Get your kids an Ant Mine this Christmas!

A friend recently gave my kids an ant mine kit as a present. Upon getting it my kids got so excited that they wanted me to put it together immediately. So the following night, I set to work. The first task was to make the plaster of paris nest. I followed the instructions the best I could but ended up breaking the thing. It broke my little boy's heart. Yesterday, I bought new plaster of paris so I could continue the work. My second attempt was another failure. I put too much plaster into the water making it too viscous. The third attempt was just right.
After 45 minutes, I took extra-care in taking the nest out of the mold. And set it out to dry overnight.

This morning, my son bugged me to finish the work. Together with my daughter, we attach the plastic face and tube on to the nest. After doing so, we started catching ants. I didn't realize catching ants and putting them into the ant mine was so difficult! They ran so fast! I had to catch 1 or 2 at a time with a spoon and put them into the feeding hole. After getting about 25, my kids finally had the pleasure of looking at their new pets.

This toy makes a perfect gift for kids and kids-at-heart. It makes you appreciate the complexity of the ants' biome and teaches us about the reality of a living planet. Ants also make low maintenance pets compared to fish or dogs!

The kit is part of a series of interconnected biome kits from Treetoys.

photo taken from www.fizzicseducation.com.au

Is Climate Change Real?

I recently had a discussion with my wife about climate change. She was testing whether or not I accepted the validity of the problem as a mere result of Al Gore's movie. She wanted to know if I went through the data and formed my conclusions from it. Fortunately my background in Physics, compelled me to that previously.

Why do I believe that Climate Change is real? The empirical data shows it. Since the middle of last century, an increase of atmospheric CO2 has been recorded. This has been correlated to an increase in global average temperature in the same period. Current computational studies have concluded this as due to human induced greenhouse gas emissions. This is stated in the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Some say correlation doesn't mean anything but rather a scientific way to say its a coincidence. Having worked in the semiconductor industry, I've considered statistical signals as trigger conditions for action. When we see violations of the rules of statistical process control, we jump and work on finding root cause. We would then work on establishing cause or effect by an experiment using DOE or Taguchi techniques. Ultimately, this leads to finding an effective solution. The climate and CO2 data have definitely violated the 7 point rule a long time ago.

Establishing root cause is a bit more difficult than a typical engineering problem. The system under consideration is a complex one. I encounter blogs that conclude global warming is a hoax because of the absence of a deterministic equation relating CO2 and Global Mean Temperature. If I had a purely engineering background I would also make the same conclusion. This is where physics kicks in.

Complex systems do not follow simple equations but rather the physics of chaotic sytems. A good example would be fractals where you find repeating order in the midst of what appears to be random. Chaotic systems move toward attractor equations rather than being governed by simple equations . By understanding the attractors of a system, one can do the variable variations needed to study a phenomenon numerically. The resulting model is then calibrated with empirical data. Once a model is developed, it is published and reviewed by experts all over the world to see if the scientific process was followed regardless of the results. This is the check and balance culture intrisic in the scientific community.

The reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is the work of people from 130 countries. It involves 450 lead authors, 800 contributing authors and 2500 technical reviewers. I have talked to a member of the panel and learned the high level of conservativeness in reporting the data and making conclusions. As an example, their models do not include the impact of land based ice sheets to sea level rise. To accuse this work as consipiracy would be naive.

To end this blog, I would like you to consider your own views on Climate Change. If you find it difficult to accept, ask yourself why? Is it really because of the science or is it because it threatens your current way of life. You can always deny something but it will never affect its validity.

ZOO Survey

I just answered this survey. Proceeds are donated to ZOO atlanta.

Socialism?

The US presidential campaign has brought up socialism recently. Sparked by Sen Obama's discussion with Joe the plumber. I have lived in the US, so I'm not surprised as to why this would be an issue. Western European countries appear quite successful with the model where everything is laissez faire. The benefits would be having virtually free services, the downside would be high taxes. I had a discussion with a European friend and she was mentioning that she initially found the US system merciless. As she spent more time in the US, she found that more opportunities were open because their system.

