Arroyo
green-washing privatization of power industry
Kalikasan-PNE Press
Release - 14 December 2007
How can the Arroyo administration
claim to champion the cause of climate change at the Bali Conference
when it is in fact rushing to build more coal power plants and sell
these to foreign firms, Philippine environmental activists today noted.
"There is growing consensus
particularly among the peoples organizations, environmentalists, NGOs
and experts that nothing concrete and significant will come out of
the Bali conference to address global warming," Bautista said.
"There is a snowballing opposition
to the particular mechanisms that being put out by the Bali conference
such as Carbon Trading, Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and new
facility proposals of World Bank such as the Reduction of Emission
from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) and Forest Carbon Partnership
Facility (FCPF)," Clemente Bautista Jr., National Coordinator
of green activist group Kalikasan Peoples Network for the Environment
(Kalikasan PNE) said.
"These mechanisms and facilities
proposed by the international financing institutions such as the World
Bank and Asian Development Bank in tandem with big businesses will
further increase the carbon emissions of transnational corporations
(TNCs) and will have negative and adverse impacts on the environment
and communities," Bautista said.
"The mechanisms proposed
at the Bali Conference will allow foreign TNCs to maintain and exceed
their greenhouse gas emission quotas by buying carbon credits from
poorer countries such as the Philippines. This will not alter the
current rate of global pollution and greenhouse gas emissions and
only lead to more global warming and climate change in the long term,"
Bautista said.
"*Instead of seriously addressing
the issue of climate change and its effects on the poor, the Arroyo
government is engaged in the privatization and expansion of Philippine
coal power plants. It also is inviting foreign investors for massive
bio-fuel projects that will displace thousands of Filipino farmers
from their livelihoods," Bautista *said *. *
"*The Arroyo administration
continues to sell indigenous energy resources to foreign interests
rather than maximize and develop it to provide clean, locally-sourced
energy," Bautista said. *
"Philippine coal energy facilities
are being privatized and primed for expansion. The Masinloc coal-fired
power plant in Zambales is now being acquired by US-based AES Corporation.
The Ilijan natural gas-generating facility in Batangas formerly owned
by Mirant is now being eyed for expansion by Team Energy Corp. of
Japan and the Korea Electric Power Corp. (Kepco). Also eyed for expansion
are the 700-megawatt Pagbilao coal-fired power plant in Quezon and
the 1,000-megawatt Sual coal facility in Pangasinan," Bautista
enumerated.
"Philippine government officials
are even allowing the construction of more coal facilities, such as
the case of local officials in Iloilo who recently allowed firms to
build a 100-megawatt coal-fired power plant in La Paz," Bautista
said.
"These developments alone
contradict any proclaimed effort by the Arroyo administration to address
climate change. Coal-fired power plants are a messy operation, environmentally
and socially. In the United States, coal-fired power plants were responsible
for emitting massive amounts of pollutants such as carbon dioxide,
mercury, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide," Bautista said.
In addition to supporting the
privatization and expansion of coal-fired power plants in the Philippines,
the Arroyo administration is also busy facilitating the entry of carbon
trading through biofuels plantation and "reforestation"
projects which have dubious environmental value and which will only
allow the entry and control of more foreign big businesses in Philippine
lands, Bautista said.
Reference
*Mr. Clemente Bautista, Jr. **National Coordinator, Kalikasan-PNE
(** 0922-844-9787)*
CLEMENTE BAUTISTA
National Coordinator Kalikasan-People's Network for the Environment
(Kalikasan-PNE) No.26 Matulungin St. Bgy, Central, Quezon City, Philippines
1100 - Tel. No. +63-2-9248756 Fax No. +63-2-9209099
Email: kalikasan.pne@gmail.com
Website: http://www.kalikasan.org
