Dear Mr. Bandonill,
Warm greetings! Please allow me to comment on your column of 29 July 2007.
In it you stated that the Ambuclao Dam is one of the few remaining pristine parts of the Philippines, unaffected by global warming, and that "It is a place where nature truly preserved itself from the destructive actions of man."
I simply wish to point out that a large dam IS one of the most destructive actions of man. Of all the energy-producing technologies available to us today, dams are the most damaging to humans and the environment. If you will recall, many families were displaced by the building of Ambuclao dam. They lost their land and their homes. To add insult to injury, it took a long time before the communities that remained around the dam received electricity, years after the dam began supplying power to the lowlands. The river has been destroyed and the siltation of the dam is evident to the naked eye. I ask you please not to allow the proliferation of the idea that large dams are environmentally benign, as was suggested in your column. As for global warming, the very label of this GLOBAL existential threat (it is not merely an environmental issue) tells us that every place and every person is affected, whether it is in tangible or invisible ways.
Nevertheless, I agree with you that the people of Bokod are indeed hospitable and kind. It is a testament to their hardiness that they continue to make a living on their own lands. The doctors who conducted the medical mission are also to be lauded, as you said. Furthermore, I join you in your enthusiasm for the development of eco-tourism for Bokod. It is one example of how an environmentally degraded area can be revived and turned towards the benefit of local communities now and in the future. More power to these heroes!
Thank you for your patience and for accommodating this short note.
Respectfully yours,
this mad woman
Abangan... Ma-accomodate nga kaya ito? Eto pa, something I wish I had come across sooner so I could quote it for the benefit of Mr. Bandonill, our environmental hero of the day.
Hay naku, I don't have time to write love letters to everybody that irks me... But I love doing it because this sort of thing makes me mad!
Warm greetings! Please allow me to comment on your column of 29 July 2007.
In it you stated that the Ambuclao Dam is one of the few remaining pristine parts of the Philippines, unaffected by global warming, and that "It is a place where nature truly preserved itself from the destructive actions of man."
I simply wish to point out that a large dam IS one of the most destructive actions of man. Of all the energy-producing technologies available to us today, dams are the most damaging to humans and the environment. If you will recall, many families were displaced by the building of Ambuclao dam. They lost their land and their homes. To add insult to injury, it took a long time before the communities that remained around the dam received electricity, years after the dam began supplying power to the lowlands. The river has been destroyed and the siltation of the dam is evident to the naked eye. I ask you please not to allow the proliferation of the idea that large dams are environmentally benign, as was suggested in your column. As for global warming, the very label of this GLOBAL existential threat (it is not merely an environmental issue) tells us that every place and every person is affected, whether it is in tangible or invisible ways.
Nevertheless, I agree with you that the people of Bokod are indeed hospitable and kind. It is a testament to their hardiness that they continue to make a living on their own lands. The doctors who conducted the medical mission are also to be lauded, as you said. Furthermore, I join you in your enthusiasm for the development of eco-tourism for Bokod. It is one example of how an environmentally degraded area can be revived and turned towards the benefit of local communities now and in the future. More power to these heroes!
Thank you for your patience and for accommodating this short note.
Respectfully yours,
this mad woman
Abangan... Ma-accomodate nga kaya ito? Eto pa, something I wish I had come across sooner so I could quote it for the benefit of Mr. Bandonill, our environmental hero of the day.
Hay naku, I don't have time to write love letters to everybody that irks me... But I love doing it because this sort of thing makes me mad!
Comments
Thanks for the link, by the way :-)