“Harnessing RE for Sustainability”

Wednesday, March 3, 2010, 6:30-7:30 PM in Kalikasan, Kaunlaran!

When it comes to promoting the use of renewable energy (RE), the Philippines is one of the countries leading the way in Asia. The Philippines had passed the Renewable Energy Act in 2008—the first and most comprehensive in Asia. It aims to develop and use sustainable RE sources, such as geothermal, wind, biomass, solar, hydro, and ocean. It also aims to create a “market-based environment that is conducive to private sector investment and participation.”

The Department of Energy (DOE) foresees that RE will “provide up to 40 percent of the country's primary energy requirements over the ten-year period beginning in 2003.” Biomass, micro-hydro, solar, and wind are expected to be the largest contributors to the total share of RE in the energy mix, an average share of 27.5 percent. Hydro and geothermal are expected to contribute the balance, as significant sources of electric power. About 1,500 barangays are programmed to be electrified using RE systems.

But there are major constraints to achieve these goals. One of them is the lack of public awareness of the benefits of RE projects and how local communities may participate in the development and use of RE.

Tune in/watch Kalikasan, Kaunlaran! (KK!) on March 3, 2010, Wednesday, 6:30- 7:30 PM, for the latest on RE, particularly biomass, and what opportunities it offers you as Dr. Cora Claudio, President, EARTH Institute Asia, converses with Engr. Ruby De Guzman, OIC-Division Chief, Biomass Division, Renewable Energy Management Bureau, Department of Energy, and Hans-Henning Judek, President, CEO Energy Visions Japan Co., Ltd., past winner of the Asia Clean Energy Forum’s Top Innovation Award-Clean Fuels for its “Decentralized Energy for Remote Regions in Developing Countries,” a system to miniaturize an RE facility into "village-size.”

KK! Is accessible through DZRH-AM radio (666 in Metro Manila, other kHz nationwide), TV (Ch. 9 in Metro Manila, other cable TV channels nationwide), and Internet http://dzrh.prepys.com or (http://dzrh.tripod.com. Join the Quiz, contests, campaigns and projects of EARTH and KK! To join all, register at 2299: earth<space>your message.

EARTH Institute Asia and DZRH co-produce KK!, with the support of Unilever, Unilab, Toby's Sports, Le Cellier French Wine Selection, Yehey.Com, Management Association of the Philippines (MAP), and Brahma Kumaris, and with the cooperation of various organizations--GREEN Army, PFST, TOWNS, PBE, AIJC, MAP AgriBusiness & Countryside Development Foundation, PEIA, DENR, MabuhayRadio, and other groups and individuals.

Inquiries: 671-3266, 0917-829-1718, or earthinstitute@gmail.com. Kindly forward this announcement to your contacts. Thank you!