As temperature rises, rice yield drops, says WWF exec

For every degree that nighttime temperature increases, rice yield may be reduced by 10 percent.

This is one of the impacts of climate change affecting a staple food in the country, said a World Wildlife Fund for Nature Philippines (WWF-Philippines) official, quoting an International Rice Research Institute study.

“We have to have more sustainable access to food, water and energy,” WWF-Philippines president Joel Palma said during launch Wednesday of a week of action for climate justice ahead of the international climate change conference in Paris next month.

Various civic groups in the Philippines have united to call for a strong and fair global climate agreement as the 21st Conference of Parties (COP21) in Paris is expected to hammer out a new legally binding agreement on climate change.

One of the demands of the March for Climate Justice Pilipinas is a shift to clean and renewable energy for people and communities.

“We have to address the root cause. As much as possible we have to act from local to global level. This is an opportunity for us because of the current global attention,” Palma said.

A march expected to gather some 20,000 people on Nov. 28 will be the highlight of the weeklong action for climate justice starting on Nov. 23.

The group will also hold a caravan across Luzon coal hotspots, from Semirara Island in Antique to Quezon and Batangas provinces, going to Manila.

“The Philippines sits at a crossroads. Do we veer away from expensive and dirty fossil fuels and make use of our locally abundant renewable energy sources? Or do we continue with a business-as-usual mindset and continue contributing to the global temperature increase?” Palma said.