EDITORIAL - Bearing the brunt

Environmentalists can only be delighted by the sight of giant modern windmills along the coasts of northern Luzon, generating clean energy for the Ilocos Region. But the effort to harness wind power in the Philippines is still in its infancy, and the country remains heavily dependent on fossil fuels as its main energy source.

That reliance has taken a heavy toll on the environment. Pollution in Metro Manila and other key urban centers across the country is rated among the worst in the world. The pall of smog is visible as one approaches Metro Manila. The pollution is so bad people whose jobs require them to be in the streets, such as traffic aides, are forced to wear dust masks.

Carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuels, mostly by vehicles and factories, have worsened global warming, which is triggering climatic changes that could have ugly consequences. Environmental groups have warned that developing countries such as the Philippines are bearing the brunt of climate change, with an increase in destructive weather disturbances such as typhoons, heavy floods and droughts.

A top British government economist, Nicholas Stern, recently warned that if global warming remains unchecked, its economic consequences could be on the scale of the Great Depression and the two world wars. Several industrialized nations, aware of their role in global warming, are moving to reverse the damage, approving measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, strictly enforcing laws against air pollution and investing in research to develop clean energy.

The Philippines is moving tentatively in the same direction but still cannot wean itself from its dependence on fossil fuels and cannot implement the Clean Air Act. This need not be the case. The nation has seen the advantages of tapping environment-friendly energy from sources such as geothermal springs, water and now wind. Widening the use of these clean sources of energy should be made a national priority.