Does the US really need a socialist style system? Does it make sense to tax high income earners to redistribute the wealth among the rest? I think it would be a big mistake. I have been pushing for a consumption based taxation rather than the current income based scheme. It is very absurd that productive members of society are taxed for the sake of the unproductive. I think it is the government's job to motivate and enable the unproductive to produce wealth. It is also the government's job to ensure new players have a level playing field in producing that wealth.

I am a citizen and resident of Philippines. Our country has had our forays into socialism in the form of land reform. Yep, land was distributed. Did it work? Because it was a "dole out', farmers borrowed money for the farm (using the land as collateral) but ended up getting in debt for buying appliances. After decades of land reform we can say it is a failure. We used to have sufficient rice, today we import it. As an NGO worker, the best practice we have in any project is to ensure the beneficiaries have some cash or sweat equity.

From my perspective, a lot of Americans don't know what poverty is. I consider American consumption habits much wasteful. I know because we buy the "junk" shipped to our country. How can we explain a nation with obesity as a major problem. Where the poor have cars! This is not poverty. Instead of socialism, I think a key solution to the current economic crisis would be a re-evaluation of . The root cause of the problem is consumption and here lies the solution. Income should be free and untaxed but consumption should be regulated. This would even go well with the proposed carbon taxation scheme to resolve the climate crisis.

Two cents from a Filipino across the ocean.

Real Sustainability

Last sunday, the family visited the base of Ministries without Borders in Gen. Trias, Cavite. This is a faith based NGO doing educational and health care work in areas of the Philippines. They have a child care program covering abandoned child care and child nutrition. They also have maternity care and work with indigenous communities in Mindoro and Mindanao.

What impressed me this this group was that while they are engaged in the social aspect of development, they are heavily environmental. The buildings in their facility had the proper orientation which allowed for daylighting without heat coming in. They had high ceilings which also alleviated heat. It was surprising to be cool in a building in the middle of rice fields without airconditioning.

Another thing that impressed me was that they segregate. They had big bins for recyclables (tins, bottles). I felt ashamed because I myself don't do it! I agree that this is the right thing to do but I never saw this done in simplicity and dedication as these folks do. They also mentioned that social benefit in that their local workers could get extra money when they sold the recyclables to junk shops.

I guess, there really is something when Christians take something to heart and do it. There is definitely something transformational when a cause is adapted into Christian work ethic which cannot be seen in secular organizations. More power to Ministries without Borders!

A lament for Boracay

My family recently went to Boracay for vacation. While Boracay certainly hasn't lost its charm, it is disheartening that its pristine state has been lost. When we went to this place in the '80s, it had the Gilligan's Island feel to it. There were no roads. You can buy a fisherman's catch of squid for PHP14. THERE WAS NO ELECTRICITY!

Today, a road runs through the middle of the island. Prices higher. There's even a mall! What grieves me is that progress on the island is irresponsible. We were making sand castles in Station 1 (high end area of the island) and found what a appeared to be sewage leachate. While the most station 1 resorts are responsible some just don't connect to the sewage system. In the middle of the island you also found "lakes" of stagnant run-off water. As stated in a movie my kids watch "take care of our island and it will take care of us". This appears to be an example of how not to do it.

On May 2006, Pres Arroyo declared Boracay as public land. Recently the Supreme Court upheld her right to do this. WOW! I guess when you are in power you can do what you want. Don't know what the implacation would be to titled properties on the island. The largest land holding was a sugar estate owned by Lola Soping Tirol. My grand father, Josefino Tirol, titled the land for her. It has since then been passed on to descendants, sold to relatives and other parties. This property wasn't of much value until the 80's when European backpackers discovered it. It would be quite frustrating that something that has been in your family for generations is suddenly taken away. But why should I complain, our goverment did the same thing to the Muslims. It has also done the same to rice lands in its ever failing land reform schemes.

