Climate Aksyon

09/04/2020

What keeps people awake at night? For baseball players, it might be a late-breaking fastball. It looks like you could hit it right out of the park until it curves.

For meteorologists, an equivalent problem is called the Madden-Julian oscillation, or the MJO. It consists of patterns identified by two scientists in 1971 that suggested a connection between far-flung weather extremes, like monsoons in India and hurricanes in the North Atlantic, and a large blob of warming water in the Indian Ocean.

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The unknown influence of climate change has thrown a wrench into efforts to understand the Madden-Julian Oscillation

09/04/2020

By 2100, the likely range of global temperature increase relative to 1861–1880 will be 2.0 to 4.9 °C, with a 5% chance that it will be

Evaluating the heat risk among city dwellers is important. Here, the authors assessed the heat risk in Philippine cities using remote sensing data and social-ecological indicators and found that the cities at high or very high risk are found in Metro Manila, where levels of heat hazard and ...

09/04/2020

The loss of mangroves and other coastal habitats has been linked to more frequent and severe flooding in adjacent villages and cities. What can urban dwellers, local governments and businesses do to support nature-based solutions?

Cities, even those sited away from coastal areas, can benefit from nature-based solutions such as the restoration of mangroves and coral reefs to combat rising sea levels and global warming.

But what measures should communities roll out for the best outcomes and greatest return on investment?

As the man tasked to set up the new Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions at the National University of Singapore (NUS), these are some of the questions that conservation scientist Koh Lian Pin aims to help governments and corporate leaders in the Asia Pacific address. The centre is expected to be operational by the end of this year.

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The loss of mangroves and other coastal habitats has been linked to more frequent and severe flooding in adjacent villages and cities. What can urban dwellers, governments and businesses do to...

09/04/2020

BANGKOK: Regional aspirations for a swift transition from fossil fuel to renewable energy are likely to be dashed by the economic and market crises triggered by the global COVID-19 outbreak, experts say.

Southeast Asian nations already struggling to meet climate change targets will find those goals further from reach, with the unprecedented health emergency becoming the principal priority and a major economic burden.

Nuclear energy exploration - being considered by several nations in recent times, including Indonesia and the Philippines - is now also expected to be shelved indefinitely.

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BANGKOK: Regional aspirations for a swift transition from fossil fuel to renewable energy are likely to be dashed by the economic and market ...

09/04/2020

It’s difficult to look for any silver lining in the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, which continues to claim lives around the planet. Environmental advocates, however, cite an obvious consequence of suspending much of transport operations by land, air and sea to prevent the further spread of COVID-19: air quality has become much cleaner.

This is the only piece of positive news as the international community proceeds with the 13th annual observance of Earth Hour. Tonight starting at 8:30, participants in the Philippines will switch off non-essential lights for an hour, in a symbolic commitment to confront climate change and protect the environment.

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09/04/2020

Researchers have found strong evidence that the risk for armed conflict is higher after a climate-related disaster, but only in vulnerable countries.

Lead author Tobias Ide from the University of Melbourne said the disasters include storms, floods and droughts – the frequency and intensity of which will increase in the future, due to climate change.

“Bushfires in Australia will not spark a civil war as the state is democratic and able to provide relief,” said DECRA Fellow Dr Ide. “But when it comes to droughts in Nigeria or storms in Pakistan, where you have large marginalised populations and little state presence, the picture may well change.”

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Disasters like typhoons are helping to open up spaces in vulnerable countries like the Phillipines. Image: InClimate NewsResearchers have found strong...

09/04/2020

All around the world, governments are taking similar drastic measures to fight COVID-19. It is a wonder, therefore, why governments are not acting with the same urgency against a threat that is as equally threatening as (if not more dangerous than) COVID-19: climate change.

Just as COVID-19 brought with it daily mortality statistics, climate change has been bringing calamities that are putting humanity on the brink of extinction. Sea levels are steadily rising, submerging coastal communities such as those in northern Metro Manila and its bayside. Supertyphoons are the new “normal” in the tropics (especially the Philippines), while wildfires are intensified in countries like Brazil, Indonesia, and Australia. Entire species of animals are disappearing. Those that are clinging to survival are resorting to cannibalism.

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All around the world, governments are taking similar drastic measures to fight COVID-19. It is a wonder, therefore, why governments are not acting with the same urgency against a threat that is as

09/04/2020

China was behind a climate-crunching increase in coal power capacity in 2019, and the Covid-19 pandemic is likely to make Chinese policymakers determined to see these investments through. But globally the writing is on the wall for the world’s dirtiest fossil fuel as new coal development slumped.

