EDITORIAL - Our power, our planet

Earth Day is marked this year amid a global fuel crisis triggered by the “little excursion” in Iran of US President Donald Trump together with his partner in war, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

With fuel prices soaring, the world is seeing the usefulness of energy conservation. This was illustrated in the energy savings recorded in just one hour of symbolic switching off of non-essential lights during Earth Hour last March 28, with the apt theme of switching on new habits for the planet.

The Middle East crisis is also accelerating efforts to wean the world from fossil fuels. Demand for electrified vehicles has shot up including in the Philippines, where diesel has seen the steepest price surges. Supporting infrastructure for electric and hybrid vehicles, such as public charging stations, are being expanded.

While emergency responses have included shifting to polluting coal for power generation, the long-term trend is toward developing green and renewable energy alternatives.

The Middle East crisis is making the world sick of being held hostage by irresponsible owners of rich crude oil reserves. Rapid advances in energy technology are allowing the world to move inexorably away from fossil fuels.

This shift is good news for the planet, which has been reeling from the catastrophic impact of global warming for many years now.

The Philippines, identified by experts as one of the most vulnerable to climate change, has seen the death and massive destruction caused by extreme weather. For the country, it’s an existential imperative to institutionalize energy-efficient mindsets and processes in both the government and private sectors.

The development of green and renewable energy sources can also be intensified, including waste-to-energy. Earth Day on April 22 – with the theme “our power, our planet” – was marked as large swaths of Metro Manila and parts of Bulacan and Bataan were blanketed in acrid fumes from the continuing fire at the decommissioned Navotas sanitary landfill.

That mountain of garbage could have been used for a waste-to-energy facility to augment energy supply in Mega Manila. Similar WTE facilities can be operated in other highly urbanized centers such as Cebu City, hitting with one stone the twin major problems of garbage and energy. Technological advances have made WTE emissions from garbage incineration compliant with international safety standards.

It is said that there is opportunity in crisis. The ongoing energy crisis should lead to long-term changes beneficial to the health of the planet.