The Agusan Marsh, located in the province of Agusan del Sur, Northeastern Mindanao, was declared a protected area by Presidential Proclamation no. 913 dated 31-October-1996. Total protected area is 19,196.56 hectares (14,835.99 hectares core zone; and 4,360.57 hectares buffer zone). Agusan Marsh controls the flooding in the Agusan River by sponging the high level of water, thus preventing flooding in…
The latest warning issued in early November 2019 by thousands of scientists from 153 countries about instituting measures that would effectively address Climate change speaks volumes in terms of human nature’s resistance to change. According to the scientists, Mother Earth “clearly and unequivocally faces a climate emergency.” She has registered faster than expected acceleration of global warming. This alert came…
DENR Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu hit the ground running Wednesday as the newly appointed chair of the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission (PRRC) in answer to President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s call to clean the Pasig River. The environment chief led a technical inspection of Pasig River, and pledged to get rid of informal settlers and go after polluters of the…
STADT is an awarded technology leader and has been in the power electronics business for more than 30 years. Through its extensive experience, focus on sustainable products and development of the patented STADT Lean Drive technology for electric propulsion of today, there have been major steps. Hallvard L. Slettevoll founded STADT in 1985 in a family barn in his hometown…
Without a doubt, the Maritime Industry in the Philippines is a vibrant cornerstone to the local economy and national workforce stability. To some extent, on an international level as well. One doesn’t have to look very far to understand how innovation with efficiency of operation and an ongoing focus to being environmentally sensitive is paramount in maintaining a balance of…
The technology group Wärtsilä will supply a broad scope of solutions that will support Hurtigruten, the world’s largest expedition cruise operator, in its push for greener and more sustainable shipping. Hurtigruten, considered one of the world’s most sustainable cruise operators, is converting an additional three vessels to become premium, hybrid-powered expedition cruise ships. The order with Wärtsilä was placed in…
The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report highlights the urgency of prioritizing timely, ambitious and coordinated action to address unprecedented and enduring changes in the ocean and cryosphere. The report reveals the benefits of ambitious and effective adaptation for sustainable development and, conversely, the escalating costs and risks of delayed action. The ocean and cryosphere –the frozen…
Amendments to an international treaty aimed at preventing the spread of potentially invasive species in ships’ ballast water entered into force on 13-October-2019. Ships regularly take on sea water in tanks to ensure their stability. Known as ballast water, this can contain many aquatic species, including in microscopic or larval form. These can become invasive and harmful if the ballast…
Sponges — simple aquatic animals with dense, yet porous, skeletons — are highly adapted to their environments. Sponges are found in a wide variety of colors, shapes, and sizes, and are often mistaken for plants. Scientists believe that their varied colorations may protect them from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays. Sponges have been around for a very long time, with…
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Once again the tropical forests of the world are in the news. This time, the forests of the Amazon Basin are experiencing uncontrolled wild fires destroying thousands of hectares of forest that are hundreds or thousands of years old. Considering the technical abilities available on a global level, I ask: How could this happen? What is the cause? And what…
The Pacific Ocean is the scene of a new Wild West. Companies and their investors, hungry for profits, are driving a speculative rush for seabed minerals. Donor government-supported programs that promote the development of ‘responsible’ seabed mining regulations provide aid. THE PERILS OF DEEP SEA MINING. Deep Sea Mining (DSM) is as yet an unproven industry hoping to extract minerals…
Liguasan Marsh, located in Southern Mindanao, is the largest Marsh wetland in the Philippines, covering over 220,000 hectares, spread across the provinces of Maguindanao, Cotabato, and Sultan Kudarat. It is a conglomeration of three marshes: Liguasan Marsh proper, Libungan Marsh, and the Ebpanan Marsh. A marsh is a tract of soft wetland characterised by grasses and cattails (Monocotyledons), which are…
During the 147th Maritime Forum, I had the opportunity to listen to a very informative presentation by MARINA Director Marc Anthony Pascua regarding Ballast Water Management. The presentation outlined its importance with regard to international transportation of Invasive Aquatic Organisms through commercial shipping. This presentation prompted me to further explore the issue, and write this article. With the introduction of…
The University of Tasmania will lead the largest ever Cooperative Research Centre (CRC), bringing together expertise in seafood, renewable energy, and offshore engineering to transform Australia’s blue economy. The Blue Economy CRC aims to drive an evolution in marine-based industries, unlocking enormous economic, environmental and technological benefits. The $329 million research project is a 10-year collaboration between 45 national and…
The Society for Gas as a Marine Fuel (SGMF) is pleased to announce the results of the Well-to-Wake (WtW) Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Lifecycle Research Study on the use of LNG as a marine fuel. Independent consultants of Thinkstep specializing in life cycle analysis conducted the study. SGMF and SEA\LNG commissioned the study. Dr Oliver Schuller, Team Lead Energy &…
Dutch maritime start-up We4Sea secured funding from ENERGIIQ, Mainport Innovation Fund II and angel investors to accelerate development and roll out of its fuel and emissions monitoring platform. Based in Delft, Netherlands, We4Sea has an ambitious goal of saving 1 million tons of CO2 emissions from ships. Speaking with Digital Ship, CEO and cofounder of We4Sea‘s Dan Veen explained that…
The Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of Cassa depositi e prestiti (CDP) Fabrizio Palermo; Giuseppe Bono of Fincantieri; Luigi Ferraris of Terna, and Claudio Descalzi of Eni, signed a non-binding agreement today at the Eni HQ in the EUR district of Rome to develop and build Wave Power Stations on an industrial scale. Eni now operates in 67 countries. The agreement…
The Earth has five major wind zones: (1) polar easterlies, (2) westerlies, (3) horse latitudes, (4) trade winds, and (5) doldrums. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA): “Early commerce to the Americas relied on the trade winds —the prevailing easterly winds that circle the Earth near the equator. Known to sailors around the world, the trade winds…
Bulusan Lake surrounds the foothills of Mount Bulusan Volcano, located in the municipality of Bulusan, Sorsogon province, Bicol Region. Mount Bulusan, which has erupted at least 15 times since 1885, is considered the 4th most active volcano in the Philippines after Mayon, Taal, and Kanlaon Volcanos; and is the highest peak in Sorsogon. On 23-October-2016, Rappler reported that a phreatic…
The neglect by the government in implementing environmental laws and regulations caused some concerned residents to file suit, and this resulted in the issuance of the Supreme Court Continuing Mandamus on the Clean-up of Manila Bay. Lead Counsel Antonio Oposa Jr stated it succinctly: “If there is lack of political will on the part of government agencies, it is the…
Plans for what would be Australia’s first offshore wind farm, the massive 2000MW Star of the South off the coast of Victoria, have taken a small step forward this week, after the project finally got the green light from federal government for site exploration. The federal Coalition said after months of delay, that it had approved a deed of license…
The Cagayan River is known throughout the Philippines as the “Rio Grande de Cagayan” because it is the longest, largest and widest river in the Philippines. The length of the river is about 350 km and has a drainage basin covering 27,753 sq. km, flowing along the provinces of Apayao, Aurora, Cagayan, Ifugao, Isabela, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Nueva Vizcaya and…
It’s not really white gold metal but rather, an energy source the entire world could use a gas that is clean, environmentally green, and self-replenishing. The Philippine Trench as well as the Philippine Rise is breeding grounds of the endangered Pacific Blue Fin Tuna, but speculators also say that lying at the bottom of the Philippine Trench is the world’s…