I am quite warry of our government suddenly declaring lands alienable and disposable. If the government claims lands really for the redevelopment of pristine forests then I'm all for it.But if our properties are taken over by other private entities, then is another proof that we are in an Oligarchic society. Looking at 3rd Republic, the Marcos Era and the current Republic, no socialist venture of the government ever succeeded. The 3rd republic homestead project led to the Mindanao rebellion. Masagana 99, CARP and other incarnations of land reform led to the massive conversion of farms to residential land. In a true democracy, the Goverment's role is to regulate and provide incentives. If it wants to reforest Boracay, then it should provide the regulations and incentives for people to do so.

It is safe to say our country has never been free. We have always been either ruled by foreign powers or by the interests of specific parties. When will our society be founded on justice, fairness and equality. Our government probably the most un-Filipino institution of all. It denies our God given values of Damayan, Bayanihan and Palabra de Honor. At the end of the day, the poor remains poor and the rich become richer in the guise of helping the poor.

Boracay is threatened by those within who don't care about her health as an island and by external forces who wan't to take her away in the guise of being concerned for her health.

I'd like to end this blog with a very short story.

There once was a noble princess who lived in the south seas. She was descended from a noble line of malay datus. She belonged to the race that brought forth the civilization and rule of law in our islands. At the right age, she was wed to a noble king from Aklan. They had children and a wonderful kingdom. Their fame spread across the seas and nobles and princes from other lands came to visit them. The old king died and our queen, who was much younger, was left with her children. The children, however, lacked the nobility of their parents. The lived drunken lives. They allowed rough men into their domain. Many times did their mother get raped by these brutes. From afar, a cunning king saw what was happening. He wanted the beautiful kingdom now in distress. His plan was to propose a treaty of protection but in reality he wanted to exploit the kingdom and its queen all from himself. No one has heard of the kingdom since his proposal was accepted by the queen.

This will be Boracay's fate if we let it.

Visual Talk

If you haven't tried this, now is your chance

Book Review: Discipling Nations by Darrow Miller

I read Darrow Miller's book, Discipling Nations yesterday. I found it engaging that I finished it in about 3 hours ( thanks to Tony Buzan's speed reading). In this work, Miller states that developmental strategies are based on worldviews taken on by agencies. The book clearly compares between the materialistic view of the secular west, the animistic view of the mystical east and the theistic view of the Christians. An stirring example was when a Christian aid worker encountered a dying baby in Africa. The worker took the baby but the mother wanted it to die. The worker had the view that God loves this little child. The mother thought that it was the will of the spirits that he would die. The book also highlights the Malthusian view on population and how it differs with Biblical truth.

As I was reading, I was reflecting on my work as an advocate for sustainable living. I used to swallow American Evangelical thought, hook, line and sinker. It was when I was made aware of the Climate Crisis that I began to question this world view. The Bible says we ought to be like the Bereans and test what we hear. We are also told that we shall know them by their fruits. It is against my conscience to ignore the Climate phenomenon, demonstrated by numerical models, empirical observations and anecdotal experiences of specific individuals. It is against my conscience to ignore a call to live a simple, consciencious, content lifestyle and reject a lifestyle of consumerism, indulgence and hedonism. It is against my conscience to ignore the families affected in Bicol and Panay because of extreme weather.

Miller drives the point that a key difference between theism and materialism is that the former assumes an open resource system while the later a closed one. This just means one considers unlimited resources (open) the other having a "when its gone, its gone mentality" (closed). As a physicist, I'd say the law of conservation of matter remains but what can change is our attitude about it. An open system mentality would think " Land is running out but we can grow food in the ocean or we can use hydroponics" . A closed system mentality thinks "Land is running out lets reduce the number of people". While I'm for responsible parenthood, a mind set like this may lead you away from a culture of life. An open system encourages the evolution of technology to meet a growing population and ensure harmony with the planet.

