Bangkok--Dec 3--greenpeace
Community leaders from different parts of the Philippines and Thailand gathered today in Manila to forge alliances and warn others of their tragic experiences in hosting coal-fired power plants. The event, hosted by environmental group Greenpeace, aims to solidify the voices of communities who have directly suffered from toxic emissions from coal plants, and who will face grave threats from global warming. Participants also include those who came from areas that had been proposed for coal power plant construction.
The Philippines and Thailand are among the most vulnerable countries
from the impacts of climate change. The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has pointed out that developing countries in Southeast Asia are expected to suffer most from climate change in terms of loss of life and effects on the economy. Extreme weather events such as strong typhoons, flooding and droughts will occur more frequently and with greater severity.
Maleewan Nakwirot, who suffers from chronic lung problems, traveled
all the way from the farming valley of Mae Moh in Northern Thailand to warn other villages of the catastrophe that comes with coal power plants. The 2,600MW Mae Moh coal plant, which stands in her village, is the largest of its kind in Southeast Asia and lies within the vicinity of a large lignite mine.
"When the government started this coal plant, they promised us jobs,
but at present very few people in our village work in the plant and they only do menial jobs. The government also promised a better way of life, on the contrary 200 of our friends and relatives have died due to respiratory diseases and lung cancer. Many are still suffering from respiratory illnesses. Our farms do not provide us with enough crops like before, our water is contaminated with toxins. Our families and communities have been divided. And finally, now, we have to face the choice of either to relocate or accept death," said Maleewan.
"Communities should never again host a coal power plant. Governments
must never again allow the construction of coal power plants, ever," she added. "Instead governments must support and promote clean energy sources that do not have negative impacts to our health and community."
One community that has successfully opposed a planned coal power plant construction is Pulupandan. This sleepy town in the southwest bend of the island of Negros in the Philippines was identified as the site of a 50MW coal power plant in 1998. After 6 years of community opposition, the Philippine government scrapped the project and listened to people's demand for clean renewable energy. Negros is now recognized as a model community with policies that drive the island towards generating energy from 100 percent renewable energy sources.
"There were times in our struggle against the coal plant project that
we felt helpless against a powerful government and large business interests. In the end, our community collectively decided that we better get hold of our future, and the future of our children. We knew that a coal plant could only bring disaster to our health and our environment. We rejected the thought of hosting coal, the largest contributor to global climate change," said Ella Jacildo, community leader of Pulupandan.
"The twin threats of global climate change and toxic pollution caused
by coal put our people at most risk. We have no choice but to go for a sustainable clean energy future," concludes Jasper Inventor, Climate Campaigner of Greenpeace Southeast Asia.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Jasper Inventor, Climate Campaigner, +63 917 30095687
Arthur Jones Dionio, Regional Media Campaigner, +63 920 2390704
(Manila) +66 1925 4835 (Intl)
Arthur Jones Dionio
Regional Media Campaigner
Greenpeace Southeast Asia
Tel: +661 9254835
Fax: +662 2714243 End.