Energy Econ 5: Coal Power in Cadiz, Negros Occidental

Of all energy sources, coal power plants are the most demonized by the Greenies or environmentalist groups. See my previous discussion here,  Climate Tricks 11: Coal and James Hansen, RE Law and the WWF. And since many of those greenies are good at emotional campaigns, the public tend to get their bias.

1st row: Sual power, Pangasinan;

2nd row: Kepco power, Cebu; Pagbilao power, Quezon;

3rd row:  Masinloc power, Zambales; Mindanao power;

4th row: sketch of a power plant; old models often pictured as the "typical face" of a coal power plant.

There is an approved coal terminal, leading to the construction of a coal power plant in Cadiz City, Negros Occidental. This is my hometown, I was born there, finished my elementary and high school education there. My parents and two siblings are still there, along with many other relatives.

I belong to a facebook group called "Cadizmycitymyhome" and this power terminal is now a hot topic. Majority of those who registered their opinion on the subject are anti-coal in the first place, and there was little discussion on how the city government went through the process.

Below are the recent exchanges since yesterday, I copy-paste them here, zero alteration. Some discussions are in Ilongo. This is long, including the updates below, about 15 pages, so get your favorite snacks :-)
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TessBench 
Yes to Coal or No to Coal?

Matranillo  isip isip ,,,lalo na ang mga estudyanti,,yung malapit sa dagat...

Reginaldo  daw amo mana ginmitlang sg isa ka konsehal ho ang my sungay...

TessBench  Pili lang kamo green or black the choice is yours the consequence is ours!

Lar  Ayaw ko sa ma sungay :(

Nonoy  ba't ka pa mag isip, sa drawing pa lang, anghel na ang renewables, evil na dayon ang coal. More creativiity please.
I also posted this in another thread, our most expensive power rates in the whole of Asia will become even more expensive, thanks to the those "green power",
http://funwithgovernment.blogspot.com/2012/07/energy-econ-2-renewable-energy-and-high.html
Government and Taxes: Energy Econ 2: Renewable Energy and High Electricity Prices

TessBench  noy bisan butang nimo warning people still would choice the evil one take for example the cigarettes people still smoke .

Nonoy tobacco is a different thing, it is a self-imposed vice, and people own their bodies, not us, not the government, so let them do what they want so long as they don't engage in physical aggression.

Basically ang choices naton, (a) green power but unstable and more brown outs, and still expensive, (b) coal, stable power and cheaper. Ambot lang kon pirmi ang brown out sa Negros subong, or some big companies that can hire many people want to come in but are scared of the low power supply in cadiz or elsewhere.

TessBench Medado Palma kon sa bagay Noy i see ur point smoking is a personal choice but this case naton sa Cadiz sa coal, people are sometimes not given a choice but accept the government project whether they like it or not .

Nonoy Gani ang question lang da is the process. Did the city government make shortcuts or not? Did the coal power proponent follow the EIA and other requirements or not? If yes, then the city government and power proponent shd be made answerable. If No, then the project should proceed.

For those advocating green power, they should also invite those companies to put up solar, wind, biomass, etc. But since these power sources are highly unstable (the wind does not blow all the time, the sun does not show up all day and it's "hiding" at night), one would still need back up power and guess where you can get those back up power? from coal, or nat gas, where else.

Emay Mam Tess and sir Nonoy oplas i do agree with u too...but i guess the govt of cadiz want us too ponder on this things, papunta po tayo sa kaunlaran ng Lunsod ng Cadiz.Sana lng pakaisiping mabuti kung tama ba ito para sa mga taong bayan...

Nonoy If you want growth and development, you must have power or electricity, at the cheapest price and stable supply as much as possible. Supposed a big company would like to put up a huge theme park in Cadiz or nearby, that will create hundreds if not thousands of new jobs there. But if electricity supply is low and the price is high, that company will not come in. Plus the daily needs of each household, law-ay man kon gatuon mga bata, tapos mag brown out, ti balik kandila kag kingki mga tawo, not good, right?
Yvonne  by then, these households and kids will be dying of cancer they wont need cheap electricity anymore...theyre gonna need d candle though for the burial.

