A new color for Christmas and beyond: Blue, the new green

Sorry, La Sallians, but the world, which is under the grave threat of climate change and related issues, must now give importance and attention to our Ateneans’ color—blue.

“Go Green” was the battle cry of environmentalists like me—green buildings with eco-friendly design and materials, green energy with renewable, green transportation with clean fuel, green environment with less waste, and green water and natural resources with improved management.

In short, aim for a “Green Economy.”

The latest world summit, Rio+20, discussed and debated on what a “Green Economy” is and how it should be achieved. The summit concluded that Green Economy is the type of economy that should contribute to eradicating poverty and achieving sustained, inclusive economic growth while maintaining healthy ecosystems.

Its main strategies are those mentioned above—from green buildings to natural resource management.

But climate change started to wreak havoc on our planet and the world economy. It has made becoming “green” insufficient. Scientists are now recognizing that having a blue planet, with about 70 percent of its surface covered by oceans, may be delaying—although not permanently avoiding—the adverse impact of climate change. That is because oceans absorb about 90 percent of global warming. Thus, our blue oceans serve as buffers that store and slowly release the heat of climate change.

Stronger storms

Such ability of oceans to absorb heat and store carbon dioxide is good for reducing climate change. But absorbed heat can make oceans warmer, leading to the development of stronger storms and sea level rise that can adversely affect communities, especially coastal ones. Absorbed carbon can change the chemistry of seawater, making it more acidic for corals, shellfish, and other organisms to thrive. So our blue planet must now cope with ocean warming, not only global warming.

Ocean warming is a big threat to our planet and all life forms. Estimates of water in oceans range from 252 to 343 quintillion gallons or billion billion gallons (the repetition of “billion” is intentional). When such a great volume of water expands from warming… and rises, the results can be disastrous.

Global sea-level rise of 3.2 millimeters every year has been observed since 1993. But what perplexes scientists is that sea surface temperatures in the last decade have been quite constant.

Has global warming “paused” then? Or is the ocean warming at deep, deep levels that man’s monitoring capability cannot yet reach?

Unfortunately, the world knows little about oceans. Scientists and policy makers on climate change are now focusing increasing attention on them. The Deep Argo project of the Argo Program is now looking deeper into the oceans. Argo, a key component of the Global Ocean Observing System, is a collaboration of more than 30 nations that is coordinated by an international group of scientists and technical experts.

In our country, attention on oceans and the blue or aquatic (marine and freshwater) ecosystems has basic reasons other than climate change—livelihood and food security—which are now also influenced by climate change.

Marine diversity center

The Philippines is at the center of the center of marine biodiversity in the world. But what have we done to protect and tap sustainably such biodiverse wealth that God has given us?

Our fisher folks, who have been depending on our blue ecosystems for their livelihood, are highly vulnerable to climate change. Yet they are among the least protected, with no insurance cover. Fishing is a small-scale means of livelihood for most of them.

We must now develop sustainable, science and technology-supported blue ecosystems-based social enterprises, not just small-scale fishing, that will provide inclusive development and growth for our people.

Many of our 7,100 + islands are surrounded by water that provides nutritious fish, but such fish is fast disappearing due to overfishing and other causes. Yet, when we talk about food security, the need for fish sufficiency gets much less attention than rice sufficiency. I’d rather have galunggong without rice than rice without it! But we do not even have to settle for just galunggong; we can get the more delicious lapu-lapu as well—if we shall manage our blue ecosystems more effectively.

We must realize that blue has become the new green not only in addressing climate change, but also in aiming for an economy that can save our planet. I understand that the Blue Economy concept focused on the blue ecosystems is the theme or a major topic of both the Apec and the Asean Ministerial meetings that we are hosting in the Philippines next year.

Climate change, livelihood, and food security are but some of the issues associated with oceans and the blue ecosystems. Filipinos must also add our continuing struggle to defend our islands from the expansive maritime claims and bullying of one country. Blue is the new green that we must also defend for a peaceful world.