More coal power capacity was installed in 2019 than in any year since the Paris climate accord, according to a new report from a coalition of energy monitoring and green groups.

This was mainly the result of a big coal power installation drive by China. Two-thirds of new coal capacity globally in 2019—some 34.1 gigawatts (GW)—took place in a country that is already the world’s largest carbon emitter, the report, titled Boom and Bust 2020: Tracking The Global Coal Plant Pipeline, found.

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China was behind a climate-crunching increase in coal power capacity in 2019, but globally the writing is on the wall for the world's dirtiest fossil fuel as new coal development drops again.

09/04/2020

Despite the collapse of global energy prices, the Covid-19 outbreak and a weakening Thai economy, three of Thailand’s four energy tycoons grew their net worth last year. How? Their focus on natural gas and renewable energy has benefited from the government’s goal to switch to cleaner fuels.

Sarath Ratanavadi, 54, is now worth $6.8 billion, up 31%. His Gulf Energy Development profited from three new gas-fired power plants brought online this year, boosting profits last year by 61%. B.Grimm’s third-generation leader Harald Link, 65, saw his wealth rise 12% to $2.3 billion, as his company increased its power capacity by 40% and profits jumped 34% last year.

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Despite its weak economy, Thailand’s energy demand is likely to remain resilient and require more capacity.

09/04/2020

Philippines Inc. plans to further increase its consumption of qualified and properly segregated and pre-processed waste as alternative fuel and raw material to manage costs and help address the solid waste problem in the country.

Through its waste management unit Geocycle, Holcim Philippines utilized in 2019 more than 170,000 tons of waste materials from industries and communities as alternative fuel and raw materials with its co-processing technology. This allowed the company to avoid coal in cement production for 38 days leading to lower carbon emissions and fuel cost. The initiative also helped the company’s partners to manage their wastes in an eco-friendly manner.

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Leading cement maker Holcim Philippines Inc. plans to further increase its consumption of qualified and properly segregated and pre-processed waste as alternative fuel and raw material to manage costs and help address the solid waste problem in the country. Through its waste management unit Geocycle...

09/04/2020

A surge in carbon emissions and failure to comply with hazardous waste policies are hindering Asia’s progress towards the sustainable development goals. The degradation of its environmental resources is ‘alarming’, says the UN.

Asia Pacific is failing to meet most of the measurable environmental targets set by the United Nations, revealed a report released on 25 March on the region’s progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The region is struggling the most with two SDGs: advancing responsible consumption and production (Goal 12) and climate action (Goal 13), the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) found in its analysis of data from 2000 to 2019 across 58 countries.

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A surge in carbon emissions and failure to comply with hazardous waste policies are hindering Asia's progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. The degradation of the region's environmental...

26/03/2020

Mobile phones can now help save endangered rainforests of the Philippines.

In a landmark initiative, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), PLDT wireless unit, Smart Communications, and Huawei Technologies Philippines (Huawei), are collaborating to pilot test an Internet of Things (IoT) solution that taps mobile technology to detect and record rainforest sounds that can help prevent illegal logging and poaching activities in the country’s
rainforests.
The solution has been successfully deployed in five DENR-designated areas in Palawan which is recognized as the “last ecological frontier” of the country.

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Mobile phones can now help save endangered rainforests of the Philippines. In a landmark initiative, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), PLDT wireless unit, Smart Communications, and Huawei Technologies Philippines (Huawei), are collaborating to

26/03/2020

Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda on Tuesday urged the planting of food crops in home gardens and backyards as well as community open spaces to promote food security and mitigate global warming.

Legarda, who represents Antique in the House of Representatives, said that national agencies, local governments, businesses, offices, industries, and households “can establish edible landscapes and community gardens in order to help ensure food supply and ecosystem services, which are key thematic areas in the country’s National Climate Change Action Plan.”

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26/03/2020

Citing the fifth assessment report of the United Nations-led Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Philippine Climate Change Commission (CCC) Secretary Emmanuel De Guzman said the distribution of some disease vectors or carriers have been altered by local changes in temperature, rainfall and humidity, and extreme weather.

“As global warming worsens, the risk for human infection from these diseases increases,” De Guzman explained.

He said the surge in dengue cases in the country in 2019 could have been an indirect effect of climate change, and that scientists are now looking into possible links between the coronavirus and climate change.

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Scientists are now studying possible links between the coronavirus disease and climate change.

26/03/2020

MANILA, Philippines — Every day, billions of liters of water, milk, juice and other liquid foods are consumed. Do you know what goes in the packaging and distribution of the food and drink you give your family?

