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| ON THE OTHER HAND |
| On Biofuels and Glorietta
By Antonio C. Abaya Written on Jan. 14, 2008 For the Standard Today January 15, 2008 Knowing that I have a degree in Chemistry (from Northwestern University), the Philippine organizers of the recently held 10th Eurasia Conference on Chemical Sciences had asked me last December to devote a column on the conference, especially since four Nobel laureates in Chemistry were going to attend to read papers during the forum. I agreed on condition that at least one of the four would be reading a paper related to the phenomena of global warming and climate change.. Unfortunately that was not to be the case: all the papers were on esoteric and highly technical subjects in Chemistry that would have been of no interest to the general readership of this column. But fortunately the organizers thought of holding a Nobel Forum last Jan. 9, after the conference, to which the general public and the media were invited, and where the Nobel laureates talked about more mundane matters of current interest. Dr. Hartmut Michel, co-winner with two other chemists of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their work on photosynthesis, gave some wise words of caution to the Philippine government that rushing to bio-fuels was �counter-productive.� (Philippine Daily Inquirer, Jan. 14). �When you calculate how much of the sun�s energy is stored in plants, it is below one percent�When you convert into bio-fuel, you add fertilizer, and then harvest the plants. There is not real energy gained in bio-fuels.� Bio-fuels include bio-ethanol (fermented from sugar, corn, cassava, etc), bio-diesel (extracted from palm, coconut, jatropha fruits), and biomass (from solid waste and agricultural waste). �When you burn the forest (to plant bio-fuel crops), you produce too much carbon dioxide, which you cannot save in the next several hundred years. �.We should not put money in bio-fuel development. It�s counter-productive�.� Are President Arroyo and Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri listening? Dr. Michel did not mention the other negative about bio-fuel, that when farm producers switch from food crops to higher-priced bio-fuel crops, the land area devoted to food crops is diminished and food prices go up. The world market price for wheat, for example, has gone up by 22 percent in the past six months, which is why our pan-de-sal has recently gone up in price from.P2.00 to P2.50 per piece. I wrote about this in my article of Dec. 17, 2007 titled Wayang in Bali . http://www.geocities.com/dapat_tapatt/wayang.html In an article in the Dec. 12 issue of washingtonpost.com, Economist Robert J. Samuelson wrote that because of worldwide divergence of farmlands from food crops to bio-fuel crops �the prices of basic grains (wheat, corn) and oilseeds (soybeans) have soared. Corn that had been selling at about $2 a bushel is now more than $3; wheat that had been averaging $3 to $4 a bushel has recently hovered around $9. Because feed grains are a major cost in meat, dairy and poultry production, retail prices have also risen. In the US , dairy prices are up 13 percent in 2007; egg prices have risen 42 percent in the past year. Other countries are also experiencing (food price) increases�.� Again, are President Arroyo and Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri listening? Since we are talking practical chemistry here, I would like to comment on the Philippine National Police�s �final report� on the explosion that severely damaged the Glorietta 2 shopping mall in Makati City last Oct. 19. In my articles Glorietta LPG Blast (Oct. 22) and Tiptoeing around LPG (Oct. 31), I stated my opinion that the blast was caused by a gas build-up, not by a terrorist�s bomb: http://www.geocities.com/dapat_tapatt/glorietta.html http://www.geocities.com/dapat_tapatt/tiptoeing.html But I disagreed and still disagree that the gas was methane. I still think it was LPG. The PNP based its methane theory on the fact that the pumps in the sub-basement � which were supposed to pump out the mostly liquid waste from the building�s toilets and restaurant kitchens to the city�s sewerage line � had malfunctioned the previous five days and thus may indeed have caused methane gas to build up in the basement. I argued in my articles that five days were not enough time for methane gas to accumulate to the volume needed to cause such a large explosion. Solid waste takes about ten days to generate methane; waste diluted by the toilets� flush water and the kitchens� wash water would take much longer. The PNP claims that the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Australian Federal Police and an Israeli security consultant employed by the NAIA all concurred that it was a gas explosion, not a terrorist�s bomb. But only the Israeli has been directly quoted. Why? What did the FBI and the Australians actually say in their reports? Did they disagree with the PNP on which gas caused the explosion? The PNP also said that there were two explosions (which is