Bbiofuel Blend Should Start At 5% And Newly-planted Trees Should Be Taken Care Of

July 22,2009 Biofuel Blend Should Start AT 5% (By: Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.) The initial one percent biofuel blend for diesel as reported by the Manila papers is very insignificant considering the bulk of pollution that we have in the country particularly in the Metropolitan cities where pitchblack smoke-emitting factories and pitchblack-belching countless cars and vehicles abound. Like the 5% initial ethanol blend for gasoline, similar percentage should likewise be implemented on biofuel blend on crude oil. This fuel is mostly use in passenger buses, cargo trucks, cranes, bulldozers, loaders, forklifters and other heavy equipments for various infrastructure projects and constructions. This initial percentage of 5% biofuel blend be likewise increased by 5% yearly on both the diesel and the gasoline. This means that 5% would then raise to 10% next year and then 15% the following year and so on until we can achieve a 50-50 biofuel blend for crude oil. The biofuel blend for gasoline will also follow the same pattern of yearly increase until we can gradually reach a 95%-5% blend for ethanol on gasoline just like what Brazil have achieved. If the 95-5 ratio of ethanol and gasoline blend is achievable, as could be seen from the Brazil experience,. then most probably an 85-15 ratio on bio-oil and crude oil blend might also be achievable with the help of our experts and scientists. In case there are still loopholes found in the provisions of the Biofuel Act then it should be amended. We want to have a free wheeling implementation of the law, which is badly needed now that the threat of global warming in our Planet Earth is imminent. Global warming is the result of accumulative years of heavy pollution in our environment that remains unchecked until it reaches its threatening height which uncontrollably affect the normal condition of our weather. How can we restore the weather back to its normal trend? It’s a tall order, indeed.. And one of the things that we should do now is the application of sustainable reduction of our environmental pollution starting with the blending of organic fuel. to fossil fuels. The people should also be educated on garbage segregation and to let them understand that plastic burning is bad. Its bad smell when burning is equally bad for ones health. That it’s better for them to bury the waste plastics on the ground and to cut their inveterate habit of burning it. Thanks to now US-based Southern Leyteño scientist Dr. Rico Cruz who discover that coco oil and other indigenous oil from other plants can be blended with fossil fuels to reduce its black-belch emission. on motor vehicles and thus reducing pollution in our surroundings. This was proven from his laboratory experiments and demonstrations he had given to the seminars’ attendees during his several visits in Maasin, his hometown in the province of Southern Leyte. The heavy pollution in our environment especially in big cities of the country really poses as health hazard for all of us. Now that the law on the Biofuel Act has been approved and has started its implementation last May 2007, there should be no hindrance now in our pursuit to have a much lesser pollution, if not a pollution-free environment, although it will take many many years to achieve this goal. The Government should lead in this effort and the private sector like the NGOs who have the capabilities must give their full support to realize the objective of the program. Likewise fossil fuels factories and all gasoline stations throughout the country must be mandated .to start selling the biofuel mixtures.. Those who will violate the order must be fined. Or order to close shops if they continue to disobey the law. We need to seriously and strictly implement the law on Biofuel Act because our problem now on environmental pollution and the global warming that we have all experienced is indeed very serious as it affects our life on earth. In addition, a continuous study, research and development of the biofuel is now a

must for our experts and scientists to improve its usage and to discover its other functions. (Copyright 2008 by Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.)

July 22,2009 Newly-planted Trees Should Be Taken Care Of By Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr. Majority of the planting trees activities conducted in the various part of my province lack the necessary caring of the newly-planted trees. A big percentage of the small trees that were planted were left on their own to grow. As if planting hundreds and thousands on them on vacant lots and along the highways is the end of it all. If those who are leading this kind of environmental protection are really very serious they should consider caring of the newly-planted trees seedlings in different places. Before conducting a tree planting as part of a city, municipal or provincial anniversary or celebration, or in support of a government’s program in the conservation of our environment, a certain group should be assigned in every area to take care of the newly-planted trees. Leaders of the Environmental Groups should instruct them to water the small trees everyday until such time that it will reach an indicative height that it can be left alone sans regular watering. Fifty percent or even more mortality of the newly-planted trees have been discovered by the groups of environmentalists upon ocular inspections as revealed to yours truly a few years ago during an interview for an article in the progress of tree planting activities conducted in several occasions in the province of Southern Leyte. When I was working at DENR during the previous years, contract projects in various reforestation programs in different parts of Southern Leyte have been taken care of by the contractors themselves. Once small tree seedlings were planted in large hectarage whether it were mahogany,,Gmelina,lawauan,molave,narra, including mango, jackfruit trees, etcetera, contractors’ hired workers would always take care of the planted trees by watering it everyday, whenever there is no rain. However, mortality still occurred despite of the caring, but in a very low percentage compared to those trees that were just left alone after planting them. In DENR’s reforestation projects, purchase of organic or inorganic fertilizers were inclusive for the contractors’ management application s in all of the projects involved to help make the hundreds and thousands planted small trees grow faster. Likewise, in any planting activities done by either the NGOs or a government group outside the reforestation projects of DENR, they can also use either organic or inorganic fertilizers if they have the funds. If hardly they can afford for its fertilizers’ maintenance until it will grow enough to stand on its own, then watering everyday the newly-planted small trees will be quite enough to let it grow into maturity.. By this measure, the numerous tree-planting activities done in various places of the province and in the entire country lead by either a Barangay Captain, Mayor, Governor or Congressman will not be all in vain. Their conscientious caring for the planted small tree seedlings in various annual tree-planting activities nationwide would mean additional man-made forests as potential replacements for our unimaginably colossal deforested areas. Likewise, in order to realize the environmentalists global desire and the peoples’ concern to achieve such vision, a selective log ban should be implemented by the Governments of nations where its mountains have become bald because of indiscriminate cutting of forest trees, whether legal or illegal, and that huge deforestation have also occurred. The newly-approved Philippine law on “One Million trees” should serve as an inspiration to all earthlings and should encourage the peoples of the whole world

and their respective governments and the private sectors to plant millions of trees on their vacant lots and denuded forests. If put into realization, the millions and millions of trees planted will serve as absorbers of carbon dioxide in our environment and provide us with the needed oxygen. It will also help as our protective shields in our polluted surroundings..(Copyright 2008 by Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.) .

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