Dr. Jorge Emmanuel
Environmental, health and labor groups
belonging to the Stop Waste-to-Energy (WtE) Alliance will hold on Tuesday, September 20,
a forum that will shed light on burn WtE technologies touted as solutions to
the country’s garbage and energy problems.
The Stop WtE Alliance counts among its partners the Ang Nars Party List, Bangon
Kalikasan Movement, Cavite Green Coalition, Concerned Citizens Advocating
Philippine Environmental Sustainability, EcoWaste Coalition, Freedom from Debt
Coalition-Cebu, Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, Green Convergence
for Safe Food, Healthy Environment and Sustainable Economy, Greenpeace, Health
Care Without Harm, Mother Earth Foundation, Philippine Earth Justice Center,
Partnership for Clean Air, Philippine Movement for Climate Justice, Public
Services Labor Independent Confederation, Sanlakas, Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at
Progresibong Manggagawa, Zero Waste Philippines, Zero Waste Recycling Movement
of the Philippines Foundation and other
advocates for sustainable development.
Dr. Jorge Emmanuel, an environmental scientist, and Atty. Gloria Estenzo-Ramos,
an environmental law expert, will serve as key resource persons in the forum
that is expected to draw 100 participants from the academe, government,
healthcare sector, industry and the civil society.
“This forum is part of our renewed effort to enlighten concerned sectors about
burn WTE technologies as false solutions to our country’s garbage problem and
energy needs, and dissuade Congress, national government agencies and local
government units from falling into the costly quick-fix trap,” said Aileen Lucero,
National Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition.
Ramos will explain why the ongoing push for burn WtE technologies goes against
the spirit and intent of the incineration ban under Section 20 of the Clean Air
Act, which prohibits the burning of municipal, bio-medical and hazardous wastes.
Ramos taught at the University of Cebu College of Law (UC) teaching
Environmental Law, among others, and co-established the Cebu-based Philippine
Earth Justice Center. Ramos is currently
the Vice-President for the Philippines of Oceana, an international organization that is working to protect and restore
the oceans on a global scale.
Emmanuel will clarify the myths about burn WtE technologies and present the
facts, including emissions associated with the incineration of waste. Emmanuel was Chief Technical Advisor on health
care waste for the United Nations Development Program. He was a member of the expert group that
developed the Guidelines for Best Available Techniques and Best Environmental
Practices under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.
He
received his academic training in chemistry at North Carolina State University,
environmental engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, chemical
engineering at the University of Michigan, environmental management
specializing in hazardous waste at the University of California at Berkeley,
public health at the University of Iowa, infection control and prevention with
the Association of Professionals in Infection Control, and renewable energy
technologies at Stanford University.
-end-