correct), but that one minute and 45 seconds separated the two blasts. This long time gap seems to have been inserted to explain that the methane blast caused the standby generator�s diesel fuel � which does not vaporize or gasify at room temperature � to also explode. But the maximum temperature in the basement and sub-basement would have been reached at the moment of the explosion, not one minute and 45 seconds later, by which time the room temperature would have gone down appreciably. Besides the lone survivor who was interviewed on ANC by Chiqui Roa talked as if the two blasts occurred one after the other, not one minute and 45 seconds apart, which is quite a long time in the sequence of events.. According to my informant, who has done contractual repair work for Ayala Land and its lessee, Makati Supermarket Corp. in the premises, there were LPG cylinders in the basement, to which the kitchens of at least three busy restaurants � Luk Yuen, Kimpura, and Peking Garden - were connected by copper tubing. Considering how busy these restaurants must have been at 1;30 pm on a Friday afternoon, it is reasonable to assume that there were at least ten restaurant-size 50 kg LPG cylinders in the basement on that day. Enough to cause the severe damage that the shopping mall suffered, plus the death of 11 persons and the injuries to 108 others. My informant also said that all those who had done work in the premises were required by Ayala on Oct. 22 to sign a written promise not to talk to media about the incident. But, of course, that is mere hearsay. Ayala has always insisted that it was a terrorist�s bomb that blew up, apparently for insurance liability purposes. Just last Christmas Day, a suicide bomber exploded his vehicle next to a truck delivering cooking gas cylinders in the city of Baiji in northern Iraq . The twin explosion killed 25 people, injured 88, and severely damaged buildings in the immediate neighborhood. On June 29 in London , two Mercedes-Benz sedans, parked in the Haymarket theatre district and nearby Park Lane , were each found to contain cooking gas cylinders, plus cans of gasoline and tens of thousands of nails. That the two improvised explosive devices failed to explode � the bomber was apparently an amateur who may have made the same mistake in the wiring of the two bombs � can be ascribed to pure luck. According to British police, if the two bombs had exploded, �hundreds of people� would have been killed. This is not say that the Glorietta explosion was set off by a bomb. In the absence of bomb fragments or shrapnel, a bomb crater and/or substantial nitrate deposits in Ground Zero, one cannot conclude that it was a bomb, especially since no one has claimed credit for it. But it does say that cooking gas � whether methane or butane/propane in LPG - can be just as lethal. At this late date, there is still one way to determine with finality whether it was a bomb or a gas explosion. Of the eleven people who were killed, seven died instantly, and four died from their injuries hours or days later. The four who died of injuries later were breathing the air in the vicinity during and immediately after the explosion. Assuming their families give permission, their bodies can be exhumed and autopsied, especially the lining of their lungs, windpipes and sinus cavities, to determine what substance or substances had been deposited there. If nitrate residue is substantially present, then it was a bomb. If there is nothing but carbon ash, then it was either methane or LPG. Neither media nor the PNP have provided a diagram to show where the 11 persons who died were at the time of the explosion.. From what I have gleaned from media accounts, two were killed by wreckage from the partially collapsed escalator on the ground floor of the mall, while two women were killed instantly by the concussion as they alighted from their taxi which had stopped at street level at the mouth of the basement entrance. In the absence of information about where the others died, this would suggest that the full force of the blast traveled in a straight line from somewhere near the basement entrance � where the LPG cylinders were allegedly stored � and not in the basement and sub-basement where the methane gas was said to have accumulated and from where the force of the blast would have had to climb a flight of stairs and bounce off several walls before reaching the basement entrance and the taxi parked outside... ***** Reactions to [email protected]. Other articles in www.tapatt.org and in acabaya.blogspot.com OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Reactions to �On Biofuels and Glorietta� More Reactions to �Presidential Fever� On Gov. Fr. Ed Panlilio Tony, Your astute observation plus your professional background as chemist give more credence and make more sense of the Glorietta 2 blast than what I can make out of the police report. Cesar M. de los Reyes, (by email), Jan. 15, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony: For your information, I filed last December 10, 2007 House Resolution No. 376 �DIRECTING THE COMMITTEE ON ECOLOGY, COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND THE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE AND FOOD TO CONDUCT AN INQUIRY, IN AID OF LEGISLATION, ON THE CURRENT BIOFUELS PROGRAM AND REVIEW ITS IMPACT ON ENERGY SECURITY, CARBON EMISSIONS, GLOBAL WARMING AND FOOD SECURITY.