November 2007 Archives

By Alex Villafania INQUIRER.net ASIAN Development Bank president Haruhiko Kuroda is calling for Asian countries to come to terms with the eventually of climate change and to renew strategies for energy efficiency and disaster mitigation. Delivering his speech during the recently held East Asia Summit in Singapore, Kuroda said Asian countries should take climate change as an opportunity to make their own policy changes regarding energy consumption and environmental issues. Kuroda emphasized regional cooperation that will entail incentive mechanisms for countries that implement energy security measures, as well as joint development on energy technologies. If possible, the use of fossil fuels -- which are blamed for the carbon emissions that damage the ozone layer -- should be made more efficient while there should be a search for low-carbon, renewable alternative fuel sources. Renewable energy sources include biomass, wind, geothermal, hydropower and solar power. Kuroda also said that Asian governments should work with the private sector for assistance to finance mitigation and adaptation measures. "Concessional funding must be central, but the public sector alone cannot fill the gap. Carbon pricing and other market mechanisms would induce the private sector to invest in these critical areas," Kuroda said. Meanwhile Kuroda also emphasized the issue of water, which will be affected by climate change. "If greenhouse gas emissions accelerate at their current pace, hundreds of millions of people in Asia and the Pacific will experience fresh water shortages by the middle of this century. Even under the best case scenario, adaptation measures will still cost developing countries around the world 10 billion US dollars annually for infrastructure adjustments alone."

HERE'S a video of INQUIRER.net reporter Alex Villafania interviewing Manila Ocean Park head of sales Edwin Ventura and marketing manager Tina Mistica-Santos on the opening of the first Philippine oceanarium. As Alex wrote in his story, the Manila Ocean Park officials hope it will eventually become a research facility for marine biologists. Video taken by INQUIRER.net multimedia reporter Erika Tapalla. For more videos from INQUIRER.net and our partners, visit iVDO.

By Alex Villafania INQUIRER.net INNOVATION is key to improving the country’s global competitiveness, as well as strengthening the local economy. This was the key message delivered by several government and private sector executives during the presentation for the upcoming National Innovation Summit (NIS) to be held in Manila November 26. “The NIS is the start for all of us to push for innovation in the country. We have linked up with several groups from the academe, local and foreign government, and private sector to work together,” said Frederico Macaranas, executive director of the Asian Institute of Management Policy Center. Macaranas noted that the Philippines slipped behind other Southeast Asian countries in terms of competitiveness in the last 30 years. Some scientists and engineers had no natural place to connect to so they sought greener pastures abroad. Macaranas also noted the problem of slow decline in culture of innovation and invention, which pushed back the country’s level of competitiveness. “This is what we hope to resolve when we meet with the various sectors during the NIS,” Macaranas said. The Department of Science and Technology, which has under its management several sub-agencies that focus on technology development, experiences most of the problems in terms of brain drain as many scientists and engineers are leaving the country. Regardless, Alabastro said the DOST has been implementing projects to encourage local scientists to produce more technologies and innovations, as well as enticing Filipino scientists and researchers working abroad to come back and share their knowledge locally. Alabastro said that while these activities work, it still requires the assistance of the private sector that has the financial capability to turn scientific outputs into commercially viable products. Meanwhile, IBM Philippines president and general manager James Velasquez said that as one of the private sector representatives, it is important that companies realize the need to support locally developed innovations. He noted that having a pool of innovators encourages multi-national firms to locate to the Philippines, as well as to help local firms. Mirroring what Alabastro and Macaranas said, Velasquez added that the NIS would be a good venue to get the private sector to see what they could do to help local innovators. Here's a video of INQUIRER.net multimedia reporter Erika Tapalla interviewing Alabastro and Velasquez. Intellectual Property Office Director General Adrian Cristobal Jr. agreed with Alabastro and Macaranas, saying that the majority of patent filings in the Philippines are from foreign firms and only a few Filipinos have filed for patents in the past decade. Cristobal said that one measurement of the country’s economic strength is its capacity to innovate and he said the Philippines is far behind other countries in terms of innovation. Likewise, very few even know the value of intellectual property rights, thus they fail to protect their innovations and inventions. “Knowing their rights is half the success. Actually patenting is another,” he said. Here's a video of me interviewing Cristobal.

By Alex Villafania INQUIRER.net AN EXECUTIVE from the Asian Development Bank said that an Asia-wide action to alleviate the effects of climate change is not only an obligation but also a moral imperative. Speaking at the Carbon Forum Asia in Singapore, ADB vice president Ursula Schäfer-Preuss said the private sector should cooperate in reducing the effects of global climate change. She noted in her speech that Asia today accounts for 27 percent of the world’s energy-related greenhouse emission, compared to just about 10 percent in the 1970s. Schäfer-Preuss said the ADB is already putting its efforts on reducing the amount of carbon emission in Asia, through the Asia Pacific Carbon Fund. It is also pushing its Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) program that encourages developed countries to come up with carbon-reducing energy projects in developing countries. The CDM is a program under the Kyoto Protocol, a treaty agreed upon by 169 countries, including the Philippines, to reduce carbon emission from fuel consumption of cars, power plants and other industries. Schäfer-Preuss said that ADB is focusing primarily on increasing its investment in clean energy, renewable energy and energy efficiency, particularly in the transport sector. Direct investment by ADB in these areas is around $1 billion a year. ADB’s current initiatives include helping identify innovative investments under the Kyoto Protocol for renewable energy sources, identifying measures to support the development of the carbon market beyond 2012 and creating “knowledge hubs” in cooperation with leading Asian universities and research institutes.