The Bible says a righteous man avoids all extremes. A lot of folks think its a choice between Liberal or Conservative. Or Saducee or Pharisee. I chose neither...I follow JESUS!

Reforestation Efforts of Napocor

Our whole family went to Caliraya,Laguna today to plant trees in denuded portions of the Napocor's (National Power Corp of the Philippines) Watershed. Caliraya is a man-made lake, home to about 600MW of hydro-electric power. A couple of decades ago, Napocor started selling lands in the lake area which have become the location of popular resorts in this locale. It was a fresh look at Caliraya, coming here not to enjoy ourselves but to do our part in fulfilling the Edenic mandate. With about 600 volunteers, we were able to plant 7000 trees in about 2 hours. WOW!!! Can't wait to see happens when the other planting sessions in October and Novemer are done.

Napocor, has been very active in conserving watersheds in their areas because of their direct relationship to hydro power output. In Angat dam (Norzagaray, Bulacan), we saw Napocor's well maintained secondary growth forest, having an 84% cover and sightings of the Philippine Eagle. This is a stark and ironic contrast to the neighboring Ipo dam managed by the DENR (Dept of Natural Resources) and the MWSS (Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System). The Angat watershed was the source of all the seedlings we used in today's session. A couple of months back, our whole family helped out in preparing seedlings by bagging saplings in Angat. There was some fulfilment to see our seedlings finally put to the ground.

It is very important that each one of us realize the importance of the water cycle. Only ~2% of the world's water supply is potable and accessible. The advent of climate change, makes forests vulnerable to fires and heat damage. If the forests die, the ability of watersheds to collect and retain water will be destroyed. This means water will be come more inaccessible, leading to problems such as rice production drops and digestive tract diseases. (If you live in Paranaque or Las Pinas, you may have an idea of what this means.) It is therefore our responsibility to ensure that unnecessary forest damage is avoided.

To end today's blog, I would like to congratulate Noel Umali, Head of Napocor's Watershed Mgmt group, for consistently doing a great job in maintaining Napocor's forests. I would aslo congratulate Liesl Lim and Garrie David, of the Presidential Task Force on Climate Change (PTFCC), for the successful tree planting activity they organized today. Thanks guys!!!

If anyone wants to join the next tree planting activies on October 11 and November 8, send a mail to ptfcc.mail@gmail.com to express your interest.

The Sustainability of Ubuntu

I recently converted by laptop from an XP machine to one double booting with Ubuntu (Linux). I initially intended to make Ubuntu my back-up OS in case I had problems with XP. When I finally got to boot and install, I fell in love with look. I had the "hardy heron" desktop and the nice font to match it. As I was setting it up (i.e. getting my wireless card to work,etc.) I came across a video file of Nelson Mandela talking about the essence of Ubuntu.

What is Ubuntu anyway? This is a Zulu word meaning "a person is a person through other people" It involves an open community sharing resources. When asked about ubuntu, Mandela says for him, it is about people entertaining passing travellers even if they don't ask for it. It is the value of community and sharing. It is so much close to our Filipino concept of Bayanihan, where you care for others in your community. It somehow also reflects, the sense of community of heartland America.

It is quite ironic that modern software technology could be used to advocate a traditional human value. Ubuntu Linux claims it is "Linux for humans". Why? Because somehow it goes against the dehumanization of our man resulting from industrialization and urbanization. Ubuntu also makes software accessible. I see it as an enabling tool for the sustainable development of indigenous people. Where they can keep their culture yet be in touch with the world. With wider access of software, we can also reduce the need for transportation and be more efficient in our fossil fuel use.

Using open source software, catalyzes development, that is economically, socially and ecologically balanced.

Mandela talking about ubuntu

The Role of IT in Climate Change

Apart from all the sophisticated modeling of the climate, IT plays a key role in mitigating the crisis. I was talking today to a friend about his connectivity problems. He was still using dial up because he could'nt get cable internet or DSL. I suggested that he use get a USB cable for this phone and get an Edge or GPRS connection. (With your SMART Buddy prepaid phone, you can get a connection for PHP10/ 30mins. ) Later that day, I asked him if all the remote mission stations he was serving had cell phones. When he said yes, I said that we can connect them to the Web. I also realised that my work in participative energy planning could be made more efficient with collaborative technologies like gtalk or skype.