� On December 11, 2007, the following day, I had a little exchange with Senator Migs Zubiri at the LEDAC meeting in Malacanang in the presence of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Sen. Zubiri opened the discussion on biofuels when he urged that the DOE rebut the article in the Inquirer that day which was unfavorable to biofuels. I then responded by cautioning about allocating too much resources on biofuels in view of the negative studies made by experts, as mentioned in my House Resolution. The wonder of the internet! I can see what you can see there and vice versa... it's an equalizer between two different worlds. Looks like the need to review and revisit the wisdom of biofuels is gaining momentum. Zubiri's problem is that his family is in the sugar production industry. I don't have that conflict of interest. Thank you for joining the debate in biofuels. Best regards. Roy (Roilo Golez), (by email), Jan. 15, 2008 Congressman, Paranaque City wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Thanks for sending me your articles, Tony. I have a theory which you might wish to ponder on. You do know that Ayala 2 is one of the older parts of the Mall, right? It's probably up for renovation. But, I suppose that there was resistance from the long time tenants, esp. the restaurants operating there, to move to another location while that section will be renovated. What if? Ayala hired some goons to figure out ways to create some damage that would render that section inoperative until further notice? (And what evidence do you offer to support this theory? ACA) There were supposedly traces of "RDX" which is a component of c4. What if, it really was c4, but in a very mall quantity just enough to create a crater or something minimal but enough to close down the place? Unfortunately, the small amount of c4 may not have considered the cooking gas tanks all parked underground. This may point to the conclusion that those who planted the c4 were amateurs because if you watched the movie of Stallone and Stone, the Specialist, the bombs could be targeted properly, if done by an expert. Why was it done in broad daylight amidst many people? So that they could blame the terrorists. So the theory is, bomb explodes, blame terrorists, renovate using insurance money. If Ayala weren't really guilty, why would they pay the families, give them houses, etc.? Their insurance company would probably pay for all the damages which includes 3rd party liability. And you're right about the methane gas coming from the septic tanks. You will need decomposing manure the size of Smokey Mountain to create that kind of an explosion (if at all). Lawrence See, (by email), Jan. 15, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, Your theory seems more plausible. Regards, Toti Chikiamco, (by email), Jan. 15, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, Your evaluation of the Glorietta blast is brilliant. It sounds very objective to me, particularly the need to exhume and autopsy the victims. I hope the relatives of the victims will agree for the sake of public interest and welfare. I wish other media people were as cerebral. Gus Cosio, (by email), Jan. 15, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hello Tony! I still say we have to go into bio-fuels if we are to avoid paying exorbitantly for our energy. The other alternative energy sources are simply more more "iffier"; none of which can be used to run our vehicles given the state of technology and economy. What I mean is that electric cars which can probably use wind, solar, nuclear and other sources of energy are already in market but these still are light-years from mass consumption. The Nobel laureate says that burning forests to plant bio-fuel crops is counterproductive. I say that there are hardly any forests left in the country and that one does not have to burn trees to plant these crops. The laureate probably overestimated the extent of our forest resources. What we should do is plant bio-fuel crops, say coconut or sugar cane, in idle or marginal areas, which can be used for energy and for food. These plants have been with us since time immemorial so no one should complain if we plant more of these; ditto for sweet corn. Will bio-fuel plants reduce the areas planted to food crops thus decreasing our food supply? Not necessarily. Rice lands will continue to be rice lands unless the government does something stupid like reducing subsidy to palay prices, in which case the farmers will switch to other crops regardless of these being bio-fuel crops or not. There will even be increased supply of products such coconut oil and sugar as crops from which these are derived are planted to more areas. You mentioned the increased price of pan-de-sal and