Neil It boils down that every citizen must endure the rising cost of electricity. Putting up the coal plant is not an absolute answer to provide cheaper energy. Even here sa Chicago gabatyag kami sang kamahalon sang kuryente despite we rarely have menacing power outages. We've been surrounded with aging coal plants and Nuclear Power plants which strategic locations are hardly visible. It's like a slumbering giant waiting to release its fury when things get out of control. Industrial accident happens despite following strict guidelines. Coal plant in Cadiz will never lower the high cost of electricity. ang pigado mamigado pa guid todo kong puno na sila sang respiratory ailments. I'm not exaggerating the costly medical issues induced by the harmful fumes. Gobyerno Ta pabayaan sa ital-ital ang tawo kong indi masolusyunan ang kalamidad halit sang company, and that is a proven facts. We must be mindful of earning the trust of our constituents and the rest will follow.........

Nonoy Yvone, coal = cancer? wow! In 2011, 34.4 percent of total power generation in the Philippines came from coal. There should be tens of thousands of death by now due to cancer if your argument is true.

Neil, as I said, if anyone can convince any of those green companies to put up a solar or wind or biomass power plant in Cadiz, go ahead. It should be good. Or geothermal or natural gas or nuke or whatever, fine.

Yvonne  check out www.hometownhazards.com. thats my say and i stand by it.

Neil  I'm all in for the solar or wind biomass energy Noy. It's environmentally friendly and I can't dispute your claim ang mga disadvantages man sina. Honestly, I wouldn't subject my family living in an environment that can easily trigger asthmatic episodes. Asthma runs in our family and we can't afford risking future attacks. It's not a joke to be shelling out money in this economic meltdown. And I can guarantee GREED supersedes emotional boundaries. Indi ni maintiendehan sang pro coal officials at all.

Nonoy Ti amo gani Neil, convince any of those green companies to go to Cadiz or other parts of Negros, that they can produce stable power source. Basi indi man na sila magsulod, ti maano ang mga tawo, balik sa kingki kag kandila?

Yvonne, layo man diskurso nila to say that coal = cancer. For the record, of the top 10 causes of death in the Philippines are lifestyle related -- cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, cancer various types, pneumonia and TB, http://funwithgovernment.blogspot.com/2011/03/killer-diseases-in-philippines.html
Government and Taxes: Lifestyle Diseases 2: Killer diseases in the Philippines

Igor ang plano mo Mr. Nonoy Oplas, pang short term... think long term effect! :) thought your think tank! :)

Nonoy Oplas sige lang ah, oppose lang ng oppose. I have been asking the anti-coal guys, invite the greenie companies to come to Cadiz, it should make you happy. Put up also a think tank to glorify the greenies, it should be cool.
Meanwhile, here are the existing coal power plants nationwide -- 3 in Cebu, 1 in Iloilo, others, http://funwithgovernment.blogspot.com/2012/07/energy-econ-coal-power.html
Government and Taxes: Energy Econ 1: Coal Power

Joeny we can have growth and development without the need for too much electricity. Focus on agriculture. with proper programs that support small and big farmers for the production of various crops like rice, banana, corn, coconut, etc. we can create jobs and give income to the city. can't we say then that we have progress if we are exporting these crops instead of importing them (esp the rice and corn)?

maybe the government sees growth and development by the number of factories, high rise buildings and malls and these are the ones that consume tremendous amount of electricity.

we are dependent on outside investors to build progress. and it is not because we dont have the resources but because the government failed to focus on what the strength of the province really is and wanted the easy road to progress "let the private investors do the work we'll just receive the taxes"...

Yvonne  just wondering...do d cities that have CFPP pay less electric bills than those who dont?...hay isip isip...
POLLUTANTS=ILLNESS period

Geraldine I think Mr Oplas should not delve in the field of health or medical issues in which his knowlege on this is only confined to its statistical data. I think he should first learn the pathophysiology of development of diseases. I would like to pose the question nga ini. If cardiovascular disease is mainly a lifestyle disease meaning people who eat and drink in excesses, smokers, eating high cholesterol diets, less exercises, meaning sakit sang manggaranon kag abusador sa lawas... why is it nga madamo man ang gakalamatay sini nga masakit subong nga mga pobre kag wala bisyo nga mga tawo? In fact mas madamo gani sang sa mnga manggaranon? :-)...

