Ondoy: The mourning after

It seemed like only yesterday when killer typhoon Ondoy submerged parts of the National Capital Region and nearby provinces in floodwaters reaching a record 20 feet in rural areas and wreaking havoc like you’ve probably never seen before in your life. Where were you when Ondoy hit the country on the gray, dour morning of September 26, 2009? It had been raining since the evening of September 25 and we were just coming home from presswork early morning that Saturday. I remember driving through streets that went under such high waters they almost disappeared from the face of the earth. Midstream, I remember seeing my battery warning light blinking, but I had no choice but to keep going until I reached higher ground. But there was nary a piece of dry land in sight — there was only water everywhere, it was like being lost at sea. I don’t remember how I got to my house, but I made it just before the chest-high floodwaters rushed in and threatened to wipe out our whole neighborhood.

Each of us probably hoards grim memories of that day, that’s best forgotten and never to be resurrected from the dustbin of the past. Like losing a loved one, losing our homes, losing priceless possessions and things that matter the whole world to us, losing our peace of mind. Ondoy left us so traumatized that every time it rains hard and seemingly nonstop, we toss in bed and can’t sleep.

But not all was lost. Not a few rose high above the mire that Ondoy left in its wake by stepping out of their comfort zone and reaching out to those in need in whatever way possible. They gave until it truly hurt. A friend dug deep into her closet and gave away some of her precious clothes, including some signature scarves. It was heartwarming to see people putting up instant soup kitchens to feed the cold and hungry typhoon victims. Truly, the worst of times brings out the best in people.

That was almost a year ago and now, a group of concerned citizens has come forward to urge the national and local governments to prioritize the speedy implementation of measures that will mitigate the impact of another Ondoy flooding disaster and solve the regular floodings in various parts of Metro Manila.

For starters, the Alliance for a Cleaner Earth (ACE), a group of outdoor sports enthusiasts and environmentalists, calls for measures to stop plastic pollution (as it is a major cause of the regular floodings experienced in Metro Manila) and solid waste pollution in all parts of the country — from beaches to mountains, from creeks and rivers to seas all over the archipelago.

Ondoy was a nightmare — and a wake-up call. ACE believes that we should have heeded and done something about plastic trash that was long found to be a major cause — and continues to be a major cause — of blocked drainages and floodways.

Thus, the eco group calls on the administration to adopt and enforce measures that will drastically reduce the amount of plastic materials at their source as one of several climate change adaptation efforts. They’re pushing for the imposition of a plastics pollution tax to be levied on all products that are packaged in plastic, similar to a proposed plastic tax in Ghana, where both producers and consumers of products packed in plastic share the burden of the tax.

Such a measure would be an expansion of a plastics tax bill recently filed in Congress covering plastic bottles, pouches, sachets, wrappers, etc. House Bill 127 (an act imposing an excise tax, to be known as environmental levy on the use of plastic bags in shops, supermarkets, service stations, stores, and/or sales outlets, creating the environmental protection support fund, and for other purposes) seeks to levy a tax in the amount of P2.50 or US$ .06 for every plastic bag used at the point of sale of goods or products. Only plastic bags used as original packaging of products will be (sic) excepted from the proposed tax.

Consider this: The plastics pollution tax would increase the price of goods packaged in plastic, thereby forcing consumers to buy less products packaged in plastic and force producers to seek alternative means of distributing their products.

This should lead to the creation of a fund that would be used for the retrieval and proper disposal of plastic wastes.

Exactly who is this group of down-to-earth guys?

Well, they’re mountaineering, spelunking, snorkelling, and diving enthusiasts involved in various projects aimed at saving the country from environmental degradation.

Since 2008, ACE members have volunteered to hold concerts-cum-clean-up drives aimed at raising awareness and getting together communities involved in environmental conservation projects. These people spend their own money (on top of their precious time) and receive no sponsorship.

Recently meeting over coffee at a perky Kapihan session were ACE members Allan Richard Martillo, who volunteers his extra hours and free days as a co-organizer of Rakrakan para sa Kalikasan concert-cum-clean-up drive; Paul Farol, who blogs about environmental issues and environmental policies; Jojo Menorca, who co-organizes Rakrakan para sa Kalikasan as well as conducts seminars to teach communities about environmental conservation; Abbie Modino, who writes articles about environmental issues and environmental policies.

For these guys, there’s nothing fantastic about plastic.

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BPA in fax paper, too?

STAR reader Rem Maclang asked, “What about BPA in thermal paper?”

Manny Calonzo of EcoWaste Coalition replies:

“You’re absolutely right. Aside from point-of-sale cash register receipts, Bisphenol A (BPA) is also found in other thermal paper such as those used in faxes. We’re glad that most offices now use plain paper (including newsprint) in fax machines, thus potentially reducing BPA releases in the office setting.  In fact, what more efficient offices will do is to scan documents to be faxed and simply attach them to e-mail. Some establishments are also into what is called Internet faxing that allows them to fax from any computer without needing a fax machine.

“BPA in cash receipts is a source of serious concern since thermal receipts are still much widely used.  The study made by scientists at the Warner Babcock Institute for Green Chemistry, in fact, is meant to draw attention to possible human exposure to BPA from thermal receipts and to cutting exposure through the use of BPA-free thermal paper. The levels of BPA found in some of the samples — from 3 to 19 micrograms for a 12-inch-long receipt — are not marginal at all. Touching a receipt for five seconds can reportedly wipe off 23 micrograms of BPA. Health Canada (the counterpart of our Department of Health) says that consuming more than 25 micrograms of BPA per kilogram of body mass is dangerous.

“Dr. John C. Warner, who co-founded the said Institute and co-authored the book Green Chemistry: Theory and Practice believes that when it comes to BPA in the urban environment, “the biggest exposures, in my opinion, will be these cash register receipts.” He observes that  “when people talk about polycarbonate bottles, they talk about nanogram quantities of BPA (leaching out).”  Dr. Warner explains that “the average cash register receipt that’s out there and uses the BPA technology will have 60 to 100 milligrams of free BPA.” By “free,” it means BPA is not bound into a polymer like the BPA in polycarbonates and is more readily released.

“The voluminous studies implicating BPA, a proven endocrine disruptor, to serious health ailments and disorders should drive the government and the industry into phasing out the use of BPA, especially in children’s products and other common consumer products, in line with the precautionary principle.

“While we await government and industry leaders to take action, responsible retailers who care for the health and safety of their workers and customers should better switch to BPA-free paper receipts without delay.”

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