implied that this was due to reduced area planted to wheat worldwide. That could be one reason but there may be others more influential to setting wheat prices, such as climate, cost of production including energy, and increased demand especially from fast-developing countries like China and India and even the Philippines with its poor population with Western taste. Bio-fuels have the advantage of being renewable and unlike crude oil, can be produced within the country. As to its economic viability, I think this is for the market to decide. No one will plant bio-fuel crops if there is no profit to it or it deprives them of planting more profitable non-biofuel crops. In this times of rocketing fossil fuel prices, it will be criminal for the government to ignore the prospects of alternative energy sources, in particular bio-fuels. Is rushing into bio-fuels counterproductive? Rushing into anything is generally counterproductive but in this case we are already very much behind. The Americans are already very much into this long ago; the Brazilians are nearing self-sufficiency in energy thanks to bio-fuels; and even the oil-exporting Malaysians and Indonesians have long rushed into bio-fuels as evidenced by their massive planting of the bio-fuel plant oil palm. Herminigildo Gutierrez, (by email), Jan. 16, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww I'm not so sure about bio-fuels being counterproductive, but as for jatropha plants and palm trees, only the seeds are converted into bio-fuel... the plants and trees remain as such, nothing is killed. So they will still emit some oxygen into the air. As for plantations, I'm also not certain whether forests are cleared to make way for such production, but there is enough barren land in the country that can be used as such. I don't think it's necessary to do the kaingin method to keep the land fertile. However, I do agree that the individuals responsible for such an endeavor must pursue further studies on the matter. If the rest of the world is supporting bio-fuel, and this one study says its counterproductive, what are the odds that Dr. Michel is correct? If Greenpeace, WWF, Haribon, Klima, and so many others advocate bio-fuel, bio-diesel, and other alternate sources of energy, then this study is questionable. We are running out of fossil fuels, so if fuel cell, electric, and solar powered cars are in production then we can deviate from bio-fuel. Not unless more alternative ways of transportation is provided. Thanks for your emails, Tony. My two cents. Crissie Malay, (by email), Jan. 16, 2008 (According to a report by James Kanter in the Jan. 16 issue of The New York Times, European Union officials are preparing legislation that will ban imports of certain bio-fuels, principally palm oil from Southeast Asia, soy from Latin America, ethanol from Brazil . �Not only is native vegetation, including tropical rain forests, being chopped down in places to plant bio-fuel crops, but fossil fuels, like diesel for tractors, are often used to farm the crops�..In Indonesia , more than 18 million hectares of forests have already been cleared for palm oil development�.� ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Mr. Abaya, I am a Registered Electrical Engineer (REE) and here is my take on the report of the Glorietta explosion. The report mentioned gases and more gases. However, for these to explode, you need ignition. The PNP report mentions something like 'an electrical source' igniting the gases. As Pinoys continually hear about this shortcut on fire causes: 'faulty electrical wiring', I am not surprised to hear about this excuse being used again. Nobody checked the electrical equipment that 'caused' the ignition. What if these equipment are rated as Class 1 (i.e. made to operate in dangerous gas filled areas')? Now this whole excuse falls apart. Robbie Tan, (by email), Jan. 16, Jan. 16, 2008 (Leaking gases or a gas build-up can also be ignited by a cigarette, cigarette lighter, an old model cell phone, or an acetylene welding torch. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya, Your article from the Standard Today dated 14 January 2008 is very enlightening. Logically right and I think for the people like media and government think the way you think, I feel that there is no throwing mud with each other and spending peoples money on nonsense investigations. I feel we do not need those experts from others countries and pay them a handsome amount for their services. Filipino are the best thinkers, best scientist if only they use these given talents progressively. Bottom line is I love your article. As I said, it is enlightening. Wish there are more people who are like you. Francisco Sobrevega, (by email), Dhahran , Saudi Arabia , Jan. 16, 2008 Project Controls & Estimating Division/PS&CD, Aramco wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww But of course, Jewish people are known all over the world to not part with their money so readily. If the Glorietta blast was an industrial accident, as the experts ruled,. its owners would have to pay very