Why are the poor, the young and the elderly are prone to infections? How do cancers develop? Is there a relationship between toxins and these diseases?:-)

Drvfgmnhs from a reliable source...the one with CFPP in Iloilo...wala nagbarato ang electricity...wala man nag mahal....meaning the people there are paying the same elecricity bills as before...but starting to gain the price of deve;opment...and that is pollution...

TessBench  Its the sad reality that we really had a better alternative for this pollutants coal plant but the fact remains that this alternative green power is not an alternative for now aside na expensive sya not one of this companies may be offering to the city as another source of power. ay ambot ah sakit ulo ko. As of now the only thing i can do is to pray for God's intervention and will for our City. Bless my beloved City!

Jonas  TessBench, try to check my posting, there are actually alternative means even before pa tita, Deuterium and also the newly owned territory of our country, The Benham Rise, try to read my posting on both po :)

Neil  That's what I've said,guys! The escalating price hike of electricity will get us nowhere near to a profitable cheaper energy. Maayo Lang ang mangaranon maka afford sang tanan. Paano ang mga pigado nga magmalasakit sa ulihi? Double whammy guid! Noy, if majority of our kasimanwa is willing to brace this project, perhaps I can go with the flow. As of now, I firmly stand with my own convictions.

Neil  Friend Geraldine, This will be a heated topic between the pro and anti CFPP. Statiscally speaking, diseases linked to harmful pollutants were documented in the past. If we allow this to happen again daw gin tiklod mo ang tanan sa law of probability nga matabo gid na sa ulihi. Why don't they ask the Cities who successfully turned down such projects? Friend kong indi ma gets sang pro supporters lalo indi ma gets sang anti supporters.

Alliah  ANG CARICATURE MO BUTANGI SANG MAY IKOG KAY NAMI NA LATIGOHON ANG MGA MAY SUNGAY...

Igor  Mr. noy oplas, did you read Republic Act # 8748? and did you understand the IRR Rule III Sec, I-D... hope your Tank is not of septic Tank... :)

TessBench  Pls refrain using any insulting words . Let's be open to any opinion n comments. Let's talk this matter as a matured n professional individual. Each one of us has it's point so inde ta mag argue but respect it's others view.

Igor Shatuslav Triroguff Mr. noy oplas, read this and understand... RA#8749... RULE II
DECLARATION OF STATE POLICY

Section 1. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to protect and advance the right of people to a balanced and healthful ecology in accord with the rhythm and harmony of nature.

It is also the policy of the State to attain and maintain a balance between development and environmental protection.

Finally, it is the policy of the State to maintain a quality of air that protects human health and welfare.
...are you really a think tank MR. OPLAS? let the Government to look for alternative source of energy... ENERGY which is not harmful to human health!... Government can even afford to lend $1 Billion to European Country! Why not Invest on clean source of energy?

Geraldine  Friend Neil, the fact that medicine has evolved and gone into the molecular level of understanding the causes of diseases and aging process should make us more aware of its prevention. We should let the people understand that in their quest for the perpetration of human race, they unknowingly hasten its extinction because they are treading the wrong path.... since they let their GREED get the best of them.:-)

TessBench  May ara gani kuno altenative but the prob as Mr. Oplas is pointing out if I'm right wla daw sini nga company nag offer or willing to build sa aton City. So far cguro amo ni ang Coal plant willing to invest ang question guid naton subong is it's environmental and health effect to the people of Cadiz or can the government wait till this green power company will invest in our city. If the city will let go of this project is there other place in Negros willing to take this project?

Neil  ‎Geraldine, Well said Friend! An ounce of preventive measures is better than a pound of ignorance. It all comes down to Greediness friend.........regards to your family.

Ariel  are we trying to say that these investors are here to save us from the power crisis and not for their profits???? clearly they are in in cadiz for the benefit of their investments bcoz their technology is now "bulok" in the other side of this planet,

Reginaldo Real maybe ang sagay tess ky my basbas na ni ni gob na pwede na ang cfpp sa negros...
Kg my mga polical gambits ni, indi lng ni ky mga investors, my parallel mani sa political movement sa negros occ.
power politics have amajor decision making here...
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I did not reply to the above exchanges after my last comment. Some people hate that their "bright" idea is encountering a counter-argument, so they resort to personal attacks, like this Igor. In my articles too in interaksyon.com, some readers who do not like my idea also ask why am I writing for that paper, implying that only writers who agree with their worldwiew have the "right" to write in big papers or news portals. Well, if I was younger, I would return the favor and launch personal attacks too. But I recognize that immaturity and irrationality is everywhere, so there is no point in stooping down to such emotional behavior and immature temptation.

