10 green New Year's resolutions

So, how did your New Year celebration go?

 Ours was not as noisy as some neighbors’ New Year’s Eve fete. It was not noisy at all. We didn’t have firecrackers or sparklers to light, we didn’t even have horns to blow. But we did have the requisite (something sweet, something round) goodies to welcome the New Year. Actually, we didn’t have to do anything because our neighbors’ noisemaking was enough to rouse and rattle the whole barangay and keep it awake till the wee morning hours. Oh, well, it was just another New Year’s Eve for my family, another night like all the rest. We stayed indoors, shut the doors and the windows lest we inhale all the pollution from the thick, deadly smog.

   And sadly, just like New Year’s Days past, we woke up to find our streets choking in all sorts of litter. Fact is, a waste and pollution watchdog lamented the mounds of garbage left abandoned in Metro Manila’s streets and sidewalks the morning after the New Year’s Eve revelry.

Ocular inspections conducted by the EcoWaste Coalition’s Basura Patrol, particularly in the city of Manila, uncovered gargantuan quantities of garbage dumped by revelers for the poor Metro Manila aides to clean up.

A shocking eyesore was the kilometric garbage strewn all over Pedro Gil and Paz Streets in Paco, Singalong and Zobel Roxas Streets in Malate, and Carlos Palanca, Carriedo, Evangelista, R. Hidalgo and Villalobos Streets in Quiapo. Even the iconic Plaza Miranda was literally smothered with assorted trash.

Of the humonqous UFOs (unidentified floating objects), a battle-ready battalion of brave volunteers identified the following: firecracker residues, cigarette butts, plastic bags, plastic bottles, paper and plastic food wrappers, polystyrene containers, food leftovers, soiled boxes, and newspapers.

Roy Alvarez, EcoWaste Coalition president, bewails, “As if filling the skies with toxic dusts and fumes from firecrackers and fireworks was not enough, they left piles of rubbish on the streets that could easily pack dozens of hauling trucks. The unrestrained disposal we observed is obviously not a splendid way to usher in 2012. It could be an ominous sign of another year of messy garbage problems.”

A grim reminder: The Irisan dumpsite avalanche last year that buried five people in garbage should serve as a lesson of what happens when there’s unchecked consumption and indiscriminate disposal.

Metro Manila generates up to 8,600 tons of waste per day, which makes up about 25 percent of the national waste production of some 35,000 tons daily, according to government data. Some 30 to 50 percent of discards generated all over the country are disposed of in 643 open dumpsites, 384 controlled dumpsites, and 38 landfills nationwide.

 So, to welcome a new year on a bright note, the Eco Waste Coalition hereby suggests some basic green New Year’s resolutions for all of us to commit ourselves to:

1. “I will be a responsible consumer, live simply and not blindly submit to crass materialism.”

 2. “I will trim down my waste size by actively reusing and recycling my discards to the fullest.”

3. “I will say no to plastic bags and Styrofoam containers.”

4. “I will proudly use bayong and reusable carry bags.”

5. “I will refuse to patronize overpackaged products and go for least packaged, locally-produced, eco-friendly products.”

6. “I will avoid products with toxic chemicals and refrain from throwing hazardous waste into regular bins.”

7. “I will diligently sort my discards to make reusing, recycling and composting clean and fun.”

8. “I will not burn my discards and dirty the air with health-damaging pollutants.”

9. “I will never litter, and treat my surroundings as an extension of my own home.”

10. “I will inspire and persuade at least three people to switch to a greener and healthier lifestyle.”

 So help us, God!

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Attention, Dep Ed!

Following the toxic spill in a public school in Pasay last week, Ban Toxics renewed its urgent call for the Department of Education to establish a strict set of chemical safety regulations that would include the phase-out of some extremely toxic materials such as mercury for schools, both private and public.

The unfortunate, disturbing mercury spills in Parañaque, Makati, and Nueva Ecija have caused a number of students to fall very ill, with one having to live with the irreversible effects of mercury poisoning for life. This has cast a pall of gloom and a cloud of doubt on the safety of the school environment.

These sad events only prove that there’s a pressing need to raise awareness and train school officials to look for toxic-free alternatives to the hazardous substances that can be found in and around the school premises.

Beng Ong, Ban Toxics’ program coordinator for Toxics-Free Schools, explains, “Our research and dialogue with school administrators have revealed that, aside from mercury, there are many harmful elements that can be found in schools. As places of learning, we expect such settings to be conducive to the overall well-being of the children. Since children are in their physical and mental formative years in elementary and even in high school, exposing them to harmful substances can have negative effects on their health.”  

To find out the major chemicals that schools must be wary of, Ban Toxics held a toxics workshop with schools, government agencies, and NGOs last year.  Results show that toxic substances are not only found in laboratories and laboratory equipment but also in paint, cleaning materials, and even lighting fixtures.  Lead and mercury top the list of chemicals of concern.

Calling on Dep Ed to be more pro-active in the campaign to make schools toxics-free!

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