dearly. Hence, the Ayala minions are fighting tooth and nail to have it officially declared a terrorist act. And who do you think will win? These people always get away with their hocus pocus. Remember Alabang Golf and Country Club, a share of which you used to own? Its prospectus touted the designer of the golf course would be the famous and illustrious golf designer Robert Trent Jones. Because Ayala made a lot of short cuts in order to save a lot of money, Mr. Jones withdrew his name as its designer, hence its 2,800 buyers were left with a generic golf course and had to put up their own money to complete the golf course. In spite of several lawyers among its members, nothing happened and Ayala Corporation snickered all the way to the bank. I bet it will get away with this one, too. Warm regards, Dodong Almario, (by email), Jan. 17, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, Your "chemical expertise" is very correct The theory of accumulated gas out of the waste is very weak. And this not only because of the needed time for waste to create enough gas. It is also hard to believe that for several days nobody has been going there and opening the door, as everyone would have realized the existence of such gas. But even if the main explosion has been LPG, it would only need a small "bomb" for to damage LPG tanks to create the big explosion. This would explain the two explosions and also the previously reported existence of RDX residues. A small explosive device can be made easy, it does not even need to be terrorists. It also would allow the theory that it has been a ploy by military to shift public attention from the 500.000 Peso payout at Malacanang. Just a hand grenade would have been enough to crack LPG tanks. Probably there will never be a real correct finding anymore, which leaves the problem of the pronounced finding of RDX by the government investigators but which then has been totally reversed. This, even there was the statement of PNP that the residues are chemically investigated for to find if it is from military or from mining C4. [email protected], Germany , Jan. 17, 2008 (Of the two explosions, the second was weak. My theory is that the first blast was from LPG cylinders near the basement entrance, the second from the accumulated methane gas in the basement/sub-basement area. Of course, it is possible the LPG cylinders were made to explode by a grenade. But that would make three explosions, not two. And you would have to produce grenade fragments to prove that theory. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Pretty interesting stuff! That's what I like in your writings. You always write important issues with facts and suggestions! You, the man! Re: Bio-fuels Again, as what I've said before for the Hydrogen fuel.. How much are we talking about? And what's the difference between Bio-fuels and Hydrogen in terms of national budget fund and saving 80 million people? I mean, here and now? As in. the quickest possible answer to this high level problem? Tiny Philippines can't do much damage (if we choose Biofuel) than the superpower nations like China , USA , Australia , Russia , UK , France and others. Biofuels are much of a choice "here and now!" Please base the idea on the kind of economic strength we have in the Philippines . We should NOT level ourselves with Sweden and Iceland because it takes multiple life-times to be at their level right now economically. Make suggestions simple and affordable that's within our pesonality:) Arroyo and Gloria, are you listening? Use existing resources. Look around. coconut, corn and jathropa, sun, hydro, wind. anything that the mother nature give this tiny tropical nation. As far as plantation stuff, Jathropa can grow in any soil even in rocky lands. I don't think we can plant rice there. I don't know if we can mix Jathropa leaves with Pichay leaves sa tinula. So, there's no human consumption competition as well as the agriculture lands. Brazil is doing this Biofuel stuffs and they're successful. It's proven already! Your idea of Hydrogen fuel should be implemented by the rich nations like USA and Australia because they have the money, power and influence. Re: Glorietta No idea about the technical stuffs. All I know is the Ayalas are trying very hard to get insurance stuffs.. Because if they can't prove anything.. There are no insurance, no new building and no customers. It's business. the same thing with the previous coup stuffs:) The Philippines 's future is dictated by the few.. The powerful business groups and Catholic Church. The great pawns are batallions/infantries of squatters and AFP. Nowadays, there's no way, it's People Power (Masses) since most of them were being paid to rally�... LF, [email protected], Jan. 18, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww (Forwarded) Thanks for forwarding this. Aside from the comment that plants store less than 1% of solar energy, unfortunately the comments of Dr. Hartmut Michel were not supported by numbers. For his argument regarding biofuels to be irrefutable, all input and expected output must