I am also flabbergasted to read that some people would rather see more brown-outs, more expensive electricity, more underdevelopment in their beloved city, than have a coal power plant. When pressed for alternatives, especially those supposedly "greenie" power companies to put up an alternative power plant in the city, the response is either muted or diversionary. Basta lang, No to Coal, period. Where to get additional power sources as the population, the number of houses, buildings, schools, and business enterprises are expanding, bahala na si Batman.

I would add that the City Government is also at fault for not being transparent enough by posting online related information about this coal terminal and power plant. This breeds public suspicion and skepticism, especially among concerned citizens who are no longer living in Cadiz City like me. The only official information or statement that I see is this posting in the City government's blog.

http://www.cadizinformation.blogspot.com/2012/07/mayor-considers-business-security-for.html

MAYOR CONSIDERS BUSINESS SECURITY FOR INVESTORS; COAL TERMINAL PROJECT GENERATES MORE REVENUES
Saturday, July 21, 2012 Cadiz City

Our economy is booming. Potential investors are coming in.

This is because Mayor Patrick Escalante has considered the importance of business safety and security for imminent local and international investments in Cadiz City.

With this development, the Asia Pacific Energy Resources Ventures, Inc. has invested more than 60 million pesos for its Coal Terminal Project in Cadiz City.

Antonio Prado, head of the City Port Management Office, has estimated that the multi-million CTP can generate revenues for the city. He said the city will earn around P400K to P500K for every dock and/ or for every coal loading in the port.

Aside from the revenue, Prado added, the project can provide employment for the people.
The project is occupying an area of two hectares along the access road in Barangay Tinampaan, Cadiz City. It is expected to start operation in the first week of August, this year.

According to Eng’r Cesar Lao-as, part owner of the project, the coal terminal is the first in Negros.
Eng’r Lao-as believes that the project can significantly meet the local demands for coal consumption.

The Asia Pacific Energy Resources Ventures, Inc. is a multi-national company where 78% of the shares is owned by Filipinos and 23% by foreigners.

The project will import coal supplies from Indonesia and other coal-producing countries. The Indonesia dominates the regional coal output and accounted for almost 75% of the region’s coal production.

Coal is used extensively for power generation and industrial application.
The coal terminal is also a necessary requirement for the power plant construction./*
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Come on, Mayor Patrick Escalante and City Councilors, put more information online and dispel public suspicion. You will get more negative publicity as these things are kept in secrecy.

* Disclosure: My elder brother, Nestor Oplas, was a former three-term City Councilor there, then became a City Administrator under former Mayor Bading Escalante. My brother though has passed away about five years ago, started with prostate cancer, then other diseases compounded his condition. *

In another thread yesterday in the same facebook group, I wrote several comments:
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Agnes

for the record mga kasimanwas:

indi ni first time na gin-propose ang coal-fired power plant sa Negros. accdg sa Green Alert Negros may proposal sg una na mapatukod tani sa San Carlos, Bago City kag ang last was sa Pulupandan in 2010. Tanan wala nadayun because of the local communities' active protests.

so ma-follow up lang ko tani kun sin-o na individual or group are organizing now? Accdg sa Green Alert they are starting to form alliances sa iban pa gid na environmental groups sa Bacolod para mag-back up sa aton. they said wala man sila may mahimo kun wala mismo sa local community naton ang gagiho.

Te ano ni man?

Agnes  it's unbelievably frustrating...i have a few people in my head that i thought could very well use their leadership skills and genius to stand up on this one...diin na sila man? i know ara lang da sila.

im sorry guys it sucks that im not there. i just love Negros so much that when i come home i dont want to see it in smokes!

Jojo  ako ari lang ko di Nes...and i'll be staying here for the rest of my life...and i feel bad about this...we

Agnes  PM ta ka Mam Jojo.

