Environmentalists Decry the Aquino Government’s Lack of Concern for the Environment

Environmentalists Decry the Aquino Government’s Lack of Concern for the Environment

By INA ALLECO R. SILVERIO and JONELLE MARIN
Bulatlat.com
An “F” for failure.
When it comes to protecting the environment, President Benigno Aquino received failing marks from environmental groups Center for Environmental Concerns (CEC) and the Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment (PNE).

In a forum held in Quezon City, the groups presented their collective findings on how the Aquino government has addressed or failed to address various issues concerning the environment and the country’s human rights situation. They said that Aquino’s first year in office was a washout when it came to the environmental concerns.

The environmental groups are set to commemorate International Earth Day on April 19 through various activities including rallies and fora, and they said that the Aquino govenrment should heed their call for reforms in policies to protect the environment.

Environmental activists give president Benigno Aquino failing marks when it comes to putting an end to environmental devastation and saving the country’s natural resources (Photo by Ina Alleco R. Silverio / bulatlat.com)

According to Kalikasan-PNE spokesperson Marjorie Pamintuan, President Aquino has failed to effectively address the country’s environmental problems and has in fact done much to aggravate them. She said that the government has no a clear “green agenda” and no defined policy direction addressing environmental concerns.

“The Aquino administration’s policies when it comes to mining ad forestry are no different from those of his predecessor Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The country’s ecology remains in fanger and vulnerable. Instead of protecting the environment and helping groups and organizations who seek to put an end to ecological and environmental destruction, the Aquino government continues to protect foreign business interests in industries related to natural resource extraction,” she said.

Environmental degradation rooted in poverty

The Cec’s executive director Frances Quimpo in the meantime said that the main causes of environmental degradation in the country are rooted in the economic programs and policies of the government.

“Deforestation, depletion and contamination of water resources, worsening air pollution and biodiversity loss will persist as long as the government insists on its framework of regarding our resources as mere parts of a production line for export,” she said..... MORE

Source:  Bulatlat.com

URL: http://bulatlat.com/main/2011/04/18/as-countdown-to-earthday-2011-begins-environmentalists-decry-the-aquino-government%E2%80%99s-lack-of-concern-for-the-environment/