At the global level, one of the latest major initiatives is the setting up of the Ocean Security International (OSI), a nongovernmental, knowledge-based organization that I briefly introduced through this column in December 2013. Led by its indefatigable President and CEO, Dr. Viktor Sebek, OSI seeks to protect the oceans and promote ocean security. It now operates from its headquarters in Cartagena de Indias on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. It has current and planned offices in other countries, including the Philippines, which strongly support OSI in promoting and strengthening South (America)-South (Asia) cooperation.

OSI successfully held its inaugural conference in Lima, Peru on Nov. 30-Dec. 1, 2014, just before the recently concluded UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP20) there. In its Lima Declaration, OSI recognized the critical role of oceans in addressing climate change mitigation and adaptation. It acknowledged “addressing climate change and ocean protection is a long-term, inter-generational endeavor, in which behavioral change and increased awareness must accompany the current focus on scientific and technical solutions.”

OSI called for partnership and collaboration among governments, the private sector, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and faith-based organizations. The panel for the first of three technical plenary sessions, which I had the honor to chair, discussed the roles of these groups: For the government, Climate Change Commissioner Heherson T. Alvarez; for NGOs, Dr. Lilia Casanova of the Philippine Women’s University, Viviana Moura of Colombia’s Fundacion Ecoprogreso, Prof. Andy Knight of the University of West Indies, and Jaime Orejarena of OSI; and for faith-based organizations, Archbishop Antonio J.   Ledesma and Bishop Efraim Tendero of the Catholic and Evangelical Churches, respectively. Carlos Iglesias of the Colombian Hotel and Tourism Association and I provided the private sector perspective. The summaries of our presentations, as well as those of other speakers at the OSI conference, are accessible through the OSI website, www.ocean-security.org.

I am happy that OSI adopted my proposed Blue Economy strategy that gives priority focus on the blue ecology/blue ecosystems. Actually, the Blue Economy concept that our Committee on Climate Change and Sustainable Development (CCSD) at the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) promotes goes beyond the blue ecosystems. It is the type of economy for the survival of our blue planet that Belgian professor and entrepreneur Gunter Pauli introduced in a report to the Club of Rome—a system-based economy that produces no waste because it is designed so that the waste of one product serves as raw material for producing another product.

Blue Economy

The book of Gunter Pauli, which is available through the Internet, presents numerous case studies to prove that we can have such a Blue Economy without waste. Our MAP CCSD Committee conducted a special forum on it on Nov. 14, 2014. We plan to soon conduct workshops on this broad Blue Economy concept. But, for now, our focus is on oceans and the blue ecosystems.

OSI plans to maintain a global engagement on ocean security by continuing to bring together policy and decision makers from all sectors. The aim is to craft new partnerships for innovative strategies and action for addressing issues and challenges faced by oceans and the world economy and population, especially coastal communities.

OSI will initiate its outreach “Mission 150” program, a network for ocean information collection and dissemination covering 150 countries, with focal points in Africa, Colombia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Philippines, Singapore and Sri Lanka.

New initiatives

OSI, with its partner academic and research institutions, plans to upgrade and expand its educational and cultural outreach and to develop and disseminate teaching modules on oceans.

It recognizes the importance of arts and culture in engaging and educating the public on ocean security and related issues. Due credit for this recognition goes to Cecile Alvarez who passionately convinced the delegates of the crucial role of arts and culture.

OSI is also considering establishing a “Pro Ocean Security” initiative to endorse and label products and services that are beneficial to ocean security.

OSI, as well as all of us, must understand more and protect our oceans, aim for a Blue Economy, and make our blue planet a safer, livable place for us and the generations to come.

Animo, La Salle: Blue is the new green for Christmas and beyond! Merry Christmas!

(The author, a Balik-Scientist, chairs the MAP Climate Change and Sustainable Development Committee and heads the TOWNS Foundation’s Information Caravan on Climate Change. She is a member and the Coordinator of OSI’s Scientific and Academic Advisory Board. Feedback at <[email protected]> and <[email protected] >. For previous articles, please visit www.map.org.ph.)