The Philippine Online Chronicles

Continued from Listen Up: It’s Climate Consciousness Week (Part 1)

For Climate Change Consciousness Week, the Climate Change Commission of the Philippines is holding a two-day awareness convention at the SMX. It is open to the public as a means of educating and increasing awareness of Filipinos about the dire need for change.

This is a step in the right direction, and probably one of the first projects of this magnitude taken under any Philippine administration. It appeals mostly to the youth, although it is open to the general public. The activities include exhibits, awareness campaigns and culminates in a concert featuring top Filipino artists.

Much has been said and written about global warming. You have to be an idiot not to know that we need to start taking a proactive stand with our environment and start to be more mindful about the way the live our daily lives. Our carbon footprint means something and it is changing the world we live in.

While the statistics may be scary and quite overwhelming, there is a silver lining to all of this. For one thing, we have to believe that we can turn things around. We can affect a positive change in the environment is we all start working together and take a proactive stance with regards to our environment.

Second, there are many positive opportunities present that we can certainly take advantage of. It’s true that when a massive typhoon hits the country, our government ends up spending millions of pesos to rebuild destroyed infrastructure and to replace destroyed crops and resettle displaced families. Last September’s Typhoon Pedring caused a total damage of about one billion pesos. The agricultural damage hit P912 million while the damage to infrastructure totaled close to P73 million. This isn’t even counting the emotional and psychological trauma caused by the catastrophic event.

On the other hand, 2009’s Ondoy caused a total estimated damage of over one billion dollars and close to 750 fatalities. It is listed as the most damaging typhoon to hit the Philippines, as the equivalent of a month of rainfall was dumped on the country within a day, resulting in massive flooding affecting Filipinos from all social stratas.

While the devastation caused by climate change can run a tab up to the billions of pesos, there are also opportunities to be found. This too can generate billions of pesos for our countrymen.

In the United States, there is a growing industry called the Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability or LOHAS. This is a growing market segment that focuses on health and fitness, the environment, personal development, sustainable living, and social justice. This is now a $300 billion industry, with a hefty growth rate of ten percent annually. Even with the recession in the United States, LOHAS related industries were unaffected, which shows the people’s strong commitment to living a cleaner, greener and more environmentally conscious manner.

It also shows that you don’t need to spend a lot of money to change the way you live. In fact, you can even make money by bringing products that are cleaner, greener and help people cut back on their carbon footprint.

According to Sec. Sering, commissioner of the Climate Change Commissioner, in an interview on ANC on November 17, 2011, this is something that Filipinos can seek to emulate on our own shores. The private sector can be encouraged to meet a growing demand for products and services that are produced with an environmental conscience in mind. Some examples of LOHAS related industries include organic farming, eco tourism as well as the creation of biodegradable packaging or cosmetics that are organic, chemical and pesticide free.

There is a growing demand for LOHAS products and services and Filipinos can capitalize on this. It’s a great way to be proactive and see the opportunities in the changing environment. It’s corporate social responsibility in action. This will not only help the environment, but it will also provide jobs, create industries and help improve the economy.

The proliferation of weekend markets offering organic produce such as fresh vegetables cultivated in smaller organic farms is proof that there are opportunities in climate change. People are becoming more aware that going organic is not only good for their health, but it is also a sustainable way of living. Cutting back on the use of pesticides is one way to help clean up our water supplies, and at the same time gives farmers an opportunity to have more sustainable crops without damaging the land.

Department store shelves and bazaars are also now being filled with cosmetic products that are organic, sulfate and paraben free and not tested on animals. Less use of chemicals for products bottled in environmental biodegradable packaging is another step in the right direction. Local brands are slowly coming to the limelight that focus on providing organic yet affordable products, such as Human Nature, Leyende and Organics Bath and Body Wellness Essentials. These are just some of the locally made beauty products hitting the shelves, with a nod to the environment in mind.

Major retailers have switched their packaging using recyclable materials and biodegradable plastics. If you shop at SM Supermarket at Megamall on Wednesday, no plastics are used. Industries are evolving to develop goods that are more sustainable and environmentally conscious.

Ecotourism can be developed further in the country. Right now, Palawan is leading the country in this, especially with the underground caves making it to the provisional list of the New 7 Wonders Nature. Places such as CamSur and Bohol are quickly following the model of Palawan, thanks to its proactive governors and local government units. The tourism office can also develop other regions and make them into eco destinations. Steps should be taken to help preserve our crown jewel Boracay from deforestation and environmental degradation.

Local government units can generate income for their respective provinces by developing ecotourism sites and supporting industries that provide environmentally conscious products. Think of the handbags made out of packaging that is being exported to the international market. Creating furniture products that use recycled materials instead of fresh cut lumber is another way to go. Building school houses and other structures out of recycled materials, such as the schools made of plastic bottles by Iliac Diaz, president of My Shelter Foundation, is another great way to finding solutions to a number of problems. Creating recycling centers in towns is a good way to generate income and cut back on waste.

These are just some of the wonderful opportunities that are present in the ever-changing world. Filipinos can capitalize on these not only to make money for themselves, but also to provide jobs to others, help the environment and create better products and services to people.

You will be affected by climate change, whether you are a business tycoon in Makati, a street kid on Guadalupe, a student in a private school in Alabang, a call center agent in Eastwood, a farmer in Cagayan, a fisherman in Pangasinan, a sugar baron in the South, a beachgoer in Boracay or a housewife in Manila. The environment affects all Filipinos and everyone in the world since this is where we will. How we go about our daily lives affects it.

The situation may be grim, but it is not hopeless. It may be hot, humid, polluted, littered, deforested, flooded and damaged here, but we can turn things around to make it cleaner, greener and sustainable once again.

We need to harness our can-do attitude, our proud bayanihan spirit and take matters into our own hands and open our eyes!

Being aware is the first step. Now, it’s time to take action.

Photo: “You can't recycle wasted time - The Wave climate change march London 5 December 2009 i1948” by H M Cotterill, c/o Flickr. Some Rights Reserved