Film shows the science of climate change

As part of Earth Day celebration, the British Embassy in partnership with the Climate Change Commission, New Zealand Embassy, SM Cares and SM Megamall, is participating in the global screening of the film ‘Thin Ice – the Inside Story of Climate Science’ through a private showing in SM Megamall on April 22 (Monday) at 7:00PM. The film about climate science made by geologist Simon Lamb as he takes a journey across the globe following leading scientists to the ends of the earth as they explain why they think humans are changing the planet’s climate through our emissions of greenhouse gases. Climate science has come under sustained attack in recent years, so Lamb took his camera to find out what is really going on. For over three years he followed scientists from a wide range of disciplines at work to create an intimate portrait of the global community of researchers racing to understand our planet’s changing climate which provides a compelling case for rising levels of carbon dioxide as the main cause, and Thin Ice is the culmination of that work. The Philippines is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to extreme weather events. The country experiences an average of 20 typhoons a year. Almost 80 percent of disasters which occurred over the past 100 years have been weather-related, with typhoons and floods contributing to the two highest disaster event categories. Climate change is predicted to significantly increase the strength and frequency of such events in addition to putting strain on water resources and agriculture. The film is therefore of huge interest to the people of the Philippines. The British Embassy Manila and its partners are giving away up to 100 pairs of free movie tickets through an online contest so that members of the public will get a chance to join the private screening. Details of the contest are posted in the British Embassy Manila Facebook and Twitter accounts (@ukinphilippines). To join the contest, simply share British Embassy Manila Facebook posts bearing the headline “Thin Ice Movie (Earth Day 2013)”. Contestants may also use their Twitter accounts to re-tweet any messages on @ukinphilippines with the hashtag “#ThinIcePHL”. It is also encouraging people to view the film for free on April 22nd and 23rd viawww.thiniceclimate.org     Dignitaries to the private screening will be led by British Ambassador Stephen Lillie and officials from the Climate Change Commission, the British Embassy and the New Zealand Embassy. Among those invited are government officials, business leaders and members, civil society representatives and celebrities.

Ramon Efren R. Lazaro

Malolos Diocese to lead Earth Day Concert

MALOLOS CITY—Its all system go for the Earth Day concert here on Friday, a run up for the global celebrations next Monday.

Organized by the ecology desk of the Diocese of Malolos, the concert’s theme will focus on “Pintig ng Kalikasan: Buhay ng Sangkatuhan.”

It will feature singer-composer Noel Cabangon and will be held at the Malolos Convention and Sports Complex here on Friday at 7PM.

Father Efren Basco, head of the Diocesan Ecological and Environmental Program (DEEP) said the concert is an event that will fuse live music and environmental education and hopes to deepen people’s commitment towards being environmentally responsible.

He said that the concert will bring about the coming together of all age groups to a meaningful activity of great exuberance which speaks directly to our times.

“It’s the perfect time to ‘show and tell’ why concerts are the perfect venue to teach stewardship of the planet,” the priest said.

Basco stressed that  “addressing the beauty of creation as well as its destruction by humankind, this concert is both a call to action and a cry of hope; it promises to be an unforgettable experience for all who will attend it. May we be inspired and collectively work towards a common mission for Mother Earth’s well-being.”

Part of the run-up of activities before the Earth Day 2013 Concert were a series of education for care of the environment seminars that include proper waste management and promotion of organic method, tree planting in the Sierra Madre mountains.

They also led planting thousands of mangoves seedlings on the coastal towns of Hagonoy, Paombong and the City of Malolos.

Basco added that environmental care and protection is one of the key highlights in the year-long celebrations of the Golden Jubilee of the Diocese of Malolos that started last year.

This was magnified in DEEP’s Ecological Conference Statement of June 12, 2009 signed  by the Bishop Jose F. Oliveros and by 140 Clergy, 105 Religious communities and 132 parish and school leaders in the diocese.

An excerpt of the said statement declared that  “we affirm that the whole universe reveals God’s manifold blessings and acknowledge our responsibility as caretakers of God’s dwelling place. There is only one air, water and land system on planet Earth. Upon these interrelated systems, the health and survival of all forms and all peoples depend. Damage to one part of a system affects the whole system; damage to one system affects the other systems.” (Dino Balabo)