Philippines wrestles with climate dilemma
A developing country dubbed one of the most vulnerable to climate change has confirmed controversial plans for more coal-fired power stations. The president of the Philippines, Benigno Aquino, has said that the new coal plants are needed to meet demands for energy.
Philippines President Benigno Aquino at work
This comes despite environmental groups and some leading Filipino politicians arguing that coal is one of the biggest contributors to global warming and that there are many less-polluting alternatives.
Senator Loren Legarda, who has pushed through new legislation on climate change and energy, said,
"It's a crime against humanity, it's just bad. It pollutes the already vulnerable environment, and coal kills - it kills our air, it kills our biodiversity. We must put in the negative effect of the health of the people, the negative effect on biodiversity, the bad effect on the environment, the bad effect on business."
Apo Reef Natural Park in the Philippines, an example of the country’s rich biodiversity
Coal emits more greenhouse gas than any other fossil fuel. And climate scientists have long concluded that burning more coal will undermine efforts to limit the rise in temperatures.
But many developing countries, facing rapid increases in population and surging economic growth, see coal as a relatively cheap option, which is why the Philippines is planning a total of 23 new coal plants. China, India and other fast-growing Asian economies also have plans for hundreds of new coal power stations.
Sual Power Station is a 1,200-MW coal-fired power station located near the Lingayen Gulf in Sual, Pangasinan, Philippines
The dilemma of how developing countries should generate electricity - and whether they should follow the path of the nations which industrialised first and became rich using coal - will loom large at the UN summit on climate change in Paris starting next week (November 30).
Briquettes of coal
For the Philippines, coal currently generates about 42% of the country's electricity, with the rest coming from locally-sourced natural gas and renewables, but coal's share could potentially rise to about 70% in a few decades, according to some projections. President Aquino said that reducing the use of coal in favour of gas, a popular choice for many, was not an option because of a lack of gas-importing facilities.
(All images - credit: Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons licence)