be considered. Whether plants store 0.1%, 1% or more is really immaterial from the point of view that solar energy will come from the sun whether we use it or not. The point is that humans have to use whatever energy can be stored. The question redounds as to the best way to capture any available energy source. Available options are mineral oil, natural gas, biofuels, wind power, geothermal energy, water containing potential energy by virtue of its location, ocean waves and photovoltaic cells, among others. It took many, many years for mineral oil and natural gas to form. Humans have been extracting these hydrocarbons for decades. The consensus brought home by stark reality is that it is becoming more and more expensive to find these sources and then to economically convert them into usable forms of energy. Since it took a very long time for these energy sources to form and humans used them up in mere decades, these are not renewable sources of energy. Hence the need for alternative energy sources. The energy available through wind movement has been captured in Ilocos. Along vast tracts in California and other places, wind power is similarly captured. Geothermal energy is captured in Luzon , a source of pride for me, and in other places. Photovoltaic cells are used in the Philippines and elsewhere. The energy of water trapped in dams has been converted to electrical energy. There have been attempts to use the energy of ocean waves but there does not appear to be successful use of this on a large scale. Biofuels are used in Brazil and the US . Brazil has successfully used alcohol as a viable alternative to gasoline. Low percentages of ethanol have been successfully blended into gasoline in the US for at least a couple of decades. Both Brazil and the US have vast tracts of land where conversion of crops into bio-fuel is possible. Note that Brazil has the advantage of getting more solar energy per unit area of exposed surface than countries closer to either the North Pole or the South Pole. Although the Philippines does not have the land mass of either Brazil or the US, like Brazil and other countries in the sun belt it does receive more intense solar energy per unit area than countries closer to the Poles. Prof. Michel suggests using direct conversion of solar rays to storage batteries. That is not a novel solution. Many have tried that route. As mentioned, the Philippines in fact uses photovoltaic cells but the energy thus captured is but a small portion of total energy consumption. In the 1990s, photovoltaic cells had lifetimes of 1 to 4 years. At that time, it was thought that there was a net loss of energy in using them. Present day photovoltaic cells last significantly longer and do produce net energy vis-a-vis the energy needed to produce them. The decision to utilize them requires studies of the cost needed to produce and effectively utilize them at the scale of energy utilization which the country needs. If there is any net energy gained in any system, its ultimate deployment depends upon economic factors . The utilization of bio-fuels in the Philippines and other countries which lie near the equator or countries which compensate for the lack of intense solar radiation by having large tracts of land available makes sense if there is a net energy saving derived from using such renewable energy. If in fact the solar energy captured by plants is sufficient to meet significant energy needs and if there is a net energy gain when using such fuel, irregardless of the percentage captured, shouldn't the development of the technology be pursued? While the conversion of corn, sugar cane and other food crops have raised the price of those commodities, these increases in prices must be weighed against price increases in traditional energy sources like mineral oil and natural gas. Since about five years ago, prices for gasoline, diesel fuel and bottled natural gas have more than tripled. Chances of such fuel prices tumbling down are dim. The rise in prices of food commodities therefore must be viewed in light of parallel and possibly higher rising costs of fuels which the ordinary person utilizes. An attractive option is conversion of biomass into energy. Biomass in the form of bagasse, rice straw, coconut husks, corn stover, wood including sawmill dust, used paper and all forms of materials containing celluloses can in principle be converted into ethanol. Wastes from piggeries and wet markets have been succesfully converted into usable fuel gas. This means that food crops need not be the only sources of bio-fuel. Critics can rightly claim that ethanol does not contain as much energy as gasoline, diesel or natural gas on a per molecule basis. This is because ethanol already contains one atom of oxygen per molecule of ethanol. By contrast, gasoline, diesel oil and natural gas contain carbon and hydrogen (plus small amounts of additives). When hydrocarbons such as gasoline, diesel oil and natural gas are oxidized, i.e ., burned, the hydrogen and carbon they contain are converted into water and carbon dioxide. But the