BAGUIO CITY – The city joins World Earth Day celebration on April 22, Friday, with pre and post-activities focused on mitigating climate change and global warming.
Included in the activities is a free smoke-emission testing conducted by the City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO), Friday, from 8:30AM to 4PM at Harrison road. Regularly done by the Wastewater,Water and Ambient Air Management Division (WWAMD) of the same office, the activity focuses on vehicles needing maintenance, to keep the city’s environmental air clean.
Other activities are slated with the celebration of World Earth day.
In the same line, a letter from Michael Bloomberg, United Nation Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change, requested Mayor Mauricio Domogan to join the celebration by “posting a photo of participation in Earth-friendly programs and initiatives to highlight the leadership, commitment and progress cities are making on climate mitigation and resilience.”
A “toolkit” from the Compact of Mayors Earth Day to help “promote and amplify climate initiatives across all social media channels,” was enclosed.
The expected signing of the Paris Agreement by world leaders on Friday however signals the start of bigger and more comprehensive actions from the grassroots to national groups. Aside from planting trees, targeted to be 7.8B by year 2020 on world earth day’s 50th anniversary, other commitments include riding the bike, installation of LED lights, switching to electric buses, recycling and reduction of garbage, use of recyclable energy and the like.
Bloomberg encouraged action for the reduction of “local greenhouse gas emissions, enhance resilience to climate change, and track progress publicly.” We can build from the agreement in Paris to “a permanent place for cities as critical partners in the global climate solution,” he ended./Julie G. Fianza