The importance of collaborative technologies is the possibility of avoiding travel, thus reducing cost and carbon of any endeavor. At Intel, we greatly reduced cost by having frequent teleconferences supported by filesharing and chatting. We even had worldwide training sessions using netmeeting. At Sunpower, we aslo used video conferencing and skype. Using these technologies we could pass files if the connection bandwidth permitted. Otherwise, we could post files on web locations for retrieval by anyone in the group interested.

With the emergence of the open source movement more technology options are accessible to developing countries. We improve the lives of the rural folk by linking them to the world and by reducing their need to travel. We can also equip them with real time tools for adaptation and emergency response. IT is indeed a comprehensive strategy for mitigating and adapting to climate change.

Of Crashed PCs, Surplus and Sustainability

In my previous blog, I mentioned my PC crashing.   My Dell Latitude D600 died on me.  Hopefully I get it to run again but in the meantime I need a computer to work on.  Thanks to my wife, who offered the use of her credit card (mine is quite loaded), I went off to search for another virtual world workhorse.   We go to HMR Envirocycle in Daystar Industrial Park, Santa Rosa, Laguna.  If don't know where that is, that's right in front of  Toyota Gate 1 along the Tagaytay-Sta.Rosa road.  If you still don't know where that is, then look it up in google earth.  Anyway,  we enter the showroom, suddenly my wife's face begins to brighten! She tells me its like doing garage sales in Arizona...WOW! So like a kid( with 2 kids behind her) she explores the store. She looks at desktops, flat screen panels, laptops, toys, furniture.   She ends up buying an ACER LCD display for PHP5990 and a scrapbooking tote for PHP990.   Together we look at the laptops, it was a choice between an IBM Thinkpad T30 and a Compaq EVO N610c.   We compared features, price, leading to our purchase of the Compaq for PHP17900.00 It should have been PHP15900 but this unit had an 80GB HDD! 

When we got home, I started installing xp.  At first it was quite frustrating because the pc would shutdown with every installation.  Then I remembered stuff when I used to work for Intel.  This laptop ran on a 2.4GHz P4m, a hot engine for a laptop as opposed to the 1.4 GHz centrinos.  So I started doing my installation in a cooler room,  with nothing obstructing the fan inlet/ outlet.  Hallelujah!  My PC was alive!  

Later I discover my PC didn't have an 80GB HDD.  It was showing only 28GB!  So I went to HMR and let them know of my problem.  Turns out, the sales people mistakenly thought the unit had 80GB. They replace my unit with one that had 40GB.  As for the extra PHP2000  I paid. They gave me a receipt acknowledging my overpayment.  They will be crediting this to my next purchase.

I'm now using my laptop to write this blog and so far so good...It is important that we use surplus items when we can considering the natural resources that were used in making these.  If we don't all these PCs, TVs, etc. end up in landfills. The heavy metals and toxic pollutants would then contaminate our water supply.  We then ingest these things one way or the other.  Either by us drinking these or by the seafood we eat.   So the next time you buy surplus, you are making sure that the next generation has a healthier life.

Sustainability and Assembly Toy Kits

Was offline for a few days because my PC crashed.  While it was frustrating not to work and blog, it gave me time to finish work on my son's robot arm kit. I purchased the kit at Alexan, 5F SM Megamall Bldg A, for PHP1500.  I got this for his birthday to support his drive to build things.  We assembled the motor modules, put together the sections of the arm/gripper and finally the control box.  After 3 days, we are playing with it.  

