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Turn the Tide – Rainbow Warrior’s Tour of Southeast Asia

10 years of protecting the environment together.

www.greenpeace.org/seasia

Sarangani communitIes all set to knock out coal

Greenpeace calls for an Energy Revolution in the Philippines

Maasim, Sarangani Province, 20 November 2010 — The Greenpeace flagship Rainbow

Warrior today sailed into Maasim, Sarangani in Mindanao to join thousands of fisherfolks and
community residents seeking to ‘knock out’ a proposal to build a coal power plant in their
area.

In a first of its kind protest-at-sea, the ship was accompanied along Sarangani Bay by
hundreds of small fishing boats to the shore beside the site of the proposed plant, where a
team of fishermen formed the words “Clean Energy Now” using at least 75 boats. On land,
Sarangani communities formed a giant human banner with the words “No to coal” in San
Felipe Colon Elementary school just a few hundred meters away from the coal plant project
site.

“Coal is dirty energy. It has negative effects on health because of its toxic emissions. Like
Manny Pacquiao, we want to knock out the proposed coal power plant in our community so
that our air and water will remain clean for our children,” said Vicente Jatico, chair of Maasim
People’s Coalition on Climate Change (MP3C).

Coal is the dirtiest of all fossil fuels. Throughout its entire life cycle, from mining to
combustion to waste disposal, coal has a dire impact not only on the environment and human
health but also on the social fabric of communities living near mines, power plants and waste
dumping sites. Aside from generating massive climate changing C02 emissions, the burn of
coal creates toxics pollution which contaminates water supplies and damages ecosystems.
Coal combustion also emits other greenhouse gases like methane, sulphur dioxide and
nitrogen oxide, and liberates toxic substances like arsenic and mercury which can disrupt
human mental and physical development.

Coal combustion is the largest single source of atmospheric mercury emissions. There are no
commercially available technologies to prevent or eliminate mercury emissions from coal-
fired power plants. Mercury is a dangerous neurotoxin which attacks the central nervous
system.

Conal Holding Corporation is planning to build a US$ 450-million, 200 MW coal fired power
plant in Kamanga town. Conal claims that their so-called “clean coal” technology and planned
4,100-hectare ‘carbon sequestration’ project will minimize the negative impacts.

Greenpeace disputes these claims, stressing that no coal-fired power plants are truly ‘clean’.
'Clean coal’ techniques do not eliminate pollution but only shift the problem from one
environmental media to another. Whenever coal is burnt, contaminants are released via the
fly ash, the gaseous air emissions, water outflows or the bottom ash left after burning.
Ultimately, these pollutants will still end up damaging the environment.

FisherfolkS are among the worst impacted victims of coal plant operations. The site of the
Conal coal plant overlaps a marine sanctuary in Sarangani Bay. Construction will adversely
affect the rich coral beds in the area, and the resulting air pollution from operating the plant
would have negative impacts on the local fish catch and crop yields of farmers in the area.

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 “Greenpeace is supporting communities in Southeast Asia in their struggle against coal. Coal
is a curse to local communities and to the planet. Building more coal-fired power plants
means putting the health and livelihood of local communities on the line again for the sake of
short-sighted and narrow economic interests. Despite the worsening manifestations of a
changing climate, it is unfortunate that many companies and decision makers are still
obsessed with myopic and destructive development schemes,” said Amalie Obusan,
Greenpeace Southeast Asia Climate and Energy Campaigner.

The Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior is in the Philippines for the final leg of the “Turn the
Tide” tour of Southeast Asia. Greenpeace is calling on ASEAN member nations to support
green investments and adopt low-carbon growth pathway for future development. The Tour
marks 10 years of Greenpeace
Southeast Asia campaigns to protect forests, catalyze an Energy Revolution, promote
sustainable agriculture, and stop water pollution in the region.

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For more information:
Amalie Obusan, Climate and Energy Campaigner, +63917584 9663,
amalie.obusan@greenpeace.org
Lea Guerrero, Regional Communications Manager, +639088851140,
lea.guerrero@greenpeace.org