Norberto  all the concerned it is high time now to meet our alliance so Negros is free from hazardous power source to generate electricity. it is a long way to go. Look Mama the mountain ridge of Negros Island have not enough green covering . Can we do something to protect the watershed. Yes mobilize and plant more native/endemic species of trees and see the bright side of our island in the future. Later building and operating mini-hydro plant is very sustainable to maintain and much more beneficial to all. What you think It becomes! Agree ba tayo dito!

Nonoy Dali lang. Right now, the Philipines' electricity rates are the MOST EXPENSIVE in all of Asia. Higher than power rates in Japan, Korea, HK, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, etc. Can you believe that?
Now enter the renewable energy (RE) law pushing for more solar, wind, biomass, etc. The law creates the feed in tariff (FIT) and renewable portfolio standards (RPS) that will make our already expensive power rates become more costly, Do you like that? See the numbers here, http://funwithgovernment.blogspot.com/2012/07/energy-econ-2-renewable-energy-and-high.html

Yvonne  NO to coal-fired power plant!!! one does not need to b an "expert" to KNOW that if d air u breathe stinks, it is most likely bad for ur lungs...just simply sayin!

Save Cadiz Una sa tanan ang issue na ini mas dapat tagaan importansya ang cadiz kag ang pamuluyo bag.o ang pilipinas. Kag labi na guid sa tanan ang kabuhi sang isa ka tawo. Biskan anu mo pa na kabutang sang statistics ka energy na mabulig para mag nubo ang bayad sa kuryente, prayuridad man gyapun ang health ka cadiznon. Bottomline indi kilanlan e alay ang kabuhi para mag asenso ang siyudad

Neil  Health is wealth was once advocated. Now Wealth is being prioritized and Health is completely out of the picture.......pigado gid bulsa mo kong magmalasakit pamilya mo sa ulihi.

Nonoy Ok man lang na kon hard line kamo against coal. Or even against all other power plants other than renewables. Just make sure that those greenies are able to produce stable and affordable electricity for the Cadiznons and other people of our province. Pwede man gani that people can advocate "no more modernization, back to bahay kubo or the caves", to each his own. Ang problema lang kon ang iban nga may gusto sang modernization, like more street lights (greatly reduces crime), and cheaper monthly electricity, indi maka abante kon sudlan sang hardline nga position.
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There was an update from Tibs Filbert Arsenal Arceño who lives in Cadiz. He posted this last night:

the opposition to CFPP should be more vigilant especially in public forums, consultations and likes....... the consultation w/ brgy banquerohan officials last aug. 15 really happened. It was held in City planning office conference room. i was there. if u are really concerned about CFPP issue i suggest you try to go out there and ask around. if you confine ur sentiments/comments in the net/FB nothing will happened. YOU WILL BE SHOCKED TO KNOW THAT MOST ORDINARY CADIZNONS out there ARE IN FAVOR OF THE CFPP BECAUSE OF THE BENEFITS IT WOULD BRING TO CADIZ. youre shooting from the hip my friends.

Enough for now. I will post this paper in the said fb group, in the city government's facebook page, and in the city government's official blogsite. I hope to post additional update on this issue next week.
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Update, 2:45pm, September 06:

After posting this blog post earlier in "Cadizmycitymyhome" fb group, here are additional comments:

Geraldine  Noy, sorry pero we don't want to be sikat. Kuntani nag artista na lang kun gusto.

TessBench Medado Palma nabasa ko noy imo blog. hala careful sa inyo mga comment ur on the spot i mean in the blog . hehe!

Igor Shatuslav Triroguff Mr. Nonoy Oplas, as what I said, they done it in ILOCOS... why not in NEGROS?

Geraldine  Igor, sa Ilocos may Bongbong Marcos then...not just an educated but a LEARNED political leader... that spells a great difference...

Yvonne Chua freedom of speech, right to clean air! standing up and BE HEARD! tweet/blog/facebook or not.

Tibs  ‎@ Nonoy Oplas. i just read ur blog. Enlightening. thanks very much noy. i appreciate ur patience and ur unprejudiced comments. keep it up

Nonoy  Thanks Tess. Re personal attacks, I won't reciprocate such lowly attacks, but I will post/blog it. People are entitled to display their intolerance and arrogance, so I will give them the venue to do so. My blog has about 800 pageviews/day or about 24,000 per month on average, so medyo damo man gabasa.

My point stays: the City government must be more transparent and show more details about the project. Did the project proponent comply with the EIA and other DENR requirements? I showed in my blog article photos of coal plants in Zambales, Pangasinan, Quezon, Cebu, Mindanao, they don't seem to look as evil and as dirty as the antis would suggest. But then again, a coal plant can vary from one place to another. So it is important that compliance with requirements be made more transparent. Thanks.

Geraldine  Can u see the air, the free radicals, and the toxins that are slowly poisoning the surroundings? Cand u see its effect on the people by jusj looking at the pictures? Remember we can have a beautiful picture of a house but we dont know what kind of people lives in it.:-))

Nonoy  But cars, jeepneys, motorcycles, buses, airplanes, pumpboats, emit lots of chemicals and polluting substances too. Do we hear people banning those vehicles because they emit free radicals and toxins that are slowly poisoning the surroundings? If we have to be purist in environmental preservation, policies should apply to all and exempt no one.


Anne  Modernization is fine if it will not harm the environment and the people around...Say NO to Coal Power Plant ! It's gain will not compensate to the damage it will bring to our City... PLEASE READ BELOW!!!!

Environmental Impact of Coal:

An average of 170 pounds of mercury is made by one coal plant every year. When 1/70 of a teaspoon of mercury is put in to a 50-acre lake it can make the fish unsafe to eat. Coal power puts the lives of the people who dig the coal in danger, and it gives them poor lung quality. Also, it ruins the natural habitats of animals. See link below.

A coal plant generates about 3,700,000 tons of carbon dioxide every year; this is one of the main causes of global warming. A single coal plant creates 10,000 tons of sulfur dioxide, which causes acid rain that damages forests, lakes, and buildings. When people dig for coal, they cut down many trees. A coal plant also creates 720 tons of carbon monoxide; which causes headaches and place additional stress on people with heart disease. See link below.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_advantages_and_disadvantages_of_using_coal_to_generate_electricity#ixzz25exMB

Anne  Here in Arizona may Coal power plant kag ang lugar na naoccupy sang planta lang is almost 4 hectares then ang aso nga gina produce nya adlaw adlaw naga labot sa palibot nga mga syudad,ang ashes grabe kag halos ndi man gyapon progressive ang syudad! as a matter of fact halos dutay nalang gani gaistar didto ki grabe gid yab ok kag pollution!Mayo lang ki halos my AC mga balay kag mga salakyan so medyo tolerable.But sa Cadiz?hay,kaluluoy lang gid mga tawo da!

Neil  Thank you Anne. The hardline pro coal supporters will always be blindsided of the dangers over the benefits of acquiring cheaper energy. It is harder to grasp why they keep pushing this project to materialize despite the predictable setbacks. I'm optimistically hoping against hope nga mga kasimanwa maathagan sila sini sang halit nga dulot sa palibot.

Tiny That's what I was saying some time ago nga ang Cadiz indi ready sina. Puede gid na bala tani ipatukod KUNG ma mitigate ang mga risks kag kung may document gid nga nagapakita mga masikop ang TANAN nga hazards :) Bisan gani sa America nga high-tech na, may mga regulatory bodies pa - ga manifest gid gani ang mga negative nga effects. Paano nalang ang mga pumuluyo sang aton dakbanwa? :)

Nonoy Am curious who are the "hardline pro coal" that Neil is referring to. For me, I'm pro-nuke, pro-geothermal, pro-natural gas, pro-coal. I am also pro-solar, pro-wind, provided that these "renewables" will compete with other power sources with zero state subsidy. I am against any power source that becomes "viable" only because the government is engaged in energy cronyism.

The main issue, I repeat over and over again, is whether the project proponent has complied with the EIA and other requirements by the DENR. This requirement should apply to all other power proponents someday, be there geothermal, nat-gas, nuke, wind, etc.

Neil  ‎Nonoy Oplas, I'm referring to the pro supporters of CFPP. It is inappropriate to name names here Noy. I myself would consider a hardline Anti Coal Plant Project. There's nothing wrong which side I'm leaning to commit. Everyone has the free will to exercise their rights. I'm pretty sure, the city officials are monitoring closely about the sentiments of Cadiznon. Tani indi Lang personalon ang mga hinaing sang opposition group. As mentioned by other members here, nga may proper forum dapat sang mga pamaluyo kag opisyales to clarify the shroud of skepticism.


Geraldine
Coal Ash
www.beyondcoal.org
What is Coal Ash?

Nonoy  Geraldine, I suggest you start writing a blog. You have lots of ideas and suggested links. And it is important to start digging or inviting for alternative power sources, especially those greenie companies to go to Cadiz. An alternative greenie power is the best form of opposition to coal or nat gas or nuke or other supposedly "non-greenie" power. An archive of exchanges can be potential content of your blog, like this one that I compiled, cheers, http://funwithgovernment.blogspot.com/2012/09/energy-econ-5-coal-power-in-cadiz.html

Geraldine  Sorry Noy, much as I would like to, I can't:-) very busy gid ko. Pasulpot sulpot lang ako sa mga sites and make comments. Gakadula ang flow of thoughts ko kun mainterrupt ako kay may mga pasyente. Hahaha! No, indi naman ako hardcore greenie it is just that if we are going to destroy earth human race by BRISKLY adding more toxins

Lyra  Points taken Nonoy Oplas...thanks for the compilation of comments...I hope these will help Cadiznons weigh the Pros and the Cons. It is also a challenge to the City Government to let the people know what really transpired through the whole process of approving the Project Coal Terminal in Cadiz, which is precursor to the CFPP. It is important to let the people understand the advantages or the disadvantages of the Projects...after all we are looking forward to see what's best for our Dakbanwang Cadiz economically, socially, morally, and environmentally. I hope to see an alternative Project which would bring the best for all! So help us God. May God bless us everyone : )

Geraldine  Sa environment indi man guro eksakto...and indi lang to sa Cadiz nga lapit sa pumuluyo.:-)... imo guro na role Noy to invite investors to invest sa Cadiz:-)...ako sa health, ikaw sa economy ang concern.,:-)

Nonoy  Like you, I also wish to see Cadiz to develop economically. My parents are still there, my 2 siblings are still there, other relatives. I wish to see that people will have more jobs so they won't become too dependent on the politicians. Any big investor, say a mall developer, an industrial plant, a BPO provider, etc. would be looking at the city or province's power supply from short to long-term. If such stable and cheap power supply is not present, among other factors, they will not come. And the local people will be contented with driving tricycles or other micro business enterprises and the city's progress would be crawling.

Neil  This is a healthier discussion of a true blood Cadiznon. We may disagree to a certain degree but with a common goal to bring Cadiz to prosperity. Nevertheless, the opposing factors will certainly throw us off the wall and create disparity. With due respect to your economic augmentation Nonoy Oplas para sa Banwa ok's guid na. I can't risk the possibilities of CFPP setbacks nga dulot sa pamuluyo. I'm sorry Noy, I'm gonna be straight forward like my friend Geraldine Balandra who's head over heels preoccupied with our profession. This is my only way to exercise my rights and profess my faith for the betterment of Cadiz. We will continue to struggle relentlessly over this ongoing issue. A better settlement will ultimately unite us once again. Best of luck to all.

Nonoy  Yeah of course. If there will be other power proponents using geothermal, natural gas, nuclear, solar, wind, etc., the same strict EIA requirements should apply to all, no one shd be exempted. That is why I keep repeating that for me, the main issue is whether the coal proponent has complied with the EIA or not, and if the city government make any shortcuts in the approval process or not.

Secondary issue yong type of power plant to be put up. Even a wind farm can be damaging too, like hundreds of birds are killed by the wind blades each month as these birds have no idea that those blades on air can slice their wings and body. The huge amount of steel and cement to be used to build those tall wind towers can be resource depleting too. And you have to clear (or demolish) houses and other structures near those wind towers because of the noise of those wind blades, as well as possibility of those huge towers to fall on the ground through time.
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See also:
Fat-Free Econ 16: Coal, Climate and Government, July 17, 2012

Energy Econ 1: Coal Power, July 24, 2012
Energy Econ 2: Renewable Energy and High Electricity Prices, July 30, 2012
Energy Econ 3: Market Reforms in India's Electricity Sector, July 30, 2012
Energy Econ 4: Oil Prices and Taxes, August 27, 2012