BAGUIO CITY – Environment Secretary Ramon Paje, Jr. Wants Filipinos to do energy conservation measures daily instead of annually in order to contribute in the global efforts to reduce carbon emissions that have been causing climate change and global warming.
Paje, who joined the celebration of Earth Hour in the city Saturday night, said it is important for the people to practice Earth Hour everyday in order to contribute in the government’s efforts uncompromising efforts to significantly reduce carbon emissions in a staggered manner so as not to feel the pain of drastic implementation of carbon reduction efforts.
“Developing countries are now mandated to have carbon cuts that is why we need the active participation of our people in reducing their energy consumption daily in order to realize significant reduction of carbon emissions that pollute our air,” Secretary Paje stressed.
He explained the current state of the country in terms of compliance to carbon emissions is inversely proportional because the economy is growing but global protocols require the government to compel the reduction of carbon emissions from fossil fuel.
According to him, one of the most practical ways of contributing to the global reduction of carbon emissions is for people to observe energy conservation measures in order to gain headway in the country’s efforts to comply with global rules relative to carbon emissions.
Furthermore, Secretary Paje disclosed it is high time for the government to mandate the use of available technologies such as the use of electrical cars to achieve zero carbon emissions.
In Manila, the DENR official disclosed that 80 percent of the carbon emissions come from motor vehicles and by drastically shifting to the use of electric cars, there will be zero carbon emissions.
“In fact, a giant mall is now using electric cars to ferry its customers while in Makati City, there are already electric cars and jeepneys plying the streets,” Paje added.
He also cited the increase in the mix of fossil fuel and renewable energy through the building of more wind and solar farms, geothermal and hydro power plants in order to strike a balance in the carbon emissions and reduce the country’s reliance to coal-fired power plants.
He predicted there is approximately 10 to 15 percent increase in the participation of Filipinos in the celebration of Saturday’s Earth Hour that is why with the daily observance of energy conservation measures by the Filipinos, the country’s 1 million tons of carbon emissions could be reduced to around 800,000 or even much lower in the future.
Aside from the immediate adoption of available technologies to reduce carbon emissions such as the use of electric cars along our roads, Secretary Paje underscored the importance of improving the state of the country’s forests through the massive planting of trees in denuded mountains in order to restore the greenery of the slopes and contribute in the carbon sequestration efforts that would improve the quality of air that Filipinas breath.
Secretary Paje emphasized the government cannot do the reduction of carbon emission alone but with the cooperation of the people by observing practical means of energy conservation, then the Philippines can be one of the countries with a significant contribution in the global efforts to reduce the impact of climate change and global warming to the lives of the people in the different parts of the global village, especially its impact to the quality of life.
