Peace and reconciliation, in a region rife with armed conflicts over sectarian, ideological and territorial differences, were the focus of the recent general assembly of the Centrist Asia-Pacific Democrats International (Capdi) in this coastal city in Southern Sulawesi, Indonesia.
It is not too early to prepare for Earth Hour, which will be held on March 23 from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.
The economy of the Philippines stands out for its relatively robust 6.6-percent growth in 2012 amid lackluster economic growth in most places around the world. The crucial question, however, is how the country can sustain this performance to generate far more jobs and reverse the rise in poverty seen in the past decade. Domestic [...]
There seems to be a profound sea change in the perceptions of the Armed Forces of the Philippines with regard to its role in a nation fraught with the perils of global warming. On his assumption as chief of staff of the AFP, Gen. Emmanuel Bautista stressed the evolving role of the soldier in the era of climate change (Inquirer, 1/18/13).
Consider the following issues that persistently hound us and get in the way of our ability to move toward more inclusive growth and development:
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo created a commission called the Presidential Task Force on Climate Change by virtue of Republic Act No. 9729, which is also known as the Climate Change Act of 2009. Under the law, the Chief Executive chairs the commission, just one of only a few bodies headed by the highest official of the land.
The year 2012 passed into history with a record-breaking number of calamities: floods, droughts, storms, supertyphoons. Calamities hit the planet, all in extreme degrees, sparing no country. The United Kingdom experienced the worst flooding in years. Ukraine and its neighbors went through extreme cold weather conditions; it “stood still” as the winter snow breached -27 [...]
“Chance favors the prepared mind,” scientist Louis Pasteur taught. Many were unprepared for Tropical Storm “Sendong” and Typhoon “Pablo.” Sendong’s death toll topped 1,450. That made it the “world’s deadliest storm in 2011.” A year later, Pablo proved the “world’s deadliest,” notes Global Catastrophe Recap. It left 1,901 dead plus P37 billion in damages.
I WOULD like to thank Rina Jimenez-David for her Dec. 7 column titled “Not God’s will.”
THE JURY may still be out on the link between climate change and natural disasters. But one thing is clear: Weather-related disasters are increasing in both frequency and intensity. Witness the string of severe recent floods across Asia—from Pakistan, to Thailand, to the Philippines—and Hurricane “Sandy” in the United States, which have vividly shown us [...]
“We’re the most clever of species,” biologist Jane Goodall wrote. “How is it we destroy the only planet we have?”
How long can we dawdle in yesterday? The world has already moved on to “day after tomorrow.”
