Nov 4th, 2009. Filed under Editorial.
Who is to blame?
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President Arroyo recently signed the Climate Change Act of 2009 which would institutionalize a climate change policy with emphasis on mitigating the impact of such natural disasters like the two typhoons that caused widespread devastation to the country.
Under the new law, a national climate change action plan would be crafted that would include a roadmap for mitigation with emphasis on voluntary reduction of local carbon emissions, and adaptation with focus on disaster risk reduction.
The law created a Climate Change Commission, an autonomous policy-making body attached to the Office of the President tasked with coordinating, monitoring and evaluating programs and action plans, and will represent the country in international fora.
When “Ondoy” and “Pepeng” devastated the Philippines recently, the President attributed them to climate change and indirectly blamed the industrialized countries for bringing about this situation.
Now a concerned group, Philippine Network on Climate Change led by Helen N. Mendoza, has echoed the President’s statement. Mendoza said that since the industrialized countries’ “consumption habit” is the culprit in the emission of greenhouse gases that trap warm air, rich nations should help provide funding for vulnerable countries like the Philippines in their drive for mitigation and disaster risk reduction.
The forum, organized by the University of the Philippines, agreed that “financial help is an obligation of the rich and the help that they would give is not a charity.” The forum was titled “Global Climate Change Conference: The Science and Social Impact of Global Climate Change-A Philippine Setting.”
Whether the rich nations would listen remains to be seen. At the moment, they are content with just sending condolences and relief goods for the victims of natural disasters around the world.
