Go ‘green,’ youth group tells candidates
The Kabataan Partylist today urged national and local candidates to have a ‘green’ platform in response to the distressing recent findings released by environmental experts concerning climate change.
“In a country where landslides and flashfloods occur almost on a regular basis, aspiring candidates should strengthen their ecological credentials by having a clear platform for the protection of the environment and formulating strategies to reduce pollution,” Kabataan Partylist president Raymond Palatino said.
Palatino cited the recent findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC) which predicted an increase in world temperature by 1.8 to 4C by the end of the century and a rise in the sea levels by 28 to 43 cm. The report also projected an increase in the number of heatwaves as well as the intensity of topical storms.
“With the growing concerns over global warming and environmental destructions both in the local and international arena, environmental issues are likely to play a bigger role in this elections than ever before.”
“Global warming is slowly gaining credence as more scientific findings show its serious implications on health and the environment and with people starting to experience drastic changes in climate and temperature.
Palatino said candidates should use the campaign period not only to bolster their electoral bid but also to inform the public of their green platform and the effects of global warming.
“These environmental issues should not just be seen as mere election propaganda but as a real concern which every Filipino should immediately act upon.”
“Filipinos are living in a reality of environmental destruction and unless the next set of lawmakers and local officials mark these concerns as their priority, we’ll be expecting more catastrophes far more badly than what we have already seen in Bicol, Aurora and Quezon.”