A layman’s version of climate change adaptation
I am so happy to have met an enlightened civil servant who shared his insights about climate change. After all, he is a Commissioner of the Climate Change Commission. Albert dela Cruz, Sr. is so interested in sharing his sci-entific explanations for climate adaptation.
He also said that many climate change issues also are related to health issues which are related to waste management and soil, water, and air pollution. Oh my, are all these seemingly common Third World problems now global issues? Are they no longer just for developing countries? Yes, and we need to explain it better for lay people to understand how their everyday choices lead to climate change.
First, he said that the increasing incidence of prostate cancer could be traced to contaminated water, or water pollution and air pollution. How is that? Our water systems have been infiltrated by microplastics because of all the plastics that have been ground down in landfills and water systems. This is why we now have to use bottled or mineral water. We never had to buy drinking water before. But now, we have to.
Second, the incidence of breast cancer in women has also increased because of these same reasons — pollution. The polluted water we drink, the bad food we eat, and our exposure to bad air all contribute to health issues, like cancer. For women, it seems breast cancer is always the most popular kind, although men can also have cancer of the breast area.
To illustrate pollution, he asked the crowd in our sustainability forum to check their electric fans, airconditioners, and window curtains and see the grime that collects from ordinary household air. Take this gunk, put it in water and have it examined. It contains BPA (Bisphenol A) and other plastic derivatives.
The crowd nodded in agreement that all our actions lead to these developments — our use of single-use plastics and their effect on everyday life. Just like trash which comes back to us during floods, these dirty air particles are inhaled by all of us every day.
So, what’s the relation to climate change? We have to think of what we eat, drink, and what our lifestyle is to help reverse climate change.
Greenhouse gases which increase global temperatures come from:
1. Meat consumption. Meat and dairy herds are directly related to the increase in production of methane. And the increase in this greenhouse gas causes warmer temperatures.
2. Exhaust of vehicles. Even the popular Euro 4 vehicles, which are dumped on us by First World countries, still use fossil fuels. Unless we go electric, all kinds of fuel cause climate change.
3. Air pollution. The smoke from factories also releases greenhouse gases (GHG) into the atmosphere.
4. Use of single-use plastics. These plastics are not recycled, and they do not degrade.
We also discussed landfills and how they affect our water systems and soil health. So, the Climate Change Commission is in touch with Local Government Units (LGUs) to let them recycle their waste into methane gas, for example, which can be used as a fuel instead of LPG or other fossil-fuel-derived choices, like diesel and gasoline.
The solution is a good circular look at Solid Waste Management. This is another topic under the Environment Committee of the Management Association of the Philippines (map.org.ph) where we belong. In our own homes, we must be trying to have zero waste or at least reduce the waste that goes to the landfills. I can give you an example: My household used to fill a huge trash bag until I started to segregate biodegradable waste, like fruit peels, vegetable discards and other organic waste. Now, I have very little to throw to the landfill, mostly non-biodegradable plastic and bleached paper. I bring my compostable waste to the farm almost twice a week and we make our own compost.
For bigger industries and companies, waste segregation is the first step in helping address climate change. For quick service restaurants, we have, as an example, a Davao fast food company that has their waste treated at a biothermic facility to convert it to bio fertilizer. That is circularity and our objective in addressing climate change. Everything is related to reducing waste to lessen landfills, to lessen water pollution, and take back our cleaner environment. Commissioner Albert also shared many examples of circularity as I shared my own example in coffee.
A STUDY ON COFFEE WASTE
At present, we at the Philippine Coffee Board, Inc. (philcoffeeboard.com) are working hand in hand with Department of Science and Technology (DoST) to convert coffee discards (coffee hulls, chaff, and spent grounds) into charcoal briquettes. But we can also carbonize these and add them to compost. I was concerned with the smoke the process makes, but Commissioner Albert gave me tips on how to “scrub” the smoke and convert it to liquid smoke. They have a process called “air scrubbing” to capture smoke and put it to good use.
All industries must think of their solid waste and look for ways to convert it to useful materials and products. Ground plastic can be used for hollow blocks, pavers and other construction materials. Please, do not put them in landfills anymore as they will leach into our soil and water.
LAYMAN’S ADAPTATION
What else can a layman do to address this palpable change in temperatures? Think about your lifestyle — how you dress, what you use, what you eat and drink. Do they contribute to the landfill?
I pulled out all my linen and cotton clothes to wear now, to help me adapt to hotter temperatures. I make sure I always hydrate and lessen my exposure to direct sunlight.
But adapting is just learning to live with climate change. What we must do is try to change things so we can reverse it or stop it from getting any worse.
Chit U. Juan is co-vice chair of the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) Environment Committee. She was the chair of the ASEAN Women Entrepreneurs Network (AWEN) from 2016-2018 and is now a Philippine Women’s Economic Network trustee and member of AWEN’s Advisory Council. She is also 1st vice-president of the ASEAN Coffee Federation.