How does the assembly of a robot arm have anything to do with sustainability? A whole lot. For one, it reminds us of the hard work of putting things together. It teaches us that resources and effort were put in making one toy.  It also opens our minds to the idea that anything built can be repaired. If you can build it, you can fix it.  Ultimately, it ushers in a mindset of sustainable consumerism replacing our "everything disposable" mentality.  The bonus of a sense of accomplishment of building your own toy comes with it.

I threw my son the idea of building his own toys.  He now wants to build his own remote controlled car.  I told that we can possibly build our own computer.  My daughter wants us to build a Barbie Lifter (i.e. Whatever that is..) for her birthday.  

With all this things, I hope and pray that the next generation becomes a better steward of God's planet.

Robot Arm kit from Alexan

Manila Ocean Park

My family and I went to the Manila Ocean Park today as part of celebrating my son's birthday.  We had to wait for a few moments in the parking lot because it was raining hard and we couldn't walk to the building.   When we finally got to the entrance were we paid PhP1500 ( about USD40) for 2 adults and 2 kids.  

      The exhibits starts off with river fish. The notable resident here are the river Arapaimas, giant fish about a meter long.  You then go up some steps, to a water fall and down were you can look at some reef fish and touch some starfishes. At this point you enter into the reef fish exhibit.  Here you see nemo, dory, a giant spider crab and some small rays. The next section ("laot") you find bigger fish swimming in tanks with makeshift wrecks.  Here you find meter long groupers, pampano and the like.  Theres also an overhanging circular screen showing underwater footages and WWF-Philippines Vice Chair Lory Tan talking about reefs and climate change.  Manila Ocean Park supports WWFs conservation efforts in various Marine Protected Areas in the Philippines.   Regularly, Obel Resurrection, education officer of WWF-Philippines stays at the park to support educational activities with guests.

     We then go to the exciting part...The "Buhay Karagatan" section is where you go through a "sea tunnel".  You see all this big fish, rays and sharks swimming around above you. This is the best place to take pictures because of the adequate lighting ( no flash photography allowed in the complex).   I took pictures of my family with rays and talakitok swimming behind.  After the tunnel, the next room leads to an overhead tank of rays and a tank of sharks on the side. You also get to some kiosks where you can play games.  In this section, you find another view of the tunnel tank. Here we took pictures of lazy, people-shy rays that wouldn't go near the tunnel earlier. 

   After this section, we went up to the second floor.  Here you find a "fish spa", where you can have fish nibble on your feet ( didn't find any floating despite the stink).  You also find an area to do crafts and a clear bottom both ride.  In this section, you will have to pay extra so we didn't do anything here.   You the exit through the Ozeano restaurant (yeah...they kinda want you to dine here) and the souvenir shop (kinda like other theme parks in the US).  When we were out we played some games in an arcade and went out of the building for picture taking in Luneta and dinner at Harbour View. 

 Overall the experience was fun.  My son and daughter loved it very much.  Pictures to be posted in the site soon...

Cebu Pacific: Bright Skies for Every Juan

I recently talked to my friend and former co-worker in WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) Yeb Sano. He has recently been tasked to run the Apo Reef Adaptation project. Funding will be coming from the "Bright Skies" program of Cebu Pacific. The program actually allows sustainability conscious users help alleviate damage to the planet resulting from their travel. Specifically, a fee is charged per kg CO2 emitted by each passenger's travel. (Was a bit nostalgic, because I did the calculations for determine the fees when I was in WWF.) The money collected is donated to the WWF-Philippines for building the capabilities of specific ecosystems to adapt to climate change impacts. 

The 1st project to get this fund will be the Apo Reef - Sablayan area in Mindoro Occidental. In the past, temperature spikes have resulted in massive bleaching in areas like Apo Reef. Recently, typhoon-less storm surges have hit the area. As the impacts of Climate Change become more pronounced, the damage to this area would become irreversible. It is therefore critical that parts of the reef that have the best nutrient flow and biodiversity, regardless of past climate events be protected from human intervention. It is also critical that the community of Sablayan, be assisted to develop systems to minimize human and economic loss. Later on,  more adaptation sites will be beneficiaries for this fund.   More information at www.cebupacificair.com and at www.wwf.org.ph.

