Philippine Science High School Eastern Visayas Campus Alumni Association THE EASTERN VISAYAS CLIMATE PROJECT FORUM

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THE EASTERN VSAYAS CLMATE PROJECT FORUM

The Science behind Global Climate Change and its Social Impacts - A Philippine and Eastern Visayas Setting Rationale
Scientists have long recognized that the planet Earth will heat up with increasing levels of carbon dioxide emissions. Greenhouse gases in the air contribute to too much heat stored in the atmosphere which consequently causes drastic climate change. Significant heat changes in the Earth's climate can severely have an impact on all forms of life, including animal, plant, human and aquatic / marine (Stouffer, 2009). It was only in the 1980s that these fears have become more profound as regards global environmental impacts of rising greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). In 1992, international negotiations on global warming led to the signing of the Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC) at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Signatories ratified the FCCC in its initial meeting, the Conference of the Parties (COP) the supreme decision making body of FCCC on March 28,1995. Since this meeting (COP1), member nations have focused on targets and timetables for controlling emissions of greenhouse gases and the need for financial and technological transfers (Giambelluca and Henderson-Sellers, 1996). The current climate debate on several contentious issues are either political in nature or are focused on questions of priorities - intensify economic development or reduce carbon dioxide emissions. While as a whole, several nations have switched to cleaner and more efficient technologies to address GHG emissions, the FCCC targets thru the series of COP meetings, have not been fully achieved. One of the difficult questions confronted by COP is the implementation of the commitments of member nations. Kyoto Protocol, another international agreement, envisioned to alleviate the growing concerns related to global warming / climate change by targeting global GHG emission reduction by 2012, has its shortcomings. Some of the rich countries, consequentially the worlds great GHG emitters, have refused to sign this international agreement. The irony of this development is that the worlds poor, mostly from developing countries, continue to bear the dire consequences of climate change, to include thousands of people dying or are displaced due to deadly droughts and floods and diseases. Worse, these rich countries and international corporations have victimized these poor countries by acquiring land from poor countries to be farmed to answer their countries food supply needs and energy source. The Philippines, a developing country, accounts for only 1/3 of 1% (0.3%) of GHG (Manila Times June 2009). It is one of the most affected countries having suffered extreme weather catastrophes in the world in 2006. This is in spite of the country being ranked as 51st in the Global Climate Risk Index of 2005 (Global Rate Index 2006, Phil Daily Inquirer, Jan 2008) and being one of the low GHG emitters. While there is an increasing acceptance of the high probability of global climate change, in depth discussion on the science and social impact of climate change has not been dealt with. Scientific researches and policy programs / plans (Giambelluca and Henderson-Sellers, 1996) need to be assessed and integrated in a holistic approach in order to effectively address climate change impacts and undertake appropriate adaptations in the Philippine context. Scientific findings and mitigative measures to address consequent impacts of climate change on the society, especially those belonging to the marginalized groups, (farmers, fisherfolks, rural and urban poor, women and children) remain to be of paramour importance. It is in this setting that the Philippine Science High School Eastern Visayas Campus Alumni Association has organized the Eastern Visayas Climate Project Forum with the theme: The Science behind Global Climate Change and its Social Impacts - A Philippine and Eastern Visayas Setting. The Eastern Visayas Climate Project Forum is in association with The Climate Project Pilipinas, a partner organization of the The Climate Project (TCP), Al Gore's climate change leadership program, which is a nonprofit organization founded in 2006. TCP's mission is to educate the public about the harmful effects of climate change and to work toward solutions at a grassroots level worldwide. TCP has more than 3,000 diverse and dedicated volunteers internationally. TCP Presenters have delivered 70,000 presentations and have reached a combined global audience of 7.3 million people.

Philippine Science High School Eastern Visayas Campus Alumni Association and the University of the Philippines Visayas Tacloban College

Philippine Science High School Eastern Visayas Campus Alumni Association THE EASTERN VISAYAS CLIMATE PROJECT FORUM General Objectives
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1. bring together representatives from the different sectors of the society: local government officers,
government units, educators, journalists, student leaders, NGOs, parishes, and other concerned people, to discuss and express their concerns about climate change related problems from a variety of perspectives. 2. Inform and educate participants on the various aspects of climate change, including the scientific basis, environmental and social impacts, policy and strategy options, and operational measures to address climate change effects. 3. Create a discussion forum where emphasis will be made on policy-relevant approaches and ideas in order to provide a better understanding of climate change related problems by sharing research results, experiences, methods and strategies, and how these can be applied in the Eastern Visayas setting. 4. Form a network of advocates in Eastern Visayas who will initiate policy proposals or advocacy programs to address the issue of climate change. Specific Objectives The following set of objectives is based on the first, second and third general objectives: 1. Promote forum 2. Conduct forum 3. Create a list of solution recommendations applicable to the Eastern Visayas setting The following set of objectives is based on the third general objective: 1. Create a table of contacts with fields of expertise or practice 2. Create an online community of advocates using free online resources 3. Follow up on participants on their progress reports Learning Objectives

Assess the impact of climate change in the world, Philippines and Eastern Visayas setting, especially
on the most vulnerable sectors or areas like water, agriculture, coastal areas, as well as on terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Assess what the different sectors in society have been doing to address and mitigate the impact of climate change in the Philippines Law and Governance; Education, Science and Technology; and, Industry and Economy. Assess probable solutions which may be applicable to the Eastern Visayas setting Identify how different sectors--to include agriculture, fishery, energy, etc--could be made sustainable the midst of climate change.

Program
The Forum highlights the latest in policy development and research on climate change. The main plenary speaker is Mr. Rodne Galicha, a Philippine Presenter from the The Climate Project (TCP) and Philippine Partnership for the Development of Human Resources in Rural Areas (PhilDHRRA). Other speakers are recognized authorities in climate change in the academe, policy development and implementation, and advocacy.

Science and Social Impact of Climate Change Current Issues, Researches and Solutions implemented for Climate Change - Eastern Visayas in Focus Advocacy Forum Discussions

Inquiries
For more information, you may log on to http://pshsevcaa.ning.com/ or contact:

Mary Bernadette V. Egloso, PSHSEVC Alumni Association 053.327.3714 / 0915.383.1788; marybernadetteegloso@gmail.com Rodne R. Galicha, TCP Pilipinas, PhilDHRRA 632.426.6740 / rgalicha@phildhrra.net

Philippine Science High School Eastern Visayas Campus Alumni Association THE EASTERN VISAYAS CLIMATE PROJECT FORUM
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We look forward to seeing you in the Forum.