Dear President Bongbong Marcos,

Why do I think your nuclear energy is anti-climate justice?

Your first State of the Nation Address is all about contradiction. During your speech, what confused me the most was your plan to source renewable and more sustainable energy while urging the need to create nuclear power plants. Putting sustainability and nuclear energy in one sentence is quite appalling. However, there have been several debates about whether nuclear energy is the best energy source for a state. Is nuclear energy really sustainable?

The Philippines is widely known for its poor solid waste management around the world. If we ever decide to create a nuclear power plant, where exactly do we plan on throwing these large volumes of toxic, radioactive waste? 

If anything, this screams both anti-green and anti-poor. Aside from the problematic environmental issues that may arise, Filipinos who are living near poverty-stricken nuclear waste dump sites will be affected the most. France, which was helpful enough to lend a helping hand in constructing nuclear power plants in Manila, has been dumping its toxic waste in their neighboring country, Siberia.

Maintaining a nuclear power plant is no joke. It requires a lot of resources — both money and a workforce — which the Philippines lack. If we spend much money on nuclear power plants and produce local engineers to maintain them, why not invest in more sustainable energy sources like solar, wind, hydroelectric, and geothermal? Aside from being cost-efficient, it takes into account the resources of each region and makes the most of them.

At its very core, this idea of creating nuclear power plants stems from nostalgia for your father’s plan for the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, which was filled with several corruption controversies. This plant never came to be for the exact same reasons: being a safety hazard for the nearby residents and its non-sustainable features.

Your plan for “unity” should not be an empty word. The unity towards progress and development should be of the utmost inclusion. If it’s anti-green and anti-poor, is our idea of “sustainable” energy really sustainable?

Respectfully,

Green Advocate

Photo credit: Facebook/profile.php?id=100057058856523 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the author in this piece do not necessarily reflect those of Politico.ph. 

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