Silent day

This was yesterday. Some stories here.

They're at it again (sorry Mr. President, you had it coming)

Starting with the young.

CEBU CITY -- Local youth advocates on Monday mailed a letter to President Benigno Aquino III, asking him to take action against coal power plant operations in the country. 

They asked the President to order the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Energy and Department of Health (DOH) to draft concrete steps to address the hazardous effects of coal-fired power plants. ...

If the people are the President's boss, then he should listen to us.

Where are these students from?

Technology has made it possible for cleaner coal.  The new coal-fired power plants make use of cleaner coal technology and those that are under rehabilitation are doing so because of the move towards cleaner coal.

Renewable energy is a cheaper alternative to coal-fired and nuclear power plants.

Of course, for the environitwits, nuclear energy is anathema.  If they look into the science more deeply, they will see that nuclear energy is in fact far cleaner and safer.  They don't care about nuclear energy; it is, as Steve Milloy says, "energy non grata."

Perhaps in the long run alternative sources of energy may be cheaper, but  who is to know for sure.  Countries that have embarked aggressively on these types aren't exactly laughing their way to the bank.  

However, we need energy now so that industries can grow and earn.   Earnings should contribute to research and development on renewable energy, as well as put money into government coffers so that government can also more efficiently do its part in helping move toward development of renewable energy resources.  

These renewable energy alternatives are definitely very expensive at these times, and any move by government to outlaw coal and fossil fuels now will be a rip-off for the taxpayer.  What will your parents, dear students, feel about higher taxes to pay for these projects,  for the higher cost of, generally, everything?

Then again,  "(T)here is no objective or empirical evidence indicating that alternative forms of energy are cleaner, healthier and safer than fossil fuels.  How does more expensive energy without any accompanying benefits lead to long-term economic growth?" (SM)

Let us not even bring forward the notion of climate change, because climate is definitely not predictable.  The only thing predictable about climate is the amount of money the Al Gore types have earned and will earn from their investments in scare-tactics.  

Surely, power outages are more predictable and controllable than climate.

Update:  Malacanang has said that it will not stop coal-fired power plants from operating until more feasible alternative sources can be found.  Experience and common sense prevail.

Jemy Gatdula blogs

I followed a link posted by a friend in Facebook, and found the author's blog.  The link led to a Businessworld online column, that is a cross-post to this piece.  Excerpt:

The point is: lighten up, read up. How can you make informed choices if you’re not informed? Pro-choice is not a choice. It’s a slogan. To shout "choice!" for the sake of choice is shallow because it only leaves unanswered the question: choose what then? Truth be told, there is a smart choice and it doesn’t come in rubber.

When does life begin? The navy captain and the doctor!

Nope, this wouldn't be that type of post.  I will simply say I believe it is at fertilization.  Take it or leave it.

The question was recently raised by a Philippine Congressman, Rep. Anthony Golez of Bacolod.  Rep. Golez is a medical doctor. 

Here's from the Philippine Daily Inquirer:

A legislator who is also a medical doctor thinks he has cut to the heart of the reproductive health bill debate, challenging colleagues to answer the question: “When does life begin?” 

Bacolod City Rep. Anthony Golez has filed a resolution asking the House to conduct an inquiry to determine whether or not conception begins with fertilization or with the implantation of the fertilized egg in the uterus. Implantation takes place six or seven days after fertilization.

Golez, a medical doctor, believes that conception begins with fertilization.

If his view is adopted, the move would essentially ban oral contraceptives and the intrauterine device for inducing abortion.

According to Golez, settling the question of when conception begins will have an impact on the kind of birth control methods that the government can lawfully provide.

This is great!  I just pray that there are enough in our Congress who believe as Rep. Golez does.  Of course, there is another Congressman Golez (of Paranaque, Roilo Golez), who earlier filed House Bill #13, another pro-choice bill.  Another one to commend.

The navy captain and the doctor!  Hooya!

