By Dennis Posadas

Recently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency declared officially that six greenhouse gases namely carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride, are a threat to public health and welfare.

Based on scientific evidence, particularly that summarized in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report of 2007, these greenhouse gases produce global warming which is responsible for stronger storms, changes in weather patterns, higher sea levels that inundate formerly habitable coastal areas, and other effects.

This declaration by the EPA will hopefully be a precursor to how the United States will act in the Copenhagen summit this year. Copenhagen is where the world’s leaders will gather this year to find a replacement for the Kyoto Protocol which the Bush administration refused to ratify.

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By Dennis Posadas
Contributor

THE ongoing debate between the environmentalists and the pro-nuclear advocates simply illustrates what is missing in most arguments around the world on clean energy and climate change. Too often, the typical argument by the environmentalists is to position renewable energy as the alternative to nuclear energy.

What many people don’t realize is that it is not as simple as not going nuclear, not going with coal and then just going renewable. It is nice to hear, and as a clean energy blogger (I run a blog called GO Clean Energy), I am also not that naive to say that renewable energy will solve all our problems in the near future. This notwithstanding the fact that technology is advancing in this arena; for example on the day of Barack Obama’s inaugural address as President, the firm FirstSolar announced that it had breached the $1/watt mark, at $0.98c/watt for its solar photovoltaic thin film cells.

Granted that we can do a lot by conserving energy both voluntarily and technologically (think microchips to make appliances automatically adjust their demand), and that we Asians can tap energy sources like geothermal, and maybe even some good operating practices like staggered turn-on of large electricity consuming appliances like chillers and motors in our factories and shopping malls, the fact is that Asian societies have to move beyond simply mouthing phrases like No to Nukes or No to Coal, and actually educate themselves about what is out there as well as what is the state of the art.

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By Dennis Posadas
Contributor

IT looks like the previous prediction by the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on sea level rise back in 2007 is actually an underestimate, according to scientists who presented their findings at the Copenhagen Climate Conference this week. This means that 600 million Asians living in low-lying coastal areas, including us Filipinos, will experience increased occurrences of flooding inland. Already, stronger storms and seawater creep into previously arable areas are some of the early signs of what to expect.

Now we have a new Renewable Energy (RE) Act patterned after those in Europe and the U.S. which is actually key to our climate change efforts. Aside from incentives to renewable energy companies and investors, this RE Act actually requires the power utilities like Meralco to purchase a certain percentage of their power from renewable/clean energy sources. It also features incentives to spur the development of a local clean energy sector.

But it does not stop there. Even with this RE Act, a lack of societal commitment by Filipinos to clean energy may undermine the success of this law. After being a top priority at $140/barrel, clean energy is again quickly becoming an afterthought. During my time as an electrical engineering student at UP Diliman, the evidence of renewable energy research was all around us in our laboratory. But now, very few engineering students are doing power and energy research. After all, for a time, crude was flowing cheaply from the Middle East until last year. Unfortunately, a clean energy commitment that ebbs and flows will not encourage its development, and will not encourage large scale innovation in this arena.

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By Marjorie Gorospe
INQUIRER.net

THE Philippine Utility Vehicle Inc. (PhUV) and Green Renewable Independent Power Producer, Inc launched an electric powered utility vehicle, dubbed E-jeepney, which can carry up to 14 passengers .

This electric-powered vehicle comes with a battery that needs to be charged six to eight hours before use. The vehicle can travel up to 90 kilometers when fully charged.

The vehicle can reach up to 60 kilometers per hour but proponents said it would be more efficient to travel at 45 KM per hour. It also uses manual stick shift.

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Izah Morales
INQUIRER.net

Is your school engaged in green and eco-friendly activities?

All public and private elementary, high school, and colleges are encouraged to join the National Search for Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Schools.

The competition is the response of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to Republic Act 9512, which is a law promoting environmental awareness through education.

“With their efforts recognized, we can encourage students, faculty and school administrators to adopt and promote eco-friendly practices in their schools, homes and communities,” DENR Secretary Jose Lito Atienza said.

Interested schools are required to submit a brief description of their environmental project in line with the theme, “Sustainable and Eco-friendly Initiatives.” Only one entry per school will be accepted.

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