authority, Dr Simon Cubit.

The US Environmental Protection Agency said in June that it would move
to ban endosulfan in the US because of unacceptable ''neurological and
reproductive risks to farm workers and wildlife''.

It is already banned in more than 60 other countries, including the
European Union member states and New Zealand, and earlier this year
the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants listed
endosulfan as a ''persistent pollutant''.

The NSW Greens MP John Kaye, who has been campaigning against
endosulfan use along with Australian environment groups, claimed the
Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority had been
shunning evidence of the dangers for the past two years.

The National Toxics Network also said the ban should have happened
sooner, and said the residues would remain in the environment for many
years.

Cotton Australia said the use of all pesticides in the industry had
dropped 85 per cent in the past decade, so the ban would be unlikely
to damage the industry. ''It's one less weapon in the arsenal but it's
not a weapon that is that widely used,'' said the group's chief
executive, Adam Kay.

The ruling is still expected to hit sections of the pesticide industry hard.

One of the main Australian distributors of endosulfan-based
pesticides, Nufarm Australia, was unable to comment on the decision
yesterday.

Oct 25 polls campaign off to festive, messy start

Street parties, motorcades, and – as expected – campaign posters and
streamers outside designated poster areas highlighted a festive and
messy start to the campaign period for the Oct. 25 barangay (village)
and Sangguniang Kabataan (youth council) elections Thursday.

In Manila, radio dzBB’s Roland Bola reported that a street party and
motorcade kicked off the campaign period in the city’s Baseco
compound.

Large campaign posters were placed on walls of commercial
establishments along Quezon Boulevard in Quiapo, while posters and
tarpaulins were hung on phone lines in some areas.

In Quezon City, radio dzBB’s Paulo Santos reported that the festive
frenzy started at midnight Wednesday, when the campaign period for the
elections officially began.

Tarpaulins and banners were placed on trees and electric posts in many
parts of the city, the report said, adding that some campaign
materials were also hung on electric wires.

Many walls also became virtual mosaics as candidates and their
supporters placed campaign posters there.




Ironically, it was in Quezon City where an environmental group had
appealed to candidates in the Oct. 25 elections to campaign without
harming the environment.

EcoWaste Coalition said the elections will be an “exceptional
platform" for would-be public servants to make a stand for the
environment.

The group gave a list of do’s for candidates, including:
•Set up segregated waste bins for biodegradable and non-biodegradable
discards in campaign assemblies;

•Designate “eco-volunteers" to look after the bins and guide the
public in the proper separation of their discards;

•Clean up right after the campaign event; and

•Hire eco-aides to handle the segregated wastes for recycling and composting.
On the other hand, it gave candidates seeking 336,200 village
positions a list of don’ts such as:

•Nailing, hanging and pasting of campaign materials on trees and other
places prohibited by the Commission on Elections (Comelec);

•Spending beyond the Comelec ceiling of P3 per registered voter in the barangay;

•Producing too much campaign materials that only end up as garbage;

•Driving smoke-belching vehicles in campaign motorcades;

•Blasting extremely loud political jingles and speeches;

•Leaving trash in campaign sorties;

•Failing to remove campaign materials immediately after the polls;

•Throwing confetti, exploding firecrackers or releasing balloons in
campaign events; and

•Using Styrofoam, plastic bags and other single-use containers for
volunteers’ meals and drinks.
The group added candidates should refrain from using excessive
campaign materials such as leaflets, pamphlets, posters, stickers,
decals, cloth and tarpaulin streamers, and other campaign
paraphernalia.

It said propaganda materials should be in post-consumer recycled paper
and carry a friendly reminder that says “para sa ating kalusugan at
kalikasan, huwag pong ikalat, itambak o sunugin (for our health and
the environment, do not litter)" or its equivalent in local dialects.

Candidates should refrain from using campaign materials that are
hardly reused or recycled such as confetti, buntings and balloons,
which often get burned or discarded in waterways, seas and dumpsites,
it added.

EcoWaste Coalition calls on the public not to trash the cemeteries

A waste and pollution watchdog has called on
the public to observe the upcoming All Saints’/All Souls’ Days in a
manner that will truly honor the dead by keeping the cemeteries and
surrounding communities trash-free.

The EcoWaste Coalition, an environmental network of more than 100
groups, made the timely appeal as Catholic Filipinos make ready to
visit the cemeteries in huge numbers to pay respect to departed
relatives and friends.

“The beautiful tradition of remembering the dead has become a huge
garbage challenge with the supposedly hallowed burial sites instantly
turning into dumpsites by insensitive visitors,” observed Roy Alvarez,
President of the EcoWaste Coalition.

“Let us respect the dead and not desecrate the cemeteries with trash,”
he pleaded .