The way it is

This is from Fallible Blogma

Kid gloves

Since some (in government, media, and in every other nook and cranny) believe the science is clear (it definitely is not) on global warming, tv and print usually treat with kid gloves those who talk about the dangers of anthropogenic global warming, a climate condition that they themselves almost always admit is uncertain.  Even if the so-called "expert"  (sometimes a government lackey who is not even a climate expert or one who took one natural science subject in university or  maybe served in the Senate) contradicts himself or proposes, nay, simply says that we need to do something but not actually have the solution in mind, media will not raise a hoot.

Here's what I picked up from WUWT.  One question that needed to be asked:  "Which is more important – the health and welfare of people suffering today, or those not yet born who might suffer someday due to climate change that even you admit is highly uncertain?"

On another note, when a friend asked me why some of the newspapers in the country seem to be favoring the reproductive health bill, I told her that they are only true to form.  If they believe anthropogenic global warming (in other words, that people are evil because they emit too much CO2), then it follows that they don't want more people, which any legislated reproductive health law will always tend too.

Saw in a graphic:  Until environmentalists stop pushing for population control, I will not plant a tree.


Update:  Prof. Solita Monsod said this re the President's 100 days report:  the Millennium Development grant would have been awarded to the Philippines whether it was Aquino or another candidate who won.

Payback time comes early

In less than 100 days.

I wrote in April how it seemed that the presidential campaign of Noy had lots of spending money, despite what they said.  Actions spoke louder than words.  I also mentioned how perhaps there was a link to the B. Hussein Obama's administration advocacy on population control.

When the President came home from his trip to the United States, he carried with him pledges of investments worth $2.8B.  Neat!  

Also, he came home with $434M from the Millennium Challenge Corporation.

This is where we might see the link.  The MCC gives assistance to countries pursuing political and economic reforms in three areas: ruling justly, investing in people, and fostering economic freedom.

The criteria are described as:

• Ruling justly—promoting good governance, fighting corruption, respecting   human rights, and adhering to the rule of law.
• Investing in people—providing adequate health care, education, and other  opportunities promoting an educated and healthy population.
• Economic freedom—fostering enterprise and entrepreneurship and promoting open markets and sustainable budgets.

In 2005, the Philippines met 13 of the 16 indicators, but "did not qualify because it scored “substantially below” the median on tests for health expenditures and fiscal policy, and that more recent trends indicated the fiscal policy situation was deteriorating further."

I guess they did not like that the Arroyo administration and Congress then could not pass a reproductive health law (the RH proponents filed their first proposed RH bill in the 10th Congress) and that even then the government was not spending much (more likely, not accepting "foreign" aid) for reproductive health concerns. 

In 2006, the Philippines was deemed to be below the median so it could not qualify again.  It seems that the country was bypassed again in 2007.  In 2008, the Philippines was once again in the list of possible recipients of a compact, but was passed on once again.  In 2009, MCC retained the Philippines in the eligible list, but could not be given assistance "until it passed the corruption indicator that it failed in FY2009."

Then suddenly, in September 2010, the Philippines gets its $434M.

Did the Philippines suddenly pass all the indicators?  Did the Arroyo administration have anything to do with that?  Maybe not, since "many" still think that the Arroyo administration never corrected itself of corruption.  Maybe not, since the Arroyo administration, until the very end did not push for the passage of the RH bill in Congress, that it controlled, and the main proponent in Congress even a staunch supporter.

So how is it that the President got this assistance so soon?

Even with only a catch-phrase that's supposed to make poverty and corruption history (Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap)?

What's left?  A reproductive health law.  It is no wonder that there is now a renewed effort to get one approved.  And with it, making a punching bag of the Church.  But that's another issue.

Truly, payback time is here.  And that, from an administration that's still, so far, high in promises, and not much to show for.  Obviously, it isn't even 100 days old.  

How do you think the US will react when the RH bill won't go to law?  That could be an even greater problem for us down the road.