New Greenpeace
report estimates coal plant emissions could kill 2,400 Filipinos per
year
By
GREENPEACE
February 3, 2016
MANILA – While coal
is king in the Philippines, a new Greenpeace Southeast Asia report has
revealed for the first time the current health impacts of existing
coal-fired power plants, as well as projected health impacts of
operating and planned power plants in the Philippines.
The report, Coal: A Public
Health Crisis. Diseases and deaths attributed to coal use in the
Philippines showed an estimated 960 premature deaths each year due to
stroke, ischemic heart disease, other cardiovascular diseases, and
respiratory diseases. If the new power plants are to be developed,
premature deaths may rise up to 2,410 – more than double the current
number of people dying from coal-related pollution in the Philippines.
“Results of the research
show that coal-fired power plants expose everyone in the Philippines
to toxic pollution, resulting in hundreds of premature deaths every
year,” said Lauri Myllyvirta, Senior Global Coal Campaigner at
Greenpeace International and also one of the authors of the research.
“Leading economies from the United States to China and Europe are
already relaying on modern, renewable energy sources for their
additional power needs, showing that this is a real option for
Philippines as well.”
More than one-third of the
energy used to generate electricity in the Philippines comes from
burning coal. Currently, the country has 17 operational coal plants,
with 29 more approved by the Department of Energy (DOE), set to begin
commercial operations by 2020.
The report is based on
research carried out at Harvard University on the impacts of emissions
coming from coal-fired power plants on the air quality of selected
countries in Asia. For the Philippine version, Greenpeace collaborated
with HealthJustice to write the report, with support from Health Care
Without Harm – Asia and the Philippine Movement for Climate Justice.
Coal use harms the
environment and public health at every stage of its life cycle.
Coal-fired power plants emit sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxide
(NO2) and other gaseous pollutants in the air that can react
chemically to form particulate matter that is 2.5 µm in diameter.
Aside from generating
particulate matter, coal combustion also affects health indirectly by
contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. Climate change can bring
extreme heat, lead to natural disasters, and eventually increase
diseases transmitted through insects such as malaria and dengue.
The study evaluated 13
operational coal-fired power plants in the Philippines with a combined
installed capacity of 3,799.10 megawatts (MW), as well as the
potential impacts of plans to build 29 new coal-fired power plants
with a total capacity of 11,700MW, which could dramatically increase
levels of sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxide (NOx) and PM2.5
emissions.
“This pioneering study is an
important addition to the growing body of health and scientific
research on the adverse impacts of coal-fired power plants, not only
to the environment, but to human health as well,” said Reuben Andrew
Muni, Climate and Energy Campaigner for Greenpeace Philippines. “We
strongly recommend for the DOE, the DOH and other policy-makers to
read it and take heed as it presents a strong case on why the
Philippines should end its dependence on coal-generated electricity
now, not only for economic, environmental and climate change reasons,
but on public health grounds as well.”
“This new study just
confirms what we already know about the health effects of coal based
on international evidence. For the longest time, we have been ignoring
the environmental case for the phase out of coal. I hope that this
time, the public health argument will convince us that coal is not the
way to go towards a clean, sustainable and healthy energy future,”
said Dr. Renzo Guinto, Campaigner for the Healthy Energy Initiative,
Health Care Without Harm-Asia.
“New coal plants are a
lose-lose proposition for the public. Increasing dependence on coal
will consign us to dirty air for 30 or more years, as coal gets more
expensive and other countries abandon it as an energy source. There is
a way out of this vicious cycle. We must embrace renewables through a
strong, health-driven energy policy," said Atty. Ipat Luna, a Trustee
of HealthJustice-Philippines.
“Coal burning is a proven
nuisance to health and the climate. The more coal plants and mines are
commissioned by the government, the more people and communities are
placed in the direct path of perdition. Undoubtedly, it is a kiss of
death to host communities and vulnerable nations like the Philippines.
We thus demand for a moratorium on new coal plants, phase out of
existing ones, and for a just transition to renewable energy options”
said Atty. Aaron Pedrosa, SANLAKAS Secretary General and PMCJ Energy
Working Group Head.
Considering the Philippines’
rising population, poor health outcomes, and the scarcity of resources
needed to adapt to the worst effects of climate change, Greenpeace
recommends that the country should end its heavy dependence on coal as
an energy source and accelerate initiatives involving renewable energy
(RE) resources to meet its energy demands. RE is emerging as the
energy of choice for an increasing number of communities and local
government units (LGU). The report recommends that the government
phases out of coal and fully embrace RE sources in the Philippines
based on public health considerations.
Download the pdf version of
Coal: A Public Health Crisis. Diseases and deaths attributed to coal
use in the Philippines at
http://www.greenpeace.org/seasia/ph/press/reports/Coal-A-Public-Health-Crisis/