The world is getting warmer and natural hazards are becoming more intense, likely bringing higher economic losses in the future. Today, four major weather perils result in expected economic losses of USD 200 billion annually. With more severe weather coming, economic losses are set to rise. The study analysis finds …
First, they pinch. Then they pollute. Syringes hurt in life as well as in after-life. But things might change. More than six months after a unique demonstration across the country, the Philippine department of health and Health Care Without Harm (hcwh), an international coalition of health care professionals and community …
"Our environment has been destroyed We seek answers to our questions What shall be the future Of the next generation?' (From a song by the Cordillera indigenous singing group) Singing doesn't come easy when the baton rests with the powerful and mighty. People of Cordillera, the Philippines are today seeking …
This study and the workshops that lead up to the International Conference for Renewable Energy 2004 in Bonn are primarily focused on learning experiences between Southern nations. While there are several instances of transitional efforts in developed Northern countries, the Heinrich B
Four journalists who brought to light in 2000 the use of banned pesticides at a banana plantation in the Philippines have now been put behind bars. Also arrested is Romeo Quijano, professor at the University of the Philippines and president of the country's chapter of global group Pesticide Action Network. …
The Philippines is on the horns of a dilemma: to mine or not to mine? The cash-starved Philippines government would like to regain its lost glory as a leading gold and copper producer. But the country's environmentalists are wary of the environmental risks that mining poses. The country liberalised mine …
death stalks the workers of the International Rice Research Institute (irri) in Philippines. Because more than four decades of experiments and intensive studies have let loose a toxic trail. This alarming revelation came recently after an independent medical survey was conducted on former employees of irri. Several instances of fatalities …
Microsoft has decided to share one of its most closely guarded trade secrets. But there is a catch. The software giant will let governments and international organisations study its source code for Windows opera-ting systems, authorising them to improve their software security. The serious challenge mounted lately by open source …
Public Advocacy The motives behind public service ads are not always as transparent as the messages themselves. Take the example of these two ads culled from The Philippine Star. The one below takes to task corrupt politicians for offering protection to squatter communities thereby keeping them "in the rut." The …
Agriculture officials in the Philippines have approved a genetically modified insect-resistant corn type made by agribusiness multinational company Monsanto for commercial planting. The corn variety is known as YieldGard Corn Borer, and farmers in the country will start planting it soon. "This approval demonstrates that both Filipino farmers and government …
with sea temperatures increasing, the world's coral reefs are once again facing threat as shown by intensive bleaching. Data from a new information system, called ReefBase, shows that 2002 is the second worst year for coral bleaching after 1998, when a very strong episode of the El Ni
Genetic resources and livelihoods across the Asia-Pacific region are being destroyed due to commercialisation of plant genes by transnational companies and national governments. This has been observed in a report compiled by Genetic Resources Action International (grain), a Barcelona-based group, and Kalpvriksha, an Indian environmental organisation. The document warns that …
Philippines joins CNG bandwagon: Yet another country attempting to switch its public transport to compressed natural gas (CNG) mode is Philippines. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has announced that a bus company, will undertake a pilot project by 2003, which will include 100 buses to be fully fuelled by CNG. Devious strategy …
ANTI-MCDONALD'S DAY . October 16, 2002 October 16, 2002 is UN World Food Day. It is also the 18th annual worldwide Anti-McDonald's Day. A day of protest against the promotion of junk food, the unethical targeting of children, exploitation of workers, animal cruelty, environment damage and the global domination of …
GLOBALISATION is no longer considered profanation. Today urbanisation and globalisation have to work in tandem, bringing in information, and consequently, opportunity. This study was triggered off by the collapse of a rubbish dump in Payatas Manilla on July 11, 2000 killing 218 and burying another 300 in the rotting garbage. …
The Indian Biodiversity Bill has been cleared by the Parliamentary Standing Committee and is now before the house for approval. Not before time. Given that it has been over nine years since we signed the Convention on Biological Diversity (cbd) and that the bill has been drafted and redrafted it …
the Philippines-based International Rice Research Institute (irri) has admitted that it had allowed us rice-breeders to take out Thai jasmine rice seeds without signing the Material Transfer Agreement (mta). Not only has the institute's move drawn flak from jasmine rice farmers in Bangkok, it has led genetic conservators and farm …
banning logging is an important tool for halting the degradation of forests, but it seldom corrects the underlying causes of deforestation. This intriguing fact was recently stated in a report by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (fao). Moreover, the report claims that ban on logging harms forests and local communities …
Over the next 50 years, harvests of staple crops like rice, maize and wheat may be reduced by one- third due to global warming. This has been revealed by a United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report published recently. The document brings to the fore the fact that rising temperature adversely …
Why has a ban been imposed on shark hunting in particular? Sharks have a vital role in the marine ecosystem since they are the apex predator at the top of the marine food chain. But today they are almost extinct, being a major target of the fish hunters. Their slow …
An outbreak of a mysterious flu-like illness recently affected hundreds of students in Manila, forcing three private schools to close down. On October 1, 2001, dozens of students were sent home from the La Salle school in Mandaluyong province of metropolitan Manila. The students were suffering from respiratory problems, fever …
