Manila Bulletin
By ATTY. FRANCIS N. TOLENTINO
June 29, 2010, 5:47pm
The whole nation once again unites today to witness the installation of President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III. As he takes his oath as the new Chief Executive Officer of the land, he likewise reiterates his pledges for positive change in society and in the lives of the people. Equally important as this new administration’s thrust of battling corruption in the bureaucracy is its agenda for the protection of the natural environment.
In light of the natural and man-made disasters that had destroyed millions of lives and properties worldwide, we hope the new President will have in his agenda practical solutions that will help address the world community’s common environmental concerns, for instance, global warming.
We turn our attention to the tragic fate that had befallen the communities in Louisiana and the environmental consequences of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. According to estimates, oil is leaking at a rate of 35,000 to 60,000 barrels a day, making survival of marine life in the area totally impossible.
Since April 20 when the oil rig exploded, the local government estimates that four million barrels of oil had leaked into the waters. “Efforts to manage the spill with controlled burning, dispersal and plugging the leak have so far been unsuccessful. This oil spill has now obtained the dubious distinction of being the worst oil spill in US history, surpassing the damage done by the Exxon Valdez tanker that spilled 11 million gallons of oil into the ecologically sensitive Prince William Sound in 1989. Unlike the Exxon Valdez tragedy, in which a tanker held a finite capacity of oil, BP’s rig is tapped into an underwater oil well and could pump more oil into the ocean indefinitely until the leak is plugged.” (The Huffington Post, June 28, 2010) Experts say it would take more than two years for cleanup activities in the Gulf to finish. Such would require definitely a great sum of funding and material as well as manpower resources.
In the Philippines, the incoming President is greatly challenged by environmental issues that have extensively affected the lives of millions of Filipinos, most especially those who thrive near coastal areas and our indigenous communities.
Greenpeace, one of the world’s most influential environmental group, had earlier “challenged President-elect Noynoy Aquino to be the “greenest” Philippine head of state... The Filipino people has handed President-elect Aquino the golden opportunity to reverse environmental degradation in the country... To ensure a sustainable future for the next generations of Filipinos – including minimizing the impacts of environmental disasters such as extreme typhoons and drought – we believe President Aquino must take an uncompromising stance where environmental policies are concerned,” (June 4, 2010)
The next days in office shall not be easy for P.Noy, especially in light of the numerous issues and concerns that he will have to address in order to live up to the people’s expectations. As we have said, the road to change and progress cannot be for the president alone to build and thread. We all have a stake in the nation’s future, and thus, we share the responsibility, especially in protecting the environment. (E-mail address: myrfnt@yahoo.com)
http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/264384/a-proenvironment-president