Get to know these six quick packaging facts about Tetra Pak:

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Tetra Pak is a leader in the packaging and distribution industry and has been so for years and years. Here's why.

26/03/2020

While following the demands of social distancing and stay-at-home measures taken by governments to limit the spread of COVID-19, we are almost inevitably finding ourselves with time for activities we couldn’t quite get to in the hurried pace of life before the virus crisis. The list of things we all of a sudden have time for would, of course, vary from person to person, but as sustainability nerds we’d love to recommend you some of the best recent books within our space. You’ve probably heard about a number of them, maybe you’ve read some of them, but we strongly suspect there are gems on the list you are yet to explore – and boy are they worth it!

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While following the demands of social distancing and stay-at-home measures, we are almost inevitably finding more time for ourselves. As sustainability nerds, we’re recommending some of the best recent books within our space to occupy you.

26/03/2020

Top faculty researcher Dr. Michael Angelo Promentilla leads a DLSU team that is developing geopolymer cement, an eco-friendly and inexpensive substitute to conventional cement. His vision can shape the future of the local construction industry and the way we protect the Earth.

If there is someone who could imagine the potential of industrial wastes from thermal power plants or rice hull ashes from farms across the country, then it would certainly be De La Salle University’s Chemical Engineering professor, Dr. Michael Angelo Promentilla.

Responding to the global call towards a “low-carbon circular economy and sustainability”, Promentilla embarked on the development of a construction material that would be an alternative to the conventional cement—the geopolymer.

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Top faculty researcher Dr. Michael Angelo Promentilla leads a DLSU team that is developing geopolymer cement, an eco-friendly and inexpensive substitute to conventional cement. His vision can shape the future of the local construction industry and the way we protect the Earth. If there is someone wh...

26/03/2020

As Asia Pacific scrambles to respond to the Covid-19 coronavirus, one of the latest measures by businesses to minimise chances of its spread is to stop bring-your-own (BYO) container schemes.

BYO schemes encourage customers to take along their own reuseable cups and containers to take food and drink away from restaurants and coffee shops, reducing the use of disposable packaging. But some retailers have withdrawn BYO schemes to reduce the risk of contaminated containers spreading the virus.

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The BYO movement has been an important cog in the nascent circular economy in Asia Pacific. But will the Covid-19 coronavirus kill off bring-your-own schemes through the fear that they may spread...

26/03/2020

Global Recycling Day has been marked with the first international awards to individuals and groups from around the world who have shown dedication and innovation within the industry.

The ‘Recycling Heroes’ initiative has been backed by the Global Recycling Foundation (GRF), which established the special day three years ago. The winners, who will each receive US$ 1000, were selected from more than 2000 nominations. Their work spans all parts of the recycling industry from plastic to textiles and household items. (Listed below). The foundation also plans shortly to recognise a further 100 nominees for their work as unsung and local heroes in the recycling industry.

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Global Recycling Day has been marked with the first international awards to individuals and groups from around the world who have shown dedication and

25/03/2020

With the shared goal of making a more sustainable future happen today, Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines, Inc. (CCBPI)—the bottling arm of Coca-Cola in the country—and Thailand-headquartered Indorama Ventures have signed a joint-venture agreement to establish PETValue, the largest state-of-the-art, a bottle-to-bottle recycling facility in the Philippines..

The P1-billion, next-generation facility will be established in General Trias, Cavite, and is expected to be completed in 2021. Gareth McGeown, CEO of CCBPI, said, “Cavite being the site of such a crucial infrastructure to our World Without Waste goal is testament to the province’s commitment to help advance the country’s environmental goals. We would like to thank Governor Jonvic Remulla and his constituents, the Caviteños who are opening their communities to this facility.”

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25/03/2020

Unequivocally, renewable energy (RE) and other clean energy technologies are flourishing energy sources that are going mainstream – not just capturing the hearts of climate change risk-averse project developers, corporate shareholders and advocates, but also the attention of woke consumers who have deep convictions to care not just for environment’s health but for the welfare of the future generation.

For those in the business sector in general – and the energy sector in particular – this has been bringing pressure to shift away from fossil fuels into ‘green energy’ technologies.

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25/03/2020

Activists say the facility, a joint venture between the beverage giant and Thai packaging firm Indorama Ventures, would still require virgin feedstock derived from fossil fuels. They also took issue with the companies’ claim that PET bottles are not single-use packaging.

Global beverage firm Coca-Cola and packaging company Indorama Ventures have ignited controversy by claiming that polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles are not single-use packaging.

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Activists argue that the facility, a joint venture between Coca-Cola and Thai packaging firm Indorama Ventures, would still require virgin feedstock. They also dispute the companies’ claim that PET...