[Kasalikasan] Houston, we have a problem

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'The astronauts captivated the rest of us who are back here on Earth dealing with our wars, our inflation, and our insecurities from our fossil fuel dependence'

For nearly 10 days, the world watched as four members of the Artemis II mission brought space exploration to new heights, bringing all of us along for the ride.

From proposing to name a fresh lunar crater after a departed loved one, seeing parts of the Moon that had never been viewed before, seeing a solar eclipse from space, to showing breathtaking photos of Earth and the Milky Way, the astronauts captivated the rest of us who are back here on Earth dealing with our wars, our inflation, and our insecurities from our fossil fuel dependence.

To that last point: at a time when countries that had previously invested in clean energy systems are already reaping their benefits amid a global energy crisis, the Philippines — the first country in the world to declare a national energy emergency — is talking about “delaying a bit our [renewable energy] transition” and suspending its coal moratorium.

Experts had already warned that coal — another fossil fuel — would be a fallback during energy crises.

“Fossil fuels are inherently inflationary and inseparable from conflict. They provide the capital for invasions and the leverage for geopolitical bullying. To insulate against these systemic risks, the only viable path for ASEAN is a radical doubling down on electrification and renewable energy,” Asian Peoples’ Movement on Debt and Development coordinator Lidy Nacpil wrote as early as March 5, just days after the US-Israel war on Iran started.

A recent Zero Carbon Analytics analysis also showed how coal is “not insulated from geopolitical shocks.”

“Only renewables are immune to such immediate crises, as once installed, they do not require a constant supply of fuel to generate electricity,” Amy Kong wrote in her analysis.

We don’t have to look far to see how ramping up (and not delaying) the energy transition makes good economic sense. Rappler’s Shay Du wrote about finding solar panels everywhere in Camiguin, where power rates remain among the highest in the country despite frequent outages.

“The people of Camiguin learned long ago that solar energy is an investment that will give them control over their own power system. In the middle of an uncontrollable oil crisis, that investment has only become more valuable,” Shay wrote.

Rappler’s Iya Gozum also looked into how the Middle East crisis has increased the demand for solar installation in the Philippines, overwhelming installers who have had to reject clients or make them wait.

“The crisis could push the energy transition in two directions at once: toward renewables for energy security, or back toward fossil fuels through short-term crisis responses,” the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis wrote.

Let’s hope the government knows where the Philippines should go.

Till the Tuesday after next!

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– Rappler.com

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