A woman at work in a firecracker factory in Bocaue, Bulacan—JOAN BONDOC
Before you light up that five star, kwitis or super lolo, you better think twice as studies show that carbon dioxide emission (CO2) from firecracker explosions during New Year celebrations in urban areas increases by as much as 2,000 percent.
Our Oriental firecracker mentality, supposedly to ward off evil spirits, shows our disregard for the adverse environmental, public safety and health impacts of firecracker explosions that essentially add greenhouse gas emissions that heat the Earth.
We need to change this mentality that only aggravates global warming. In the firecrackers fiesta, the most vulnerable members of society, our children, end up paying the price for loss of limbs, lives, livelihood and homes razed by fires.
A regulated nationwide ban on pyrotechnics and firecrackers is enshrined in Executive Order No. 28 by President Duterte.
The solution remains with city governments that have their priorities right. Davao has a total ban. Mandaue and Cebu regulate sales. Makati declared pipeline oil-polluted Barangay Bangkal as a “no firecracker zone” while Taguig and Pasay have centralized firecracker show sites
Our solution may be to reduce our fireworks and firecracker output. Filipinos are ingenious; tin cans, drums, trumpets, horns and other materials could be used to ring in the New Year.
HEHERSON T. ALVAREZ,
chair, Advisory Board,
Climate Institute