By Alex Villafania INQUIRER.net GREENPEACE is calling for the Senate to pass the Renewable Energy Bill in an effort to fend off the effects of climate change. The group, wearing alarm clocks to signify the time pressure to pass the bill, held a short rally at the Senate building in the hopes of convincing legislators make an effort before the upcoming First National Communication on Climate Change to be held in Indonesia. Greenpeace climate and energy campaigner Jasper Inventor told INQUIRER.net that the bill has been languishing for years, despite strong support from different senators and congress. The RE bill is an amalgamation of several proposals filed by Senators Miguel Zubiri, Richard Gordon, Edgardo Angara and Miriam Defensor-Santiago. There were also several similar bills proposed in Congress by representatives Lorenzo Tañada III, Luis Villafuerte and Mikey Arroyo. Inventor noted that no Southeast Asian nation has passed renewable energy laws or similar legislation that will migrate dependence from carbon-emitting fossil fuels to cleaner forms of power, such as geothermal, wind and hydroelectric. The burning of fossil fuels, particularly crude oil and coal, is blamed for the rise in greenhouse gases that cause climate change. Among the effects of climate change are extreme increases and decreases in global temperature, melting of the polar ice caps and rising of sea leves. "The Philippines should show leadership by passing a bill to alleviate the effects of global climate change. By doing so, other countries will follow," Inventor said. Apart from the Senate rally, Inventor said they plan to conduct similar activities in Congress. Likewise, they would conduct public information campaigns to encourage more people to understand climate change and what can be done.

By Allison Lopez Inquirer MANILA, Philippines--They may not see a night sky filled with stars from their homes in the city, but an amazing simulation of one inside the Planetarium in Manila certainly made kids scream and clap their hands in wonder and perhaps, in appreciation. “Ang galing (It’s great)!” said a girl from the Industrial Valley school in Marikina City as she and her classmates stared at the bright dots moving slowly on the ceiling. “It’s an exact copy of the real night sky,” said Bel Pabunan, officer in charge of the Planetarium division. “Here in Metro Manila, the kids don’t see a night sky like that because of pollution and bright lights. But with the Goto Projector, we can simulate the night sky and project the planets and other deep space objects like satellites.” The construction of a planetarium was conceived by former National Museum director Godofredo Alcasid Sr. who proposed it to former First Lady Imelda Marcos in the early 1970s. The dome-shaped building with a 300-seating capacity on Padre Burgos Street in Ermita district, a few meters away from Rizal Park, took nine months to build and was formally inaugurated on Oct. 8, 1975. Still in operation Today, the aging structure may seem like one of the city’s abandoned buildings although the Planetarium is still very much operational. Pabunan said they often draw elementary and high school students to their four daily shows that take spectators on a trip out of this world. Called “Journey to the Solar System, an interplanetary adventure,” the show kicks off with a “sunset” -- which is when the lights dim and the wonderful night sky is shown. It ends with “sunrise,” when the lights brighten, complete with roosters crowing in the background. While the star projector, a large machine in the theater’s center, is the Planetarium’s “heart,” slide projectors complement the lecture by showing stark features of the heavenly bodies, including Mercury’s craters and Saturn’s rings. Aside from the major constellations that showed the hunter Orion’s belt, the young audience was also astonished when little by little, the planets grew larger until they seemed within arm’s reach. The lecture, added Pabunan, is updated with recent scientific advances such as Pluto being classified as a dwarf planet. Sometimes, however, the visual effects drown out the narrator’s hypnotic voice. According to Pabunan, they are currently developing another feature on “The Ring Planets” which are composed of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Pluto. “Our real purpose is to disseminate information and complement textbooks in schools, but we present it in a way that we show their real features and colors,” said the senior museum researcher. Renovation of the 32-year-old structure, she revealed, was also long overdue and will begin before December. The first rehabilitation was done in 1991 after the inner dome that served as the screen collapsed due to old age and the effects of the earthquake the year before. “We’re due for a repair of the ceiling leakages and offices, plus some repainting. More than that, we want to change the exhibits because ever since, these have not been updated,” she said, adding that the Planetarium would remain open during the restoration which would take 150 days. P4-M renovation The rehabilitation would cost around P4 million, she said, excluding the updating of the exhibits. Outside the theater, indeed, were exhibits on comets, meteorites and space explorations that featured yellowing photographs. Aside from being outdated, they hardly generated interest among the visitors. Given the funds, Pabunan said they would create more interactive exhibits and modernize the current ones with interesting tidbits. Photo displays would be part of Phase 1 while hands-on exhibits would form part of Phase 2. But for schools and other institutions whose students are unable to go to the Planetarium, a mobile version will soon be coming their way. Pabunan said that although the 4x4 meter mobile Planetarium could only accommodate 30 people at a time, it may be a cheaper alternative to hiring buses and paying the entrance fee. Lectures on outer space would also be held simultaneously with the mobile Planetarium that has reached only as far as Isabela province. Pabunan, however, hoped that even students from Visayas and Mindanao would soon experience the wonders of the universe, even through the smaller version of the Planetarium. The Planetarium is open from Tuesday to Saturday with shows at 9-10 a.m., 10:30-11:30 a.m., 1:30-2:30 p.m. and 3:30-4:30 p.m. Admission fee is P30 for students and P50 for adults. Call +632 5277889 for more details.