More visual talk

Learned more about visual talk today...

Panahon Na! Climate Documentary for the Philippines

Watched the premiere of Panahon Na! Ang Pinoy at ang Hamon ng Climate Change last Aug 18 at the opening ceremonies of the Moonrise Film Festival. While this film came after Signos, GMA-7's climate documentary for TV, it is timely in its launch. The film gave ample time to discuss solutions to the Climate Crisis. It stated the importance of adaptation measures to be deployed like Albay's A2C2 (Albay in Action on Climate Change) and Dumangas, Iloilo's Climate Field School. These measures prepare communities to respond to the impacts of Climate Change such as severe typhoons,rains and droughts. There was also mention of mitigation efforts such as the efforts of the Renewable Energy Coalition to pass the RE Bill, AMORE's effort to solarize un-electrified barangays. The film really gives a feel of Leonardo di Caprio's "11th Hour" but with better pacing (i.e. you don't get too much info crammed into your head). There still are some editing glitches but overall, the quality is good. Kudos to the Presidential Task Force on Climate Change and Infinit1 for producing this film. The film is shown with every entry of the Moonrise Festival. Check out schedules at www.ceae.org.

Enjoy the trailer...

FMEA/Risk Assessments for Adaptation Planning

A lot of times nothing gets done because data is unavailable. I remember my experience in manufacturing, was that the factory bosses would be ticked off if nothing was done because data was unavailable. As engineers, we learned to assess risks. In the absence of data we would assume the worst case scenario and recommend actions around that. It meant shutting down production lines until bad material was identified and quarantined. In the same way, climate risk assessments ought to be done by local gov't units based on anecdotal or limited data available. These risk should be plotted in an FMEA (Failure Modes and Effects Analysis) table based on current knowledge. As new info comes,RPNs ( risk priority numbers) associated with each "failure" (in this case catastrophe) mode are modified to reflect current reality. RPNs are calculated based on Severity of Impact, Frequency and Early Detectability. With the use of RPNs, resources are properly managed to address vulnerabilities.

Visual Talking

Just tried this out...maybe a means of making our advocacy clearer.

Using Surplus Stuff

I recently went to HMR's (www.hmrphil.com) showroom along Pioneer St in Mandaluyong.  I was looking for a keyboard for my Dell D600. While I didn't find what I was looking for, I did find that they had a lot of stuff that was still useful.  They had computers, spare parts, toys, exercise machines, furniture and a lot more. And these were still in usable condition. They had Compaq laptops priced at about P15,ooo.  I also found good toys that were still in the box (e.g. Pirates of the Caribbean-Maelstrom play set, a Uniqua doll from Backyardigans).  

Kudos to HMR for doing this recycling business. This means less life cycle GHG emissions,less trash for landfills, less POPs and heavy metals contaminating our water.    I also learned that they own the Save On Surplus franchise (www.saveonsurplus.net).  I will definitely support these business or perhaps even be a franchisee.  

photo from www.hmrphil.com

Renewable Energy and PGMA's SONA

It was pleasing to hear President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo mention the renewable energy bill in her state of the nation address. This measure has been in congress since 1988. It has recently passed the house of representatives and will be deliberated in the senate floor next week. The legislation aims to give incentives for RE such as net-metering, green energy option, portfolio standards and the like. The Philippines is the 2nd largest producer of geothermal steam, has about 77600 MW wind potential, 0.5kW/m2 of solar energy and much more RE! We hope RE will be the main source of energy for the country.

I'm back

Been busy for months...Today, I concluded my career in WWF. I now move on to actively support SWITCH, a multi-sectoral movement to drive Philippine society towards sustainable energy. I run SWITCH efforts on participative planning. On the side, I will be doing energy consultancy and audit work. I'll be writing more in the next few days.

Philippine Energy Summit

Currently ongoing at the SMX Mall of Asia