Intersect

The views of the Church and rapidly emerging technological developments rarely intersect. But in the case of renewable energy, science and faith weave in tightly.

A recent procession in Laguna Province, organized by the Catholic clergy, is a testament to this. The procession issued an inspiring call for the increased adoption of renewable energy for a sustainable future.

This convergence between technological possibilities and the dominant faith is due in large part to the teachings of Pope Francis, specifically his encyclical Laudato Si. The encyclical passionately urges humanity to care for our common home. It specifically encourages a shift towards cleaner and greener energy sources. Citing St. Francis of Assisi, the pontiff likened the Earth to a sister “with whom we share our life.”

“This sister now cries out to us,” the pope wrote, “because of the harm we have inflicted on her by our irresponsible use and abuse of the goods with which God has endowed her… We have come to see ourselves as her lord and masters, entitled to plunder her at will. This is why the earth herself, burdened and laid waste, is among the most abandoned and maltreated of our poor.”

Inspired by the pope’s appeal, the local government of Laguna, in close collaboration with the private sector, is now actively supporting renewable energy solutions to meet the population’s ever increasing power needs. Numerous renewable energy projects are now being developed in several areas, in Laguna particularly.

Several solar and hydro projects are underway in the province. In the succeeding period, these projects will begin providing cleaner alternatives to fossil fuels. The projects promise economic benefits such as job creation, new revenue sources and enhanced livelihoods. Because of the projects underway, Laguna should emerge as one of the leading provinces in the use of renewable energy.

Among the energy projects being constructed in Laguna is a $1.5-billion floating solar power project. This particular project is expected to begin supplying green energy to the province by 2027.

Another large project is a 1,400-megawatt hydro-electric facility hosted by the province. This facility is designed to enhance the power grids in the area.

Laguna is part of the dynamic Calabarzon region, the fastest growing in the country both in terms of economic output and population. This area is growing an immense energy appetite, with numerous industrial zones and tourism facilities. It should please us that over the next few years, this growing energy appetite will be supplied from renewable and clean sources.

In this province, because of the intersection of faith and technology, public support for the new energy projects is strong. That bodes well for the sustainable development of the province.

The situation here is so pleasantly different from other areas, particularly those rich in mineral resources. The Filipino Catholic clergy has evolved what might seem to be an anti-progress attitude towards minerals extraction despite the clear economic benefits the mining industry brings us.

Scarred

It is testament to the pure chaos characterizing Donald Trump’s policymaking that any alteration announced is disputed by the US President’s men among themselves.

Over the weekend, Trump announced that electronics imports, including smart phones and computers, will be exempted from the punitive tariffs. This piece of news raised spirits in the sagging equities markets – although some critics surmise the exemption was prompted by appeals from the technology giants who put in millions supporting Trump. The exemption, it appears, was enlightened by cronyism rather than by solid economics.

Just as the markets began to celebrate, a few of Trump’s aides killed the party with an announcement that the tariff exemption of electronics did not apply to goods coming from China. If that is true, the exemption will be meaningless. In value and in volume, China’s electronics exports dwarfs all the rest.

If indeed electronics were exempted, the weight of Trump’s insane tariffs will fall largely on stuffed toys and sneakers, rendering the steep tariff wall almost inconsequential. The exemption, however, will save America’s iconic technology providers such as Apple from an incalculable price shock.

As of this writing, Trump himself has said nothing to clarify the situation. The stock exchanges remain on edge. The bonds market, in particular, is starting to show signs of caving again. If it does, it will have serious repercussions on the $36-trillion outstanding US debt.

Who would have thought that second-guessing an American president would become a global sport?

The arbitrary imposition of tariffs against all the world’s economies has been described by the most respected economists as a self-inflicted wound. However this tariff roller-coaster goes, it will leave deep scars in all economic processes.

As things stand, US consumer confidence is at its lowest – some say lower than it was during the Great Depression of the 1930s. The behavior of the bond market indicates that confidence in American policymaking has evaporated. Everywhere, investments are being postponed until there is clarity about where the global economy is heading.

Trump, for some bizarre reason, thinks high tariff impositions is the way to restore America’s manufacturing dominance. Nearly everything is uneconomical to produce in the US these days. Americans do not have the attitude, the willingness to do assembly line work and, most important, the skills to build an old-style manufacturing base.

All Trump has done, with his erratic unilateralism, is to deeply scar the world’s economic landscape.