Green talk on climate change

MANILA, Philippines - Disaster preparedness may be at the top of these young government leaders’ lists, but they are also keen on implementing other plans and ideas to turn their areas more ‘green.’

Let’s face it — young people aren’t exactly nuts about the environment. A tree can’t send you a Snapchat or set up its own Facebook account. Mountains can’t tweet you back, and Instagram shots of rivers aren’t exactly “like”-worthy. I mean, what’s the point, right?

But during the Greeneration Summit at the SMX Convention Center last Nov. 25, the Greeneration Ambassadors, including personalities such as Bianca Gonzalez, San Vicente, Palawan Mayor Pie Alverez, and Camarines Sur Governor Migz Villafuerte, all asserted the importance of young people understanding and taking part in addressing the harmful effects of climate change.

The issue of climate change seems to be more urgent now more than ever, particularly following the extensive damage of typhoon Yolanda. Villafuerte explains that the citizens of Camarines Sur are only all too familiar with the effects of terrible storms. “(We are) perpetually in the path of every typhoon in the country. Kung hindi kami sa sentro, nandoon kami nadadamplisan sigurado.”

Alvarez says that the country is in need of a disaster preparedness plan and advanced warning systems. “We really need to ‘climate-proof’ our towns because when it comes to devastations like that, you look at it and you ask, ‘What went wrong?’”

“Dapat paghandaan na,” Villafuerte says, addressing the constant damage brought by storms to his hometown. “Sige-sige kami sa pagtanim ng mangroves because they act as a natural seawall. Ang isang puno ay nakakatanggap ng 30,000 liters of water, kaya kung maraming puno, walang baha.”

Disaster preparedness may be at the top of these young government leaders’ lists, but they are also keen on implementing other plans and ideas to turn their areas more “green.”

Villafuerte proudly speaks of his province’s El Verde Movement, where they expect to plant 40 million trees by 2020. Camarines Sur also wishes to become the most environmentally friendly province in Asia, and with its plan for developing the Bicol River while being mindful of protecting its natural resources, they may not be far from attaining that title.

Alvarez goes on to explain that local government heads are given a tremendous amount of power to manage their own areas, and that it is her responsibility to serve the residents and protect the environment of her coastal town in Palawan. “In San Vicente, we really want to take master planning seriously so that we don’t end up overdeveloping, we don’t end up harming the environment, and not leave residents behind when (the place) becomes developed.”

Is it difficult to balance economic development and environmental protection? Alvarez smartly replies, “It can’t always be about saving the environment because if you’re a poor town like mine — 35,000 residents, 80 percent are poor — how will you prosper without sacrificing a little bit?”

She goes on to explain that San Vicente does not permit mining or power plants that may cause heavy pollution, but does welcome commercial establishments that would showcase the best of what her town has to offer — particularly its pristine beaches. “It’s all about providing the best solution with the least amount of damage,” she says.

It is important to ask then, what the youth, who may not all have entire towns or provinces to concern themselves with, can do to address climate change?

Climate Change Commission vice chairman Lucille Sering says that it’s enough to make a difference when green activists engage in social media to shed light on the matter.

It is then important to ask, if young people might only be interested in caring for the environment from the comfort of their own smartphones. Sering says, “It’s a first step, but I think of it as kind of like the Last Song Syndrome. You keep hearing a song over and over again, and eventually, you’ll go out of your way to learn it by heart.”