“The fragile state of the earth’s climate should rouse us into
simplifying our rituals and make do with less candles, flowers, meals
and definitely less plastic disposables,” he added.

“Through a waste-free ‘Undas,’ we also curb the climate impact of our
memorial day for the dead, increase the recovery and recycling of
resources and lessen the amount of trash going into the dumpsites,” he
added.

The drive for an eco-friendly “Undas” has earned the backing of a
Catholic Church leader.

“We join the EcoWaste Coalition in exhorting the faithful to think
about the environment of the living when remembering our dearly
departed,” stated Caloocan Bishop Deogracias S. Iñiguez, Jr.

“Please cut back on garbage, noise and air pollution for a healthier
environment for all,” Bishop Iñiguez, who also heads the Public
Affairs Committee of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the
Philippines, said.

To guide the public in observing an eco-friendly “Undas,” the EcoWaste
Coalition has come up with practical suggestions for cemetery
administrators, entrepreneurs and the general public.

Among those who provided suggestions were Bishop Deogracias S.
Iñiguez, Jr., Franciscan priest Father Pete Montallana, statesman
ex-Sen. Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. and environmental leaders from Buklod
Tao, Citizens Concerned with Advocating Philippine Environmental
Sustainability, Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, Mother
Earth Foundation, Sagip Sierra Madre Environmental Society and the
EcoWaste Coalition Secretariat.

I. For cemetery administrators, the Ecowaste Coalition suggests the following:

1. Carry out a recycling program within their sites, including the
possibility of engaging the service of waste pickers in adjacent
neighborhoods.

2. Put up “recycling stations” (at the minimum two separate bins for
biodegradable and non-biodegradable discards), especially in high
traffic areas (entrances, exits, toilets, vendor areas etc.).

3. Hang cloth banners in strategic spots to announce that the cemetery
is a “waste-free zone” and that everyone is enjoined not to litter,
dump or set discards, including grass clippings, ablaze.

4. Integrate the ecological management of discards in catering and
vendor rules and regulations, including essential waste prevention and
reduction requisites.

5. Orient and require other potential waste generators such as the
accredited volunteer support groups to abide by the cemetery waste
policy.

6. Make use of the public address system to politely inform and
persuade all to support the cemetery’s effort to avoid and cut trash.

II. For ambulant merchants, fastfood stalls and other business shops,
the EcoWaste Coalition proposes the following:

1. Refrain from giving away plastic disposables such as bags, straws,
cups and other single-use plastic items. Hand them out only upon
request.

2. Serve food and beverage in reusable glasses and mugs, plates and cutlery.

3. Courteously show your customers where to put their discards for
recycling or disposal.

4. Bring your own trash bags or bins, avoid them from overflowing, and
keep your areas clean at all times.

5. Make a final sweep of your assigned spaces, ensuring that all trash
has been properly removed.

III. For the general public, the Ecowaste Coalition makes the
following suggestions:

1---> Clean the tombs of your departed ones without causing pollution,
for example, from the burning of grass and plant cuttings and garbage
piles.

2---> Walk, bike, carpool or take the public transportation to the cemeteries.

3---> Select clean-burning candles that do not yield black fumes or
ash. Lit a reasonable number only to minimize heat and pollution. Do
not let candles’ plastic receptacles or holders to burn.

4---> Offer local fresh flowers, not plastic ones, or consider
bringing potted plants and flowers instead. Simple, inexpensive
flowers will do. Avoid wrapping floral or plant offerings in plastic,
which will sooner or later end up as trash.

5---> Don’t play loud music, tone down noise in the cemetery and help
make the place conducive for prayers and for family bonding, too.

6---> Bring your own water jug to avoid purchasing bottled water.
Please watch “The Story of Bottled Water” to find out why:
http://storyofstuff.org/bottledwater/

7---> Go for waste-free meals. YES to reusable carriers, containers
and utensils such as lunchboxes and thermos, cloth napkins and
silverware. NO to throw-away bags, wraps, foil or Styrofoam, paper
napkins, and forks and spoons.

Also, refrain from patronizing junkfood and go for simple yet
nutritious home-prepared “baon.”

8---> Buy less or only as much as you know you will consume for items
such as food and beverage. Bring “bayong” or other reusable bags to
carry your stuff and purchases, and refuse plastic bags and wrappers
from vendors.

9---> Cut your waste size by not creating trash in the first place
such as by purchasing products with the least amount of packaging and
avoiding single-use plastic disposables.

10---> Take full responsibility for your discards. Put them into the
recycling bins and never litter. Better still, bring your own discards
bags and bring them home for sorting, reusing, recycling or
composting. Remember to leave the resting places of your loved ones
litter-free.

