Reboot UP Los Baños’ RDE Ignorance Or Ignoring Farmer Poverty Simultaneously With Climate Change!

There was this “7^th International Conference on Climate Change 2023” with the UP Los Baños School of Environmental Science and Management (UPLB-SESAM) as partner (image above). I visited the Facebook page of UPLB-SESAM and it said the conference was held 9-10 Feb 2023 – it is now 14 April 2023, or 2 months later, and there is no news report on the significant event! This tells me that UP Los Baños is not that serious about Climate Change.

Relevantly, I note that a book – Changing Philippine Climate (Impacts On Agriculture And Natural Resources) – has been published with these major authors: Josefino C Comiso, Catalino A Blanche, Terry I Sangumba, Felino P Lansigan, and Ma Victoria O Espaldon.

Regina Mae C Ongkiko (OVCRE, ovcre.uplb.edu.ph) says of it:

[The book] was published through the University of the Philippines Press. [It] contains comprehensive details about the changes in climate and the influence[s] on the country’s environment, natural resources, agriculture, ecosystem, biodiversity, weather, and the quality of life of its inhabitants. Aside from these, risk management, resilience, and strategies for mitigation and effective adaptation especially in agriculture, forestry, grassland, livestock, fisheries, and health are also discussed.

I see that the book discusses “the changes in climate and the influence on the country’s … agriculture” but does not discuss the other way around: the influence of agriculture on climate! Why did they ignore the question of how Chemical Agriculture (CA) contributes greatly to Climate Change (CC) by the chemical fertilizers generating greenhouse gases (GHGs) that generate Climate Change? Farmers are guilty; farm experts are guilty!

What is the hope expressed by the book? Publisher UP Press says (UP Press, press.up.edu.ph):

Hopefully, this book will pave the way towards more collaboration related to battling the negative impacts of climate change.

I say: “Battling the negative impacts” is half-thinking – instead, preventing the Climate Change impacts of Chemical Agriculture is good thinking!

UP Press also says:

Climate change has been a hot topic for years now. Its impacts on civilizations have been dramatic and vivid. As generations come and go, more and more factors contribute to climate change. Now, human activity influences it as well. Its possible impacts [on] society have made our government, specifically the Department of Science and Technology… and the Climate Change Commission, concerned over the past years.

That “concern” is on the impacts of Climate Change and has not moved back to studying the factors contributing to Climate Change!

“Buy this book” says UP Press, the publisher (press.up.edu.ph):

[The] climate of our planet, including that of the Philippines, has been changing significantly during the last century primarily driven by anthropogenic activities.

“Anthropogenic” means “caused by humans” (TheFreeDictionary, thefreedictionary.com). Now then, why did the book not discuss those human activities that contribute to Climate Change? Asking as a friend!

We need a “climate of change” as SDG Watch Europe puts it (sdgwatcheurope.org). This time, it must begin with those who are teaching the farmers the agriculture that is causing Climate Change. This time it must begin inside UPLB!@517