disadvantage inherent in ethanol can be removed if the oxygen it contains can be removed and a new form of hydrocarbon fuel made. In short, rational thinking would point to examine all viable options and subsequently utilize the best ones. It would not serve Philippine interests if we simply took the opinion of one person, even if that person had all the degrees and honors that this world can bestow upon individual brilliance. It behooves us to look for pragmatic solutions. It just does not make sense to throw away the competitive advantage that the Philippines happens to enjoy by being luckily located such that it receives more solar energy per unit area than countries such as Germany where Prof. Michel comes from. Sen. Miguel Zubiri has taken a step for the Philippines to minimize dependence on expensive, imported mineral oil. Let us give him and his fellow legislators, our government officials in the energy sector, our scientists and entrepreneurs an opportunity to come up with viable solutions. After all, in time, perhaps in the not too distant future, possibly within the lifetimes of people who now populate Earth, oil from the Middle East, Russia , Venezuela and all the oil exporting countries would be prohibitively expensive. Wouldn't it be nice if at some future time, the Philippines , continuing to receive the sun's rays finds ways to economically capture solar energy and becomes an energy exporter? Does the possibility of the Philippines becoming one of the new leaders in energy sources bring smiles to our collective faces? How does the prospect of the Philippines becoming the next Saudi (in terms of energy producing capability) sound? After all, the Philippines can expect to receive large amounts of solar energy for a very long time. Please do not take my comments to denigrate the idea of Prof. Michel. If in fact there are practical, cost-effective ways to produce photovoltaic cells which meet energy needs, by all means let us evaluate that possibility and integrate it in our energy grid. As has always been the case, there are many ways to skin a cat. Ben Peczon, (by email), Jan. 20, 2008 (CEPALCO in Cagayan de Oro operates the biggest solar farm operating in the Third World . It occupies an area of one hectare, surrounded by another hectare to protect it from vandalism. It cost $5 million to build, but it generates less than one megawatt of electricity. Solar energy is not applicable for large towns and cities, only for small users or for individual buildings, houses, factories, or communities. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww More Reactions to �Presidential Fever� (Jan. 08, 2008) WOW, thanks a lot, Ton. Willie Villarama, (by email), Jan. 14, 2008 Former Bulacan congressman and governor wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya, I did not receive on my e-mail your articles on 'Presidential Fever,' 'Rizal: Underserved Adjectives," and "Post Office Thievery." I got the 'Wayang in Bali ,' 'Most Corrupt President,' and 'Classical Music for 2008.' The latest e-mail I got from you was this one and before that was your article entitled: 'Son of Cha-Cha.' Just for your info and keep on writing those thought-provoking pieces of yours. Thank you. Rey Gambe, (by email), Calamba, Laguna, Jan. 14, 2008 (For articles that you or other readers may have missed, please access my website www.tapatt.org or my blogsite acabaya.blogspot.com. wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, If Tony Meloto becomes president, it would be like doing a Lee Kuan Yew for our country. He can be our answer - an honest, honorable man who would be there to serve his country. But would he run for president? I don't think so, unless he's pressured to be our savior. It's not really a far-fetched idea considering the great number of Couples for Christ members, apart from the intelligent voters among us. We should be worried if Mike Velarde would run because the guy might win on the strength of the size of his El Shaddai congregation. Best, Yett Montalvan, (by email), Jan. 14, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww On Gov. Fr. Ed Panlilio Dear Tony, I want to share with you this LTE which I sent to Inquirer and Phil. Star. I am not sure whether they will publish it. More power to you, Arnold van Vugt, (by email), Cagayan de Oro City, Jan 12, 2008 LETTER TO THE EDITOR (Jan. 10, 2008) Priests in politics The other day there was a news report that said that bishop Leonardo Medroso of Tagbilaran was cautioning other priests against doing a Gov. Ed Panlilio. �There is no more need to enter politics,� according to Medroso. I think the good bishop is wrong, and so are all the other bishops who say the same. They talk as canon lawyers more than as good shepherds when they say this. But even Canon Law allows priests to take action in situations when the well-being of the laity is in danger. Except for Canon Law there is no biblical or theological basis whatsoever for saying that priests cannot run for a political position. It is a purely disciplinary law, the same as it does not allow a