Church leaders and the youth in Atimonan, Quezon have renewed their push for a swift and just transition to clean energy for the province and the country and resisting destructive energy from coal, the continued use of which for power generation goes against the preservation of the integrity of Creation.
The call was made during an online devotion session for Holy Week called “Daan ng Krus tungo sa Pagbabagong Ekolohikal” (Way of the Cross towards Ecological Conversion) on Good Friday of the Our Lady of Angels Parish in Atimonan, inspired by the 2019 Pastoral Letter on Ecology of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines and Pope Francis’ encyclical “Laudato Si.”
“Mapagsumikapan nawa naming isulong ang dagliang paglipat sa ligtas, malinis, at murang eherhiya. Tiyakin ang makatarungan at patas na paglipat sa renewable energy sources at ibasura ang mga huwad na solusyon; makiisa sa kampanya sa madaliang pagtatanggal ng mga coal-fired power plants at iba pang nakadepende sa paggamit ng nakaruruming fossil-fuel,” a statement of the parish of Atimonan said.
Coal plants have been on the receiving end of global backlash for their contributions to climate change, environmental impacts, increasing costs of construction and maintenance, and high price of electricity produced. (Tristan Lozano)
