Greenpeace backs groups opposing coal power plant
Prime movers of the anti-coal movement, from left: Dr. Aileen
Vergara of the University of San Agustin, Jasper Inventor of
Greenpeace, Dr. Joy Lizada of the Univ. of the Philippines in
the Visayas, and Ted Aldwin Ong of Freedom from Debt
Coalition.
Environmental group Greenpeace vowed to oppose the construction of a coal power plant here, as it scored at what they say is President Arroyo's 'hypocrisy' towards climate change.
Greenpeace and the Responsible Ilonggos for Sustainable Energy (Rise) held a press conference Friday to signify their opposition to the plan of Global Business Power Corporation (GBPC) to build a 164-megawatt coal-fired power plant. The press conference comes about a week before a scheduled public hearing is to be held on the proposal.
"The Iloilo coal plant should not be built. We challenge President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to be true to her word and 'assume the mantle of leadership and work to address the challenge of climate change,'" Greenpeace said in a statement, quoting what the President said in the recently concluded energy summit in Metro Manila.
Jasper Inventor, climate and energy campaigner for Greenpeace, said that what the government is doing contradicts its declared policy.
She said that world leaders must address the issue of climate change, but the government currently has eight coal-fired power plants lined up either for construction or expansion, Inventor pointed out.
According to Greenpeace, aside from the 164-MW power plant in Iloilo, there is the 300-MW expansion in Pagbilao, Quezon; the 200-MW plants in Naga and Toledo cities in Cebu; the expansion of the 300-MW plants in Masinloc and Olongapo, both in Zambales; the proposed 100-MW plant in Concepcion town in Iloilo; and the 150-MW coal plant in Sultan Kudarat.
"Coal-fired power plants already account for 36% of the country's CO2 emissions, it is time that the RP government gets serious about exploiting the renewable energy sources that are abundant in our country," the group said.
During the presscon, Professor Aileen Vergara, who heads the chemistry department of the University of San Agustin here, said that a coal-fired power plant would increase carbon monoxide and dioxide emissions in the City.
"While carbon emissions are being reduced in other places, we here in Iloilo are eager to increase it," she said.
Proponents of the coal-fired power plant are predicting that the City will experience a power shortage in 2010. The Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) in Iloilo City has reportedly issued a resolution endorsing the construction of the power plant.