GOOD NEWS FROM THE U.P.-NCPAG

It seems that my PA 191 course on "Multilevel Environmental Governance" last 2nd semester AY 2006-2008 paid off. In that course, my students and I discussed global warming in the context of global environmental governance and International Environmental Law. We discussed at length the UNFCCC and its Kyoto Protocol, and the Clean Development Mechanism. Then, we zeroed in on how Jatropha curcas, a.k.a. Tuba-Tuba, could help reduce global warming. The materials about Tuba-Tuba came from my students' research at the Philippine Forest Corporation (thanks to its President, Mr. Jun Lozada, for the assistance), and from my another PA 191 ("Intro to Environmental Governance") course offered in an earlier semester.

I shared my collected data to an undergraduate student who went to China , together with two graduate students, to participate in an international competition (see First Youth Innovation Competition on Global Governance). In fairness, they studied very well the materials and worked very hard to bag the "Most Valuable Project" award. It so happened that the final question in the competition was about how the youth could help reduce global warming. Below is a clipping about the winning of these students taken from the Boild Green Bananas column of Prof. Leonor "Liling" Magtolis Briones which appeared in the 31 July 2007 issue of Business Mirror:

Good news from the UP NCPAG

Three students from National College of Public Administration and Governance (NCPAG) honored their college and university when they were sent as delegates to the First Youth Innovation Competition on Global Governance held in Fudan University in Shanghai, China, from July 10 to 14.

Diona Aquino, a graduate student, and undergraduates Paolo Ante and Ador Torneo were coached by NCPAG faculty member Dr. Ebbie Florano.

The team, headed by Aquino, won the Most Valuable Project Award. The NCPAG team was sponsored by the United Nations Development Program.

The competition involved 70 participants from 15 countries, including the United States, Germany and India. The topic of the contest was: How to create a global cooperative system to control greenhouse-gas emissions?

Congratulations are in order. Now to implement the proposed system….

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/07312007/opinion02.html

VOTE FOR JOSE MIGUEL ZUBIRI FOR SENATOR!

This blog enjoins Filipino voters to consider REPRESENTATIVE JOSE MIGUEL ZUBIRI for Senator this coming 14 May 2007 elections. Why am I openly supporting him? Rep. Zubiri led the passage of Republic Act No. 9367 otherwise known as the 2007 Biofuels Act (An Act to Direct the Use of Biofuels, Establishing for this Purpose the Biofuel Program, Appropriating Funds Therefor, and for Other Purposes) which would help pave the way for the use of biofuels in the transport sector of the country. So what? The Biofuels Act, if properly and seriously implemented, would reduce the dependency of the country on oil which depletes the country's dollar reserves. Less dependency on oil will mean less Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. Hopefully, less GHG emissions in the Philippines will lessen the risk of global warming. That's the sole reason why I want to see him get a seat in the Senate.