Antoinette Taus wears a dress made from recycled broken fishing nets. Image: INQUIRER.net/Tristan Tamayo
Antoinette Taus has taken a stand against the construction of a coal-fired power plant in La Union.
The actress, an environmental advocate, shared an Instagram post yesterday, Oct. 22, in which she called for companies to use sustainable energy.
The social media post links to a petition that opposes the construction of a 41-hectare, 670-MW power-generating facility in La Union. Vivant Corp. and Global Business Power Corp. have partnered for the project, which is under special purpose vehicle Global Luzon Energy Development Corp. The plant is expected to start commercial operations by 2022.
The petition warned that toxic chemicals from the plant would pollute the surrounding towns includinge Balaoan, prided for its corn harvests and coral gardens; surfing towns San Juan and Bacnotan; and San Gabriel. It would also spoil Lon-oy Springs, which provides water to the city of San Fernando.
Corals in Darigayos Cove are also reportedly under threat since heated water from the power plant’s cooling system will damage these, thus affecting local fisher folk’s livelihood.
It alleged that the project proponents have not been compliant with the Energy Regulatory Commission’s processes, consulting only residents in five barangays and excluding those in the plant’s immediate impact area. It urged the government not to grant it an environmental compliance certificate (ECC) and other necessary permits.
The petition also mentioned that opposition to the plant’s construction has been subdued through deceit, bribery and strong-arm tactics.
“The whole world is already standing against dirty energy in so many ways. Companies need to stop resisting and start focusing on transitioning into sustainability if they really want to stay relevant in the future,” Taus said in a material used by non-profit Greenpeace Philippines.
Taus has her own environmental organization CORA (Communities Organized for Resource Allocation), which promotes sustainability and fights climate change. She recently represented the Philippines in the UN Environment’s Asia-Pacific Climate Change Adaptation Forum on Oct. 17-19. /ra
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