Skaters, cyclists, bikers, runners and pedestrians and their dogs, and of course the youthful co-convenors had every reason to be gloriously happy on June 12, our Independence Day. It was a double celebration as it was also a declaration of independence from polluting and climate-change-causing fossil fuels like oil, gas and coal through an initiative called the Road Revolution.
It calls on government “to discourage car use through legislation such as the pedestrianization (closure to motor traffic) of certain streets and areas of the city; the widening and improvement of sidewalks to make them safe for children, the elderly, pregnant women and people with disabilities and the appropriation of lanes for bikes and rail systems in major roads, as well as planters for “umbrella trees” and vegetables.” (www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=132218950189614)
Yesterday, the citizens had the entire three-kilometer long Osmeña Boulevard, for themselves, a first in the history of Cebu. No one would dare argue that giving the road back to the people is pro-democracy, pro-health and pro-functioning life support system.
How can government not support it?
The petition of more than 10 signatories for the Road Revolution initiative was delivered by the children to the representative of the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Cebu City, the young and charismatic Councilor Edu Rama, who is also a diver and an underwater photographer specializing in our vanishing corals.
Four years earlier, on June 9, 2007, the portion across the Regional Office of the Department of Health, along Osmeña Boulevard (a.k.a. Jones Avenue in the old days), was closed to traffic in celebration of the Greenfest sa Sugbo. The Greenfest, well covered by media, was held for two-days with lectures on climate change, solid waste management and earth ethics as well as exhibits for recyclable materials and renewable energy technology. Then Councilor Nestor Archival of the Cebu City Sangguniang Panlungsod and prime mover of the famous “House Close to Nature” was instrumental in making Greenfest a reality.
Unlike yesterday’s carless event, however, some areas during the Greenfest were open to traffic where the emission-testing of the jeepneys was conducted by the staff of the Energy and Clean Air Program of the USAID under Rene Alburo’s guidance.
It was horrendous to know later that only one vehicle or two out of more than a hundred passed the standards. No wonder, after Greenfest, the organizers including this columnist and lawyer Liza Osorio had to call in sick, due to severe headaches and very low energy level with symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. The Greenfest sa Sugbu, meant to be an annual event, was not repeated largely because of the unforgettable trauma.
We commend the city government under the pro-active leadership of Mayor Mike Rama, the entire Sangguniang Panlungsod members and Citom, for approving the request that, except for four intersections which allowed access to vehicles, Osmeña Boulevard be entirely car-free for the Road Revolution launch. People’s health is a topmost priority.
To have baseline data on the quality of the air along Osmeña Boulevard, we requested the DENR Environmental Management Bureau to measure it for a week, including yesterday. We hope that EMB officials respond positively so that people and our officials are more aware of the pollution level in Cebu City and the causes. We hope that in due time, the Cebu City government and other LGUs will purchase the much-needed equipment to measure the quality of the air we breathe, have a greenhouse inventory and enforce the Clean Air Act. As a management principle goes, “we cannot manage what we do not measure.”
We are certain that Cebu City contributed in significantly reducing the polluting greenhouse gas emission from carbon dioxide due to the boulevard’s closure for 12 hours yesterday. The usual toxic fumes from tail pipes of vehicles, the dust, noise from the eternal honks of horns and the anxious faces of pedestrians crossing the streets were definitely not missed in the event. Instead, gentleness and serenity in the pedestrianized boulevard which one living in the city had never experienced before, prevailed.
The Road Revolution is a spark for action, ignited by a ferocious dreamer of a sustainable future and a passionate advocate of the principle of intergenerational responsibility. Now, for Tony Oposa, the brain and the leading voice of the youth-inspired road revolution, and the advocates, the countdown for the essential mind shift towards sustainability begins.
Instead of continuing the nasty fossil fuel addiction, which has significantly aggravated climate change, created environmental refugees, impaired our health and poisoned our air, water and land, we have begun the process of mainstreaming innovation and exploring options for a low-carbon way of life.
The invention by engineer Brian Yuson of Cebu’s now open SeCRET (self-contained renewable energy transportation), the RE Train, should spur more research and development towards a sustainable transport system. We desperately need mass transit system like the BRT and more RE and battery-powered bikes, cars and tricycles, that Vince Cinches, the hubby and my sisters had a heyday riding yesterday. It opened our minds to the wonders and big possibilities of a clean energy future.
Hopefully, a pedestrianized Osmeña Boulevard will become a regular Sunday activity because:
1. A carless open area will invite more citizens to be less sedentary (and healthier) and engage in walking, sports and activities such as biking, skating, running.
2. Stronger ties among families and friends as they will soon converge in our parks, such as Fuente Osmeña and Plaza Independencia because of cleaner air and safe roads.
3. Kids will be more connected to nature and will appreciate the importance of nurturing our trees, our air and nature.
4. It is the city’s clear and measurable mitigation response to climate change. Vehicles using oil and gas emit greenhouse gas and contribute to global warming, not to mention pollution.
5. It will encourage the business community to prioritize and incorporate their responsibility to the planet and people, not just pockets, by incorporating sustainability in their products, processes and supply chain from “cradle to grave.” Expect more endeavors like engineer Archival’s Eco-Cafe and E-Bike of lawyer Muntuerto to flourish.
It is time for government to listen to the growing clamor of citizens. Their health and right to a healthful and balanced ecology do matter the most.