Fighting climate change

Ruffy Magbanua

THE  Facebook accounts of my friends in Abu Dhabi have been clogged lately with unusual images of massive rains and floods in this bustling capital of United Arab Emirates.

In fact, the past weeks saw UAE battered by fierce winds, torrential rain and thunderstorm, its skies darkened as the storm hit the  oilich, desert nation, blowing down trees and lampposts and causing severe flooding.

Elsewhere in the US, particularly in Southern States, heavy rains slammed parts of  eastern Texas through Louisiana and up into the Mississippi River Valley, including Arkansas, Tennessee, Missouri and southern Illinois causing thousands of residents to flee homes and seek temporary shelters in higher  grounds.

In Cagayan de Oro and the rest of Mindanao, sweltering summer heat with temperatures rising up to 32-34C are daily occurrences with no indication to slow down, not until the last part of the third   quarter of this year, according to Pagasa weather forecast.

Already, the dry spell has damaged thousands of hectares of farms in Mindanao and the Visayas worth billions of pesos. And power supply has dropped significantly due to the continuous receding of the water levels of Lake Lanao, major source of Mindanao’s hydro-based electricity.

How do we fight climate change?

Participants to the Singapore-sponsored course on Climate Change: Governance, Solutions and Opportunities held at Singapore Environment Institute dissected during roundtable discussions the effects of global warming, its impact  and some practical solutions to mitigate climate change.

Already changing the world’s climate, global warming is here to stay. As a country in the tropics, we have seen the warmest surface temperatures in recorded history, and the past several years have been among the warmest on record.

Studies have concluded that human activity, primarily the burning of fossil fuels, is the major driving force in global warming. However, global warming can be slowed down, and perhaps stopped, with practical actions that would yield a cleaner, healthier environment.

The question is: when are we going to act?

Our focus group, coming from developing countries vulnerable to climate change, have agreed to do collective action, though in small ways,  to help slow down and hopefully reverse global warming.

Everyday awareness of our energy use, and attention to ways we can conserve electricity and minimize fossil fuel usage can be one of the possible solutions.

The goal is to bring global warming under control by curtailing the release of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping “greenhouse” gases into the atmosphere.

We can contribute to this global cause with personal actions. Our individual efforts are equally relevant  in countries like the US and Canada, where individuals release over 10,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per person every year. We can become more energy efficient by reducing the use of oil, gasoline and coal for others to follow.

The largest source of greenhouse gases is electric power generation. The average home contributes more to global warming than the average car. This is because much of the energy we use in our homes comes from power plants which burn fossil fuel to power our electric products.

To reduce the amount of electricity used in our homes, switch to energy-efficient lighting. Replace the familiar incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. For each CFL bulb replacement, you’ll lower your energy bill and keep nearly 700 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the air over the bulb’s lifetime.

CFL bulbs last much longer and use only a quarter of the energy consumed by conventional bulbs. LED bulbs are also energy-saving, but have a narrower range of application. Advances in LED bulb technology, however, are leading to more applications for these bulbs in the home. LEDs are more efficient than CFLs and do not have issues surrounding disposal, as do the CFLs.

Cepalco,  our local electric distribution utility, has actively been campaigning on the use of CFL and LED lighting fixtures at home, offices and even in  industries.

Home appliances vary greatly in terms of energy-efficiency and operating costs. The more energy-efficient an appliance is, the less it costs to run. You can lower your utility bill and help protect the environment.

Buy energy-efficient appliances when shopping for a new appliance.

Do this especially when shopping for a major appliance such as a refrigerator, dishwasher, or air-conditioner – select the one with the highest energy efficiency rating. By opting for a refrigerator with the Energy Star label — indicating it uses at least 15 percent less energy than the usual requirement — we can reduce carbon dioxide pollution by nearly a ton in total.

According to the US Department of Energy, heating and cooling systems in the US emit over a half billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year.

Much of the energy used for heating our homes is wasted, and yet the prevention is, in many cases, simple and inexpensive. We can reduce much of the need for air conditioning, and enjoy a cost savings benefit, by using “passive” techniques to help cool your home.

The second largest source of greenhouse gases is transportation. Motor vehicles are responsible for about a third of all carbon dioxide emissions in the US and Canada. Every gallon of gasoline burned puts 26 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

We can boost the overall fuel-efficiency of your car as much as 30 percent by simple vehicle maintenance and attention to your style of driving.

Even more important is the choice of car or truck you buy. If we buy a new car that gets 10 more kilometers per gallon than your old car, the amount of carbon dioxide reduction realized in one year would be about 2,500 pounds.

The new hybrid cars, using efficient gas-electric engines, can cut global warming pollution by 30 percent or more. Recycle air conditioner coolant. If your car has an air conditioner, make sure you recycle its coolant whenever you have it serviced.

We can save thousands of pounds of carbon dioxide each year by doing this. Drive less. We can save energy by taking the bus, riding a bike, or walking. Try consolidating trips to the mall or longer routine drives. Encourage car-pooling.

Recycle whenever possible. Aluminum cans, newspapers, magazines, cardboard, glass – anything recycled reduces the energy needed to create new products.

Eat locally produced food. Today, the food choices available in supermarkets come from all over the world – generally by refrigerated airplanes or transport trucks.

Food transportation is one of the fastest growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Eat vegetarian meals.  Vegetarian food requires much less energy to produce. Enjoying vegetarian meals once  or twice a week results in significant CO2 savings.

Paint your home with light color if you live in a warm climate or a dark color in a cold climate. This can contribute saving up to 5,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per year. Choose clean energy options.

If you can choose your electricity supplier (which is not feasible in Philippine setting, not yet), pick a company that generates at least half its power from wind, solar energy and other renewable sources. Buy clean energy certificates and carbon offsets.

Help spur the renewable energy market and cut global warming pollution with “wind certificates” or “green tags,” which represent clean power you can add to the nation’s energy grid in place of electricity from fossil fuels.

Singapore serves as a role model in renewable and clean energy initiatives being a forerunner in turning wastes into electricity. The city-state has a recycling facility which turns wastes into electric power, a boost to its  robust economy.

In conclusion, our focus group foresees some difficulties in adopting some of these suggestions, but the challenge is there.

First, we need to raise the level of   awareness, create a sense of community involvement, and most of all, the commitment to make things happen. By doing so, even small changes in the way we confront climate change can make a big difference.

As such, making energy conservation a part of our daily  consciousness is essential to the goal of reducing global warming.

Climate change is a global concern. Let us do our share.

(Ruffy Magbanua has completed   a short course on Climate Change: Governance, Solutions and Opportunities at the Singapore Environment Institute sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore. E-mail: ruffy44_ph2000@yahoo.com)