Buklod Tao, a member group of the EcoWaste Coalition, has kindly
offered to receive used Undas flowers and leaves for shredding in
their facility. They will also accept discarded fruit juice doi packs
that community members will recycle into bags and other functional
items. Buklod Tao is located at 7 Dama de Noche, Barangay Banaba, San
Mateo, Rizal.

Enhanced consciousness marks first 100 days of P-Noy in the environment sector

Enhanced environmental consciousness: this is how Environment and
Natural Resources Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje described the first 100
days of President Benigno S. Aquino’s accomplishment in the
environment sector.

“The high level of confidence of the Filipino people on President
Aquino has obviously created a ripple in the environment sector as not
only government agencies have coalesced with the DENR on its various
environmental protection programs but also local government units,
civil society and the private sector,” Paje said.

Paje said that although the first 100 days is too short to gauge the
success of a particular program, he stressed that initial results
would show that the department has achieved substantial gains in its
priority thrusts, in partnership with stakeholders.




Foremost of this, according to Paje, is in the area of clean water and
garbage, where a number of local government units (LGUs) and private
companies have partnered with the department in the cleaning up of
major waterways. He cited, as an example, the DENR’s agreement with
the local governments of Quezon City and Valenzuela City, and the
Manila North Tollways Corporation for the clean-up of the Tullahan
River under its newly-launched “Adopt-a-Estero” program.

Paje said that following the launch last month of the Tullahan River
clean up, a number of local companies have signified their interest to
also adopt ‘esteros,’ to include the SM Development Corporation, Lucio
Tan Group of Companies, Hapee Toothpaste, San Miguel Corporation,
Nestle Philippines, Zesto, and the Philippine Mining Safety for
Environment Association.

The imposition of community service as a penalty is enshrined in
Republic Act No. 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act,
but it is only now the department is adopting it as its battlecry in
the fight against polluters.

“We will now be imposing community service for violations of R.A.
9003, to complement the Anti-Littering Law being carried out by the
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA),” Paje said.

Paje also intimated that Social Welfare and Development Secretary
Dinky Soliman already approved the DENR’s proposal to include
community service as additional criteria in its “Conditional Cash
Transfer” program.

As an offshoot to several studies that plastics comprise the bulk of
the waste produced in Metro Manila and the whole world, the DENR,
together with the Earth Day Network Philippines, has partnered with
major malls and establishments like Shoe Mart, Isetann and the
Philippine Amalgamated Supermarkets Association and the Philippine
Retailers Association, to name a few, in the drive promoting the use
recyclable bags instead of plastic bags. “We have also initiated talks
with the Philippine Plastics Industry Association for them to come up
with a program to retrieve, collect and recycle plastics bags as part
of their so-called extended manufacture responsibility.”

The campaign to clean the air also tops the thrust of the Aquino
administration with the department targeting to reduce the total
suspended particulates in Metro Manila and other urban centers by 30
percent by end of 2011.

Towards this end, the DENR has partnered with concerned agencies like
the Land Transportation Office, Department of Trade and Industry, and
the Department of Interior and Local Government to curb vehicle
emission in Metro Manila. Based on study, 80% of air pollution load,
particularly in Metro Manila, come from mobile sources while 20% come
from stationery sources.

On the issue of “no-show” emission test certification, the DENR chief
has vowed to undertake a more drastic rule of not only going after
erring private emission testing centers and have these permanently
closed, but will also hold accountable vehicle owners who connive to
the malpractice. In addition, Paje said the department has also
proposed to the LTO the installation of close circuit television
(CCTV) cameras to easily monitor testing centers at real time.

The DENR has also initiated discussions with the Asian Development
Bank for a program that will provide affordable credit for the
conversion of existing tricycle engines to electric engines. The
saving on fuel, according to Paje, will be used to pay for the
amortization.

Other major reforms that the department has instituted in the forestry
sector were the setting up of around 15,000 hectares of degraded
forestlands for reforestation, agroforestry and production of
high-value crops under the National Convergence Initiative with the
Department of Agriculture and of Agrarian Reform, the issuance of DENR
Memorandum Order No. 9 effecting a stop in the acceptance and
processing of applications for Integrated Forest Management Agreement
(IFMA) with harvesting component in the natural forest, and stricter
rules to cancel non-performing tenurial holders.

To deny illegal loggers of their loot, the DENR has made it as a
policy to donate confiscated logs to the Department of Education,
instead of bidding. So far, a total of 1,007,183 board feet of
confiscated logs are now ready for donation to DepEd.

As part of the government’s climate change mitigation and adaptation
strategy, the DENR, through its Mines and Geosciences Bureau, has
already completed the geohazard assessment and mapping of the entire
country with a scale of 1:50,000. “We are now distributing geohazard
maps to all LGUs to enable them to incorporate all these in their
respective disaster preparedness action plans,” Paje said.