New law needed to manage minerals for clean energy shift — study
The extraction of minerals needed for renewable energy technologies drives deforestation and the climate crisis, threatens water sources, and displaces people......»»
Eramen Mineral gets US trade grant
During her recent travel to Manila, US Vice President Kamala Harris launched a US Trade and Development Agency grant to Eramen Minerals Inc., a Filipino mining company, for a feasibility study to advance the development of an environmentally sustainable nickel processing facility in the Philippines. This project will advance the clean energy transition by producing critical minerals that are key elements in the supply chain for batteries and energy storage systems......»»
Landbank lends P2.6 billion for hydropower plant
State-run Land Bank of the Philippines (Landbank) has extended a P2.6-billion financing for a hydropower plant project in Bukidnon as part of the country’s efforts to shift to clean energy......»»
Solar-powered building eyed to inspire shift to clean energy
BOCAUE, Bulacan - The installation of a 50-kilowatt (kW) on-grid solar energy system at the office of a church-based credit cooperative here could be the first step to the switch to renewable energy for cost savings and a cleaner community in the province of Bulacan.The statement came from f.....»»
Power firms support shift from coal to clean energy
Energy companies, environmental groups and consumers on Wednesday welcomed the Department of Energy’s declaration of a moratorium on endorsements for greenfield or new coal power plants......»»
House panel eyeing legalization of motorcycle taxis
UP-NIH says use of helmets, face shields protect riders The chairman of the House Committee on Transportation has given the green light to its technical working group (TWG) to convene and jumpstart the deliberation on the proposed resumption of the operations of motorcycle taxis, and the measures seeking to legalize the operations of the two-wheel vehicles. (JANSEN ROMERO / MANILA BULLETIN) This was the guidance given by Samar 1st District Rep. Edgar Mary Sarmiento to Navotas lone District Rep. John Reynald Tiangco during his panel’s recent virtual motu proprio probe on land transportation policies concerning the back-riding and motorcycle taxi operations.Tiangco heads the TWG, which was created by the House panel last January to thresh out the issues concerning the motorcycle taxi operations. Sarmiento approved the motion made by Manila 5th District Rep. Cristal Bagatsing for Congress to “spearhead the evaluation of the pilot study of motorcycle taxis”, along with other government agencies sitting at the TWG that earlier conducted pilot tests on motorcycle taxis. Bagatsing laments that the TWG’s report on pilot testing “is lacking and seems to be rushed.”LTO Chief Assistant Secretary Edgar Galvante admitted that the report is “somewhat lacking”, explaining that some activities that were supposed to have been conducted have not been conducted at all because of the pandemic.The LTO official said the TWG focuses on the aspect of “safety evaluation” and not on the economic viability of the motorcycle. The Sarmiento panel called on Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) and National Task Force (NTF) Against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to allow ride sharing or motorcycle taxis to operate, provided that the riders and drivers strictly follow heath protocols as sought by Quezon City 2nd District Rep. Precious Hipolito Castelo. Castelo said by allowing the operation of the motorcycle taxis, the government will be able to augment its public transport system and respond to the transportation needs of the commuting public.The Sarmiento panel also decided to adopt the motion made by Iloilo City lone District Rep. Julienne “Jam” Baronda calling on the DOTr’s TWG to extend its pilot tests for motorcycle taxis, which lapsed on March 23.During the hearing, Dr. Vicente “Jun” Belizario of the the University of the Philippines College of Public Health (UP-CPH) said they have been asked by motorcycle ride-hailing service Angkas to provide technical support to develop guidelines promoting health and safety in motorcycle taxi operations during the time of COVID-19 and the new normal. “The guidelines that we have drafted are consistent with policies and protocols coming from international organisations— WHO (World Health Organisation), US Center for Disease Control and Prevention,” he said, citing that they also strongly considered the recommendations made by the Department of Health (DOH), the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and the DOTr.Citing the study published in The Lancet, he said the chance of COVID-19 transmission is reduced if masks or respirators are worn, and the helmets may also function as face shields, thus not only reducing the risk of injuries, but importantly, increasing protection also from possible air droplet transmission. He said while, the use of the so-called barriers or shields provides an additional layer of protection, there should be “additional studies” on the potential role of barriers or the shield in preventing COVID-19 transmission in motorcycle back-riding. Citing the study published in The Lancet, Belizario also stressed that that with poor ventilation, you have increased the risk of respiratory infection, including COVID-19.He said for the control and prevention COVID-19, it is important to impose “diligent use” of a combination of proven measures or layers of protection. There must be heightened awareness among the public, internal and external monitoring by private company and government officials, and collaboration is needed more than ever to promote health and safety in the transport sector, Belizario stressed.During the hearing, George Royeca, Angkas Chief Transport Advocate, noted that they engaged the services of the Total Control, a motorcycle safety firm in the United States for the last 30 years, to design the shield “to make it very light weight and aerodynamic” and ensure its roadworthiness. “The weight of this shield is less than 1 kg so it does not hamper the operations of the motorcycle. Dito po nakalagay (It was indicated here), (the speed was) up to 30 to 40 kph na meron po syang sakay sa likod (and there was a backrider) , she felt almost no wind drag and she was able to manage it well with the driver leaning in to the turns because wala pong metal barrier na nakasagabal (there was no metal barrier) in between them, and then he brought it out to C-5, all the way up to 90 kph and based from his testimony, there was turbulence but not enough be able to throw them off balance, it still maintain the stability,” he said, as he presented the specifications of the Angkas shield, which was approved by the IATF, apart from the prototype of Bohol Governor Arthur Yap.He told the lawmakers that their designed shield “doesn’t break and (is) malleable.”.....»»
In Mecca, dreams of a ‘green hajj’
A smaller carbon footprint, less waste, and more environmentally friendly — this year’s pilgrimage to Mecca, dramatically scaled down due to coronavirus, has opened up the prospect of a “green hajj”. This year’s dramatically downscaled Hajj pilgrimage has had a much less adverse effect on the environment than previous years (AFP Photo/STR) In addition to being a logistical and security headache, one of the planet’s largest gatherings, which drew some 2.5 million people last year, also typically poses huge environmental challenges. The procession of so many worshippers, over a short time and in a limited space, results in an assault on the desert kingdom’s delicate environment. Thousands of vehicles generate substantial air pollution, while the pilgrims leave behind an avalanche of waste, including enormous quantities of plastic water bottles. This year’s hajj, limited to a maximum of 10,000 attendees, was by all accounts literally a breath of fresh air. But for environmental activist Nouhad Awwad, it’s not so much the size of the crowd that determines the impact on the environment but more “our collective behaviour”. “This year’s hajj, although taking place at a difficult time globally, can be a source of hope,” the Greenpeace campaigner told AFP. “It gives an idea of what a green pilgrimage could look like,” she added. The scenes in Mecca since the hajj began on Wednesday are very different from those of past years. Rather than the vast crowds that move between the sites, casting rubbish as they go and sometimes prone to deadly crushes, the movement of the pilgrims has been limited and orderly. Even the pebbles they use to symbolically “stone the devil” have been sanitised, as part of elaborate amenity kits provided by authorities that include disinfectant and masks. “Everything is clean and there are only a few municipal workers collecting the small amounts of garbage,” Azim Allah Farha, a pilgrim from Afghanistan who has performed the hajj several times before, said at Mount Arafat, the site of one of the main rituals. One of those workers, Rahim Fajreddine, recalls the hundreds of tonnes of rubbish — plastic bags, cans and food plates — left in past years at the rocky hill outside Mecca where pilgrims pray and repent in the high point of the hajj. “Large numbers of workers had to be mobilised to remove all the debris they left behind as they passed,” he recalled. Eco awakening Until recently, the environment was not a central concern of Saudi Arabia when it came to the hajj. As “Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques”, the kingdom was concerned primarily with accommodating as many pilgrims as possible, mindful of the long waiting lists for Muslims, who must complete the hajj at least once in their lifetime if they are able. Huge extensions have been built in recent decades to increase the capacity of the two mosques and pilgrimage sites. Saudi Arabia hopes to welcome 30 million pilgrims to the kingdom annually by 2030. However, by 2018 the local authorities launched a waste separation programme and began to consider recycling. Signs in several languages were posted to encourage the pilgrims to do their bit and dispose of their waste properly. This year, despite the relatively tiny number of pilgrims, the municipality deployed more than 13,000 cleaners to the holy sites, equipped with hundreds of skips, according to an official statement. ‘This is our future’ Awwad said that although this year’s hajj is leaving a small environmental footprint because of the constraints generated by the global pandemic, in the future the same outcome must be achieved by choice. “By investing in sustainable development and adopting green practises, we can continue to live our traditions and perform our rituals while keeping our skies clear of pollution and our streets free of waste,” the activist said. She imagines “a hajj with its millions of pilgrims in total symbiosis with their environment, in a Mecca powered by solar energy”. In a kingdom that ranks as the world’s top energy exporter, and where the shift to renewables is going slower than planned, her vision is unlikely to become a reality any time soon. “But this is the future we should all be working towards,” she insisted......»»
MICHELE GUMABAO: It’s not just swag, it’s a statement
Before her queenly poise and grace, Michele Gumabao was known for one particular characteristic – her swag. Back in her days with De La Salle University, she would always get under the skin of her rivals with her on-court antics. Gumabao had a deep arsenal to tick off her opponents: staredowns, shrugs, head shakes and her maddening grin. It was what the Lady Spikers' fans loved about her. For the supporters of other teams, it was what they loved to hate about Gumabao. But what she did inside the court during her four-year stay with the Ramil De Jesus-mentored squad was not just about playing psywar, for Gumabao she needed every ounce of that swag to build her confidence. She wanted to prove her doubters and non-believers wrong and give them something extra. A statement. “I wasn’t recruited. I wasn’t scouted by anybody,” said Gumabao during her Kamustahan session on Creamline’s Facebook page. “I tried out in La Salle because I wanted to go to La Salle. I wanted to study in La Salle but I never dreamt of becoming a volleyball player,” added the School of the Holy Spirit-QC product. Gumabao, whose sister Kat also played for the Lady Spikers in the mid-2000s, debuted in the UAAP in Season 72. The then defending champion Lady Spikers were stacked with veteran stars in Jacq Alarca, Paneng Mercado, Cha Cruz and Mel Gohing along with prized rookies Aby Marano and Joanne Siy. Gumabao’s rookie season wasn’t as impressive as her batchmates. She didn’t get much playing time while Siy and Marano joined the starting line-up. Gumabao knew she wasn’t as good as them that time skills-wise. “I knew back then ‘yung skills ko (di mataas ang level). 'Yung skills ko back then noong nag-uumpisa ako it isn’t how it is now,” said the Cool Smashers stalwart. “Kumbaga lahat ng natutunan ko sa La Salle, lahat ng itinuro sa akin nina coach, nang mga seniors ko at that time, mga teammates ko, that made who I am as a volleyball player.” “’Yun talaga ang nagbigay sa akin ng lakas ng loob para maglaro.” Season 73 was Gumabao’s breakout year. Consistently included in the starting rotation, Gumabao would rack up points to back Alarca, Mercado, Cruz and Marano. Aside from contributing points and wreaking havoc with her solid net defense, Gumabao provided energy and swag to DLSU. With her improved game, Gumabao helped the Lady Spikers reclaim the title they lost the season before and also bagged the Best Blocker award. She would win it again the following season while powering DLSU to a back-to-back reign. In Season 75, Gumabao won the Finals Most Valuable Player award as the Lady Spikers completed a three-peat. She decided to forego her last playing year. Looking back, she knew she went through a lot. “Naaalala ko nung first time akong maglaro, my debut game in the UAAP. Sobrang dami kong bashers and to think wala pa masyado o hindi pa sikat ng social media nun pero ang dami ko nang bashers,” recalled Gumabao. “Kesyo saan daw ako nanggaling o di raw ako magaling. I look weird playing volleyball or bakit ako starter. So many questions, so many doubters, so many haters.” “Kaya siguro I had so much to prove when I started playing volleyball noong college kaya siguro ako ganoon maglaro. Very passionate, very mayabang, maangaas. Kasi ang dami mong paghuhugutan,” she continued. Gumabao admitted that she has mellowed down since then. “Natuto akong mag-slowdown ng kaunti sa mga celebration but of course same effort, same level of play. It’s not all physical, it’s now more on mental ngayon as you get older,” she said. But most of the time people would still tell her that they want to see the college Michele Gumabao brand of play. “Ang daming nagsasabi sa akin nito na they miss the swag, they miss the angas sa loob ng court. I do admit I was different nu’ng college days ko. Medyo may pinapatunayan si ate nu’ng college eh,” said Gumabao. --- Follow this writer on Twitter, @fromtheriles.....»»
