Mauban, Quezon Air Pollution and Landslides

A Climate Change Communication Plan

Presented to the Faculty
of the College of Arts and Sciences
Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation
Lucena City, Philippines

In Partial Fulfilment
of the Requirements
for
Trends, Networks, and Critical Thinking in the 21st Century

by:
Khristian Paul Medina
Isaac Bonete
Gladys Morales
Arrianne Rodriguez
Iris Gale Aquino
Jan Alexa Diaz
Ara Carmona
Lordson Urguelles

January 2018
Introduction
Climate change has been long problem we have yet to face and fix. We have taken a few

steps to limit the drawbacks and consequences of all the damages we humans placed upon the

planet. Still it isn’t enough. Climate change, also called global warming, refers to the rise in

average surface temperatures on Earth. An overwhelming scientific consensus maintains that

climate change is due primarily to the human use of fossil fuels, which releases carbon dioxide

and other greenhouse gases into the air. The gases trap heat within the atmosphere, which can

have a range of effects on ecosystems, including rising sea levels, severe weather events, and

droughts that render landscapes more susceptible to wildfires.

It’s a universal truth that we must talk about and inform the masses about issues like this

but there are still those who don’t feel like being part of the cause. A major problem we observe

is the lack of “modern” and “simpler” materials that can explain what is climate change? What

are its cause and effects, and what, we as an individual, and as a society can do about it.

Location
Mauban is a first class municipality in the province of Quezon, Philippines. According to

the 2015 census, it has a population of 63,819 people. Not only famous for its island beaches,

culture, and food. In 2000, the Quezon Power Project, a 440 megawatt coal power plant was

constructed to bring consistent power to the area. It was the first privately built, owned, and

operated power generating facility in the Philippines.

Problem
A fossil fuel power station is a power station which burns fossil fuel such as coal, natural

gas, or petroleum to produce electricity. Central station fossil fuel power plants are designed on a

large scale for continuous operation. In many countries, such plants provide most of the electrical

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energy used. The world's power demands are expected to rise 60% by 2030. Thermal power

plants are one of the main artificial sources of producing toxic gases and particulate matter. The

combustion of coal contributes the most to acid rain and air pollution, and has been connected

with global warming. Of the fossil fuels, coal is much more carbon intensive than oil or natural

gas, resulting in greater volumes of carbon dioxide emissions per unit of electricity generated.

Along with the necessity to keep a power plant from functioning to power the

municipality, comes cutting down trees. Shaving forests for coal. Mauban is quite rich in land

resources, and private business like such power plant saw the opportunity. This result to the high

emission of carbon foot prints and weak lands that are very prone to landslides considering the

rate of typhoon and rainy weather in the Philippines.

People Involved
a) Mauban, Quezon Mayor shall be informed about the situations and repercussions of such

decisions. He can organize sustainable tree planting around the municipality.

b) Barangay Captains will be assigned to disseminate public materials and information to

within their vicinity.

c) School Administrations will be considered to conduct seminars and school topics about

local issues of climate change and its harm. Which shall then cane easily target other

social groups such as the student’s family and neighborhood.

d) Citizens of Mauban, public forums and seminars shall be conducted on public and

crowded areas of Mauban. They will be informed about the concept of climate change,

carbon emissions, power plants, and landslides.

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Action Plan
a) Local Government Meetings- heads of local groups shall conduct a general meeting on

the proper distribution of materials concerning such issues. They will also plan

sustainable long-term activities such as tree planting and public seminars. An activity

with evaluation to access the progress of the project.

b) Social media is a powerful medium in today’s century. In a world where internet is a

necessity, social media is a direct path to access a big social group with little man effort.

They shall distribute factually valid and easy to understand infographs, and commercials

to take the attention of its local readers.

c) Pamphlets / Tangible Visuals, barangay officials can distribute free publicity materials

concerning this issue with easy-to-understand visual materials such as pamphlets, and or

newspaper. This approach can be beneficial to people who don’t know how social media

works and it can easily be persuasive due to its personal direct manner.