It has always been a misconception to label the optimum stability of one’s country to machineries, buildings and high technologies present. Sad to say, this fallacy remains and even triggers more people to compete with neighboring countries following the false criteria.

It is quite undeniable that in some ways, there are positive effects it brings like the acceleration of knowledge and skills due to modernization, increase in employment rate due to more industries that needed man power for operations and worldly recognition.

But what has been observed in our quest of modernization? Sad, but true---we have seen how susceptible Philippines to changes in weather pattern, the rise of sea level, shortage in agriculture and global food security, unsafe water sources, destruction of forest and wild life. The fastest growing region also probably means considerable increase in greenhouse gas emissions that leads to climate change.

Climate change is one of the biggest environmental challenges in world history. But despite this fact, just recently, there’s a proposal to the city council of Zamboanga to embrace coal-fired power plant as solution and means to mitigate power crisis in our city.  We have already determined the causes of climate change, why we keep on pushing to something that will just aggravate its effects?

We all need a world that is fit to live in. We also need inexpensive energy. Balancing the two needs is a matter of ecology and economics. Yes, the coal industry has committed itself to blending ecology and economics to produce sustainable and affordable energy. But let’s all open our eyes to see how the disadvantages far outweigh the advantages.

Coal-fired power plant is a non-renewable and fast depleting source of energy, it burns more fuels releasing carbon dioxide, a powerful greenhouse gas, and it leaves behind harmful byproducts upon combustion, thereby causing a lot of pollution.

Implementation of effective policy on energy efficiency and conservation is what we needed to address the problem.

Moreover, we have other renewable sources of energy as our options. Some would say coal-fired power plant is good because of its affordability and reliability, but in the future the damage that coal-fired power plant would produce would be much more expressive. Think wisely!