Waste-to-stupidity

IN a September 26 op-ed for the Inquirer, former Socioeconomic Planning secretary Ernesto Pernia made a pitch for the expanded development of so-called waste-to-energy (W2E) projects in the country, touting this as a win-win solution for both the country's growing energy needs and its chronic problem with solid waste management. W2E is at best a problematic concept; the way in which it is viewed and being promoted in the Philippines, which is reflected in the views expressed by Pernia, is most likely dangerous.

Unfortunately, environmentalists and advocates of clean energy here and elsewhere face an uphill battle in curbing government enthusiasm for W2E development, as the idea has quickly become institutionalized among development partners such as the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank, the Japan International Cooperation Agency and others. The reason for this is that even from a climate change mitigation perspective, W2E does potentially have some value.