Information for those who want to join the GINNA

Climate Change symposium held

PLANT trees, recycle, and conserve fuel and resources are the simplest things one can do in order to help mitigate climate change.

This, in a nutshell, was the message of the Green Ilocos Norte Network and Advocacy (GINNA) to around 300 students in a symposium held December 15 at the Divine Word College of Laoag.

Resource speakers in the symposium included Dr. Felina Rosales, an Environmental Management Bureau – Region 1 accredited Pollution Control Officer, and Shermon Cruz, GINNA president, explained to the students all about climate change and global warming affecting humans and the environment. Topics featured include the physical science of climate change and some adaptation measures and mitigation initiatives to climate change.

Rosales explained the factors that brought about climate change such as the increase in greenhouse gases. These gases trap the heat from the sun within the Earth's atmosphere. According to her, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane are the major greenhouse gases and the increase of which is the main culprit in global warming. Human activities in the last 200 years such as industrialization and deforestation led to the increase of these greenhouse gases. The more greenhouse gases there are in the atmosphere, the less likely that the heat from the sun will escape the Earth's atmosphere, thus, the result is global warming, defined as the increase in the average temperature of the Earth's near-surface air and oceans in recent decades and its projected continuation.

Cruz, meanwhile, shared to the audience how world leaders have come to an agreement that climate change is the issue that would have the greatest impact to the world in coming years, that this is an issue that the global community is least prepared or ready for. He went on to discuss the impacts of global warming and climate change, especially in the context of Ilocos Norte and the Philippines. These impacts encompass all social, political, economic, and technological aspects of human civilization. Health conditions will get worse as hotter temperature aids the outbreak of diseases and pests, cause lesser agricultural yield, and even bring drought which makes potable water scarce. Living conditions will also be harder as torrential rains and more flooding are expected impacts of global warming. Entire communities and islands could actually vanish due to rising sea levels.

The issue of climate change is one of the GINNA's main advocacies and is thus eyeing on conducting similar symposiums like this in selected schools and institutions as a yearround activity.

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This article appeared in the Ilocos Times' Dec.24 - Dec.30, 2007 issue. Many thanks to Ms. Leilanie G. Adriano. ^_^

The students who attended the symposium came from both DWCL and the MMSU - College of Industrial Technology.



Dr. Felina Rosales, an Environmental Management Bureau – Region 1 accredited Pollution Control Officer, and also a GINNA founding member.

Top right & bottom left: Presentation on GINNA organizational experiences and perspectives on the role of NGOs in development upon the invitation of the MMSU - Graduate School Department of Masters of Arts in Public Administration.

GINNA on the news

These were taken from www.ilocostimes.com:

On the National Environment Month

Multi-sectoral group holds forum on global warming

Who else is gonna do it?

DENR, NGO launch Sagip Puno project

A few days before the 2007 elections

GINNA: Pols top violators of tree harassment, abuse

The Kick-off of the Earth Month Celebration is also GINNA's birthday

DENR, GINNA spearhead removal of campaign posters on trees

We have a strong partner in the church (written also by L. Adriano)

Diocese Encourages Care For The Earth Through 'Green Sacrament'

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Kudos to GINNA member and co-founder Ms. Leilanie Adriano for always writing these good news from the group!

Additional articles on GINNA

DENR, NGO want poll bets cited for using 25,000 trees  (from the PDI)

The GINNA participated in the country's contribution to the Live Earth 7-continent concert series efforts by attending "Salute to Mother Earth," a cultural celebration held at the Bangui Wind Farm, July 7.

Captions (counter-clockwise, starting from upper right):

01 : The participants were made to pledge with the commitment to protect the climate.

02 :  The GINNA members pose with Mr. Jonathan De La Cruz (3rd from left), after signing a pledge to commit in climate protection. With him are (from L-R) Pauline Luis, Jennifer Custorio, GINNA President Shermon Cruz, ENRO Chief Romeo Anggay, and Dr. Felina Rosales.

03 : Anabelle Plantilla (3rd from left), Executive Director of the Haribon Foundation, also attended the activity. With her are GINNA members (from L-R) Pauline Luis, Arthur Valente, GINNA President Shermon Cruz, Dr. Felina Rosales, and Jennifer Custorio.

04 : Appreciating the view of the Wind Farm from the Bangui viewdeck. (L-R) ENRO Chief Romeo Anggay, Arthur Valente, Mayor Sales of Pagudpud, Dr. Felina Rosales, Shermon Cruz, Vice-Governor Windell Chua, Anabelle Plantilla of the Haribon Foundation and  Mayor Cimatu of Bangui.

"Salute to Mother Earth" was organized by Saranay Philippines.

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photos and captions by Alaric A. Yanos

If you want to view larger versions of these images, please click the following: 01, 02, 03, 04

PLEDGE:

1. To demand that my country join an international treaty within the  next 2 years that cuts global warming pollution by 90% in developed  countries and by more than half worldwide in time for the next generation to  inherit a healthy earth;

2.To take personal action to help solve the climate crisis by reducing  my own CO2 pollution as much as I can and offsetting the rest to become  "carbon neutral;"

3.To fight for a moratorium on the construction of any new generating  facility that burns coal without the capacity to safely trap and store  the CO2;

4.To work for a dramatic increase in the energy efficiency of my home,  workplace, school, place of worship, and means of transportation;

5.To fight for laws and policies that expand the use of renewable energy sources and reduce dependence on oil  and coal;

6.To plant new trees and to join with others in preserving and  protecting forests; and,

7.To buy from businesses and support leaders who share my commitment to  solving the climate crisis and building a sustainable, just, and  prosperous world for the 21st century.

Poster bonus!

click here. (created by Alaric Yanos. Hi-res poster version available upon personal request.)

GINNA is born

To make the annual international Earth Day celebration a more meaningful experience for the people in the province, the Green Ilocos Norte Network and Advocacy (GINNA) group has been founded. With individuals and organizations from various sectors of society as founding members, the GINNA kicked-off this year's Earth Month celebration with a program held April 14 at the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO).

PENRO Director Juan P. De Los Reyes Jr., who is also one of the founders of the GINNA, presented to the audience the making of the GINNA and its planned activities for this month. The GINNA was conceptualized in late March of this year with the help of Mr. Luis Palermo, a member of the Ang Katipunan ng mga Samahang Maharlika and the Earth Day Network Philippines. The PENRO then called a meeting last March 27 where representatives from various government offices, LGUs, NGOs, academes, church, and businesses participated to formalize the creation of the GINNA and its activities. This month's activities include a screening (April 20) of the documentary film "An Inconvenient Truth," a forum on eco-governance, a free concert (April 22), coastal cleanup, cross-country cycling (April 22), interfaith prayer rally (April 22), Oplan Baklas, and radio appearances.

Following the Kick-off program, a motorcade around the city was conducted with the assistance of the PNP. The motorcade then went straight to the town of Badoc and from its Ilocos Sur boundary up to the town of San Nicolas, the participants of the kick-off program started the first phase of the Oplan Baklas. The operation made certain no living tree standing along the national highway was used to post election campaign paraphernalia. The volunteers of the Oplan Baklas were comprised mostly of PENRO and CENRO employees, people from the academe, members of the Timpuyog People's Movement, the PINAKBET, and even officers from the PNP and Philippine Army.