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WITH
soaring oil prices already an inescapable reality, there
is now a greater need for Filipinos to start changing
their lifestyles in order to ease the pressure on the
country’s growing energy problems.
The
Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Department of Energy
(DOE) and other guest speakers were one in saying this
during the Clean Energy Forum 2008 at the Manila-based
lender’s headquarters Tuesday.
The
change in lifestyle, the participants said, will come
from the change in the kind of lighting used in
households, provision of subsidies, air-con temperatures
in cinemas, to redirecting infrastructure funds for more
pedestrian-friendly projects.
“Energy
security is a problem that needs to be addressed in a
comprehensive and long-term manner. [Apart from the need
for resources, there is a need for] a switch in
lifestyle. We have to switch from a culture of
extravagance and waste to a culture of efficiency and
conservation,” Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes said in his
speech.
The ADB
and the country had recently embarked on a $30-million
project that seeks to replace all incandescent bulbs in
the Philippines by 2010 and distribute 9 million compact
fluorescent lamps (CFLs) nationwide.
ADB
senior energy specialist Sohail Hasnie said the project
would be funded by a $30-million loan from the bank, to
be eventually paid for through carbon credits earned by
the country with the phaseout of incandescent bulbs.
Hasnie
said two to three CFLs would be distributed per Filipino
household. However, he said that while marginalized
households would be given priority, all Filipino
households are qualified to receive free CFLs.
Apart
from this, Secretary Reyes also said the government is
open to finance the P500 one-time subsidy for lifeline
energy users. The President approved this in a Cabinet
meeting also Tuesday.
Reyes
said the P500 subsidy would be funded by the P4-billion
windfall from the expected P14-billion to P18-billion
tax revenues on oil. Of the P4 billion, P2 billion is
allotted for lifeline users in urban and rural areas.
Meanwhile, Hasnie also said that reducing energy
consumption might also be done in homes and in many
commercial establishments like cinemas. He said having a
minimum of 17 degrees Celsius (C) in malls, consumes
more energy.
Instead,
Hasnie said commercial establishments, even private and
public offices, should maintain around 22 degrees C to
23 degrees C in air-conditioning temperatures in order
to conserve energy.
On the
other hand, the former mayor of
Bogota,
Colombia,
Enrique Peñalosa, said that saving energy and promoting
clean and efficient energy sources sometimes require
drastic changes, particularly in the use of funds for
infrastructure.
Peñalosa
said redirecting infrastructure funds to serve
pedestrians more would lower air pollution and energy
consumption in any city. Increasing funds for additional
road projects like skyways in the city proper is a waste
of funds, he added.
The
former mayor said
Bogota reduced traffic jams when the city directed its
infrastructure funds to construct bicycle lanes instead
of roads for cars; and widening sidewalks instead of
building small sidewalks where pedestrians could barely
walk on.
Peñalosa
said that apart from these, the City of Bogota channeled
some of its infrastructure funds to building quality
housing for the poor, increasing the number of community
centers, and constructing libraries and parks.
“The
friendlier a city is to cars, the less friendly it is
for people,” Peñalosa said.
He added
that the city has also implemented restrictions in car
use. The city even implements a “car-free day” every
week instead of increasing transportation subsidies.
“Why do
we continue to make dumb investments? Investing in
infrastructure won’t solve traffic jams and takes money
from the poor,” Peñalosa said. |