priest to get married. If they would, may be too many priests would run for a political office, or for that matter, would get married. Even Jesus of Nazareth was an ordinary carpenter. The bishops have imposed a too harsh penalty on Fr. Panlilio by putting him on suspension. He cannot exercise his priestly ministry? Why not? Is there a contradiction between the two ministries, the priestly and the political? Fr. Panlilio has shown as a priest that moral leadership is possible, even in the extraordinary circumstances of Pampanga. Clearly he is driven as a priest by the power of the Holy Spirit. I agree with the suggestion of Fr. Panlilio that bishops and priests should prepare lay people for responsible politics. But it is not only Pampanga that is in extraordinary circumstances, but the whole country of the Philippines as well. Not only the people of Pampanga are in moral danger but all Filipino people are indeed in moral danger. It would not have been that way if only the bishops as one would have exercised their God-given role of prophetic witnesses. I would like to quote here a few words spoken by the late Archbishop Romero of San Salvador thirty years ago: �It is very easy to be servants of the word without disturbing the world; a spiritual word, a word without any connection with history, a word that could sound in any place of the world� Such a word has no problems, doesn�t call for any conflict. What really calls for conflicts and persecution, what really is a sign of a true Church, is the Word that proclaims and denounces, burning as the words of the prophets. The Word that announces to the people of God the wonders of God, the Word that accuses of sin those who obstruct the Kingdom of God , so that they may tear out this sin from their hearts, from their political structures that oppress, corrupt and harm the rights of God and of mankind.� Blazing words spoken on December 10, 1977! If the bishops as one would have spoken that prophetic Word, the country today would not be in such a miserable condition, our political system would not have been that corrupt and, most of all, our president would not have been able to continue her reign of deceit and terror. Arnold van Vugt P.O. Box 237, Cagayan de Oro City wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww GLOBAL FILIPINO NATION SUPPORTS GOV. ED PANLILIO'S MINISTRY OF POLITICS AND GOOD GOVERNANCE There is a convergence of the goal and strategic directions of the Global Filipino Nation and those of Gov. Ed Panlilio of Pampanga. The goal of the Global Filipino Nation is effective governance in the Homeland. Gov. Ed Panlilio has demonstrated that the pursuit of politics could be a clean process, a Ministry of Politics and Good Governance, without the support of special interests and vote buying. Victory involved the voluntary and offered use of the personal resources of the people, and formally accounting for all political contributions � reversing the opaque practice in Philippine politics. The centerpiece of Gov. Ed Panlilio candidacy and tenure is effective governance, anchored on good leadership and good governance: inter alia, leadership by example, earned trust, credibility, a vision and rational program for constituents, performance, responsible citizenship, and modest and moral lifestyle. Within his first 100 days, among others, Gov. Ed Panlilio: � � Introduced transparency, accountability, integrity and performance in public office; � Rationalized the evaluation and funding for projects at the provincial and town level; � � Initiated steps to streamline and tighten operations of local government units; � � Raised by a significant multiple the level of quarry income; and � � Attained notable strides in activities relating to health care, education, agriculture and aquaculture, livelihood, and others. Gov. Ed Panlilio has kindled a light of hope that public service can be honorable and meaningful to the lives of the citizenry. There are elements that are bent on preventing Gov. Ed Panlilio from continuing to pursue his good governance goal � but they shall not prevail over the will of the people. The Local Government Code grants a Provincial Governor supervision power over mayors, defines the grounds for disciplinary action that could be brought before the Ombudsman or the Sangunniang Panlalawigan, and empowers the Governor to impose preventive suspension. The Global Filipino Nation strongly supports Gov. Ed Panlilio's leadership and program of government. The worldwide community of Filipinos � at home and abroad � will take all steps necessary to prevent special interests and traditional politics from destroying Gov. Ed Panlilio's Ministry of Politics and Good Governance. The people have spoken. Let their word be enshrined forever. GLOBAL FILIPINO NATION (A multi-sectoral association committed to effective governance in the Homeland, composed of overseas Filipino organizations and leaders, their onshore families and onshore Filipinos, located in the Philippines and countries with Filipinos.) OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO |