Energy Econ 8: More Intolerance by the Anti-Coal Camp

The construction of a coal terminal leading to a coal power plant in Cadiz City, Negros Occidental continues to evoke debates and emotionalism. There are two main protagonists there. One is the City government itself which supported and helped facilitate the entry of the power plant. The other is the Cadiznon Kontra Coal (CKZ). Both have facebook groups below.

Based on my engagement with them, I can say that both groups have the latter has shown high intolerance when you question them or you show non-alliance with them. I have proof for saying this.

On the CKZ, there is that attitude full of angst and anger, the attack is personal, on anyone who show support for a coal power plant. See my two compilation of debate with these guys,

Energy Econ 5: Coal Power in Cadiz, Negros Occidental, September 06, 2012

Energy Econ 6: Intolerance in Anti-Coal Hysteria, Cadiz Coal Project, September 17, 2012.

The first is 15 pages long while the second is 23 pages.

This compilation is equally long, about 16 pages including the 3 photos.

On the City government, I wrote them a letter last Tuesday, September 25 and posted in their fb group, below:

Hon. Patrick Escalante
Mayor, Cadiz City 

Dear Mayor Escalante,


In the Cadizmycitymyhome fb group, a certain Ariel Deriada said that "coal terminal in tinampaan, the project developer already acquired ECC in less than a month and had finished building concrete walls around the land where it will be built.there was no public hearing.... inland coal terminal application for ECC frm the emb was received march 3, 2012--it was approved april 11, 2012."


How true are these statements? 


I am pro-coal, also pro-nuke, pro-geothermal, pro-natural gas, pro-hydro, etc. but I also believe that all the requirements by the national government such as an ECC and passing the EIA should be complied with. 


Where can we see the results of the EIA? Can you make it available online? 


Lack of transparency causes more public cynicism and skepticism, and fuels often unnecessary opposition. I hope the City government can be more transparent about this issue.


Thank you very much.


Sincerely yours,


Bienvenido "Nonoy" Oplas, Jr.

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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?