Without any doubt… green is already 'in'

It was a difficult choice for me what forum to attend yesterday. First there was a video showing of former US Vice-President Al Gore's famous environmental documentary entitled, "An Inconvenient Truth" at the University of San Carlos (USC) and then there was the lecture of my good friend lawyer Antonio Oposa, Jr. before the members of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) who were having their Mandatory Continuing Legal Education. Of course between Al Gore's documentary, which I still have to see, I chose to hear once again Tony Oposa's dissertation on how best we can protect, preserve and keep our environment for the future generation.

To convince his fellow lawyers to support his cause, he gave this quotation, "A lawyer who defends the environment has God as his client." This is in reference to the fact that God is the giver of life and if for instance we protect our watersheds, we can have plentiful and quality water after all, without water life cannot exist. Protecting the environment like protecting the Visayan Sea is also protecting God's gift to the human race.

Just last week, the Paris Conference on World Environmental Governance formally opened and the United Nations (UN) Inter-government Panel for Climate Change has finally tagged humankind as responsible for raising global temperatures. Yes, global warming is not the result of violent volcano eruptions, but man's destructive ways. Greenhouse gases are the result of using highly pollutive fossilized fuel, like coal and gasoline. In Paris, French President Jacques Chirac warned, "Soon will come a day when climate change escapes all control: We are on the verge of the irreversible. Faced with this emergency, the time is not for half-measures. The time is for a revolution: A revolution of our awareness, a revolution of the economy. A revolution of political action."



If you opened your satellite TV, you will notice that CNN or BBC and other TV stations, and news magazines and newspapers, are now openly supportive of stricter environmental laws to preserve Mother Earth. Green is definitely "in" and this obviously presents a new source of business ideas. Out of with the old… oil-based economy where only the Arabs and Middle Eastern theocrats or Petrodictatorships get rich (while their people still remain poor) and the entire world's economy is strangled by one cartel called the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

What about US? How do we even begin to do our share to help protect the environment from further degradation? Atty. Oposa, Atty. Golly Ramos and Atty. Manuel Monzon suggest to change the MAP of the Philippines… this is actually changing our Mindset, Attitudes and Practices (MAP). For instance, if we wanted to revolutionize our long outdated transport system, we can introduce buses into our mass transit system and remove the jeepneys, for as long as the buses use Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) or LPG, which doesn't pollute as much gasoline or diesel.

Of course, we can expect the usual howl from jeepney drivers and operators. This is why it is important to first change our Mindset where we've been so used to seeing the jeepney, change our Attitudes where we only listen to the noisy militant jeepney groups and look for new Practices. If you didn't know, many South American countries have a law forcing those in the transport industry to use only LPG or CNG fuel.

If we worked this thing together, we can expect a big change in our public transport system while keeping our environment clean. Next we can ask pumpboat operators or fishermen to use only LPG or CNG, only then can we say what Atty. Oposa asked every lawyer present to repeat…that we did our share during our watch and maybe we all made a little difference! This is truly classic Tony Oposa… the Power of One!

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In case you haven't decided on what to do during Valentine's Week, allow me to inform you that the Rotary Club of Cebu (Mother) in cooperation with the Rotaract Club of Cebu-USPF Chapter and the University of Southern Philippines Foundation will be presenting to you Dr. Ingrid Santamaria and Mr. Jonathan Arevalo Coo in a musicale dubbed "Journey Delights".

This musical will be held on Feb.12, Monday, at the USPF Theater for the Performing Arts in Salinas, Lahug. Matinee is at 5:00PM while the Gala night will be at 7:00PM. This Musical also proudly marks the beginning of the Cebu Rotary Club's 75th Year in the service to the community of Cebu as the oldest Rotary Club in Cebu and the second oldest in the country next to the Rotary Club of Manila. For tickets and other inquiries please, call the Rotary Club of Cebu Tel. (032) 253-7365 and please look for Marshia. See you there!

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For email responses to this article, write to [email protected]. Bobit's columns can also be accessed at www.shootinginsidecebu.blogspot.com