ACEN opens 1st phase of Australia project
ACEN Australia, a subsidiary of the Ayala Group’s ACEN, has officially commenced stage 1 of its New England Solar project, marking a milestone in its six-year journey to generate clean renewable energy into the National Electricity Market......»»
Oil spill and clean energy
No photograph or video could fully capture the extent of the damage of the oil spill and yet the images we’ve seen are already so alarming coastlines drenched in black sludge, water covered with oil and workers in PPEs......»»
Napocor wants clean energy usage in SPUG off-grid plants
State-owned National Power Corp. is teaming up with APTI Renewable Energy Corp. for the development of sustainable renewable energy using biofuel and biomass hybrid power in the off-grid areas of the country......»»
Caring for Earth
By 2050 we will need five times the electricity we use today; and we will need 10-12 times the clean energy in use today......»»
Pagtatalaga ng air traffic czar, isinusulong
MANILA, Philippines – Nanawagan ang isang mambabatas na magtalaga ng air traffic czar na mas magpapabuti pa ng serbisyo sa Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). “We would urge Malacañang to look for an air traffic czar who can manage commercial flight activity, compel airlines to reschedule flights if necessary, and to oversee the shift to […] The post Pagtatalaga ng air traffic czar, isinusulong appeared first on REMATE ONLINE......»»
CREIT confirms parent s plan to go public
Citicore Renewable Energy Corp — the parent firm of real estate investment trust company CREIT Corp. — is planning to go public to raise cash for its ambition to ramp up its clean power platform......»»
Quaker Oats Health Check caravan recommends 4 better health habits to build this 2023
Quaker Oats can provide exciting recipes filled with oats that have seven times more fiber than long grain white rice to manage blood cholesterol levels, aid digestion, and provide energy throughout the day!.....»»
Immigration revamp, more welfare offices needed vs human trafficking
Sen. Risa Hontiveros, who exposed the fake jobs scheme last November, has called for an overhaul of the BI to clean up its ranks......»»
CCC, clean energy firm sign agreement to enhance local climate action plans
The partnership with First Gen Corporation aims to capacitate representatives local governments in enhancing Local Climate Change Action Plans (LCCAPs)......»»
PNOC-RC vows to accelerate RE development in Philippines
Encouraged by the strong growth of renewable energy globally, PNOC Renewables Corp. has committed to accelerate the country’s push toward its own clean energy goals......»»
First Gen tapped for RE shift
Polyethylene terephthalate bottles manufacturer Mc Bride Corp. is decarbonizing its operations by switching to renewable energy through First Gen Corp. .....»»
Thorough study needed for NAIA privatization
Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno supports plans to privatize the country’s main gateway Ninoy Aquino International Airport, but maintained that a thorough study should be done......»»
The United States announces a “major scientific breakthrough” in clean, unlimited fusion power
Istanbul US Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm on Tuesday announced a “massive scientific breakthrough” in the decades-old effort to develop unlimited clean fusion energy. “Simply.....»»