THE Congressional committees on government reorganization and appropriation approved the creation of a “Climate Change Commission.”

The committees are consolidating several proposals related to the creation of this new commission, including House Bills 400, 1775, 3291, 4051 and 4853.

These proposals were from Representatives Roilo Golez (2nd District, Paranaque City), Orlando Fua (Siquijor), and Carmelo Lazatin (1st District, Pampanga), Rex Gatchalian (1st District, Valenzuela) and Ignacio Arroyo (5th District, Negros Occidental).

The consolidated measure will require local government units (LGU) to implement climate action plans based on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

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Agence France-Presse

PARIS — Volcanic eruptions have periodically cooled the tropics over at least the last 450 years by spewing out particles that girdle the world at high altitude and reflect sunlight, according to a study released Sunday.

The research adds a chunk of regional evidence to earlier work that found major eruptions — such as Krakatoa, Indonesia in 1883 and Huaynaputina, Peru in 1600 — contribute to cooling on a worldwide scale.

A trio of scientists led by Rosanne D’Arrigo of the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in Palisades, New York, looked at ocean temperatures in a belt extending from 30 degrees south across the equator to 30 degrees north.

They compiled temperature records reaching back nearly half a millennium from three sources: ice cores, tree rings and coral reefs.

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By Anna Valmero
INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines –WWF aims to convince over 10 million Filipinos to switch off lights on March 2009 in support of the organization’s call for action on climate change.

Worldwide, the 2009 campaign aims to reach out over 1 billion people, of which 760 million is in the Asia-Pacific.

“The year of 2009 is a special year for climate change. It is when all countries come at the Copenhagen meeting to decide the successor treaty to the Kyoto Protocol and set targets for greenhouse gas emissions to help reverse the effects of drastic climate change accelerated with human activities,” said David Valdes, WWF Philippines president and chief executive officer.

“Earth Hour 2009 is a vote against climate change,” said Yeb Saño, WWF Philippines climate change and energy program head. The action is to call the attention of policymakers that people are aware and that authorities are needed to immediately act on the matter, he said.

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By Richard Ingham
Agence France-Presse

POZNAN — With political efforts to tackle global warming advancing slower than a Greenland glacier, schemes for saving Earth’s climate system that once were dismissed as crazy or dangerous are gaining in status.

Negotiating a multilateral treaty on curbing greenhouse gases is being so outstripped by the scale of the problem that those promoting a deus ex-machina — a technical fix that would at least gain time — are getting a serious hearing.

To the outsider, these ideas to manipulate the climate may look as if they are inspired by science fiction.

They include sucking carbon dioxide (CO2) out of the air by sowing the oceans with iron dust that would spur the growth of surface plankton.

The microscopic plants would gobble up CO2 as they grow, and when they die, their carbon remains would slowly sink to the bottom of the sea, effectively storing the carbon forever.

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By Izah Morales
INQUIRER.net

HOW can eco-friendly paint reduce air pollution in Metro Manila?

The Manila Observatory and the Pacific Paint Philippines, Inc (PPI), manufacturer of Boysen paint, will have the walls of the Guadalupe MRT station painted with paint containing nano-sized titanium oxide in February 2009 to see if this eco-friendly paint will deliver upon its promise.

PPI vice president Johnson Ongking noted the Guadalupe station has the most number of commuters, most number of vehicle traffic and the largest surface area. They chose the station as the first trial site for the eco-friendly paint.

“The focus of eco-friendly paints has been to minimize paint’s negative effect on human health and the environment through limiting levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and prohibiting the use of hazardous chemicals,” said Ongking.

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