CEBU, Philippines - Around 100 protesters from various organizations including urban poor groups gathered in front of the United States Consular office yesterday to serve a ‘notice of eviction’ as a sign to have the US and other countries be held responsible for the pressing problem of climate change.
Aaron Pedrosa, secretary general of Freedom from Debt Coalition in Cebu, said that the symbolic action was in line with the Global Week of Action for Climate Justice celebrated every November 12 to 18.
Pedrosa explained that the US and other Northern countries should be held accountable for strengthening the issue of climate change all around the world.
He said that numbers show that the U.S is the number one producer of carbon emission; therefore have a big part in the growing problem.
Aside from the U.S, Pedrosa said that the members of the European Union are also major contributors and that China has recently been added to the list of producers of Carbon emission due to the coal power plants in the country.
He said that it is high time to amplify the efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change since in the Philippines alone, apparent effects of climate change have already been showing.
“According to the recent Global climate index, the Philippines already ranked third as the country most vulnerable to climate change.”
Further, Pedrosa said that in Cebu, local government units where coal power plants are located should be made accountable as well to the negative effects it has to the environment.
Recently, the Toledo Power Corporation had their ground breaking of an additional 82-megawatt clean-coal power plant in Toledo, south of Cebu where an existing plant is operational.
Pedrosa said that they will be studying first the new power plant before they decide what actions to take against it. He said they will be going through the Environmental Impact Assessment of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources as well as other data supporting the power plant and they will also be visiting the site for the new coal power plant.
The protest yesterday was spearheaded by FDC-Cebu, SANLAKAS Sugbo and Kongreso ng Pagkakaisa ng Maralita ng Lungsod-Cebu (KPML-Cebu) with the Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ).— (FREEMAN)