STOP LUNA COAL-FIRED POWER PLANT

Luna is known for its natural geophysical and cultural assets of high touristic value.  It has a unique pebble-rich shoreline with a centuries-old Spanish watchtower (baluarte). It has white beach/cove and coral areas rich in marine life – the main source of livelihood of thousands of fisherfolks. Its Mt Kangisitan, which abounds with rare flora and fauna, is the only remaining rainforest in La Union. It has irrigated fertile lands that thousands of farmers depend on for food and livelihood. It has museums and an art gallery, as well as hotels and resorts frequented by tourists. (Environmental Justice Atlas) However, a two coal-fired plants will be built on a 41-hectare property straddling Barangay Carisquis and Nalvo Sur, which faces the West Philippine Sea. The project site is near beach resorts as well as the 3-kilometer stretch of pebble beach where the 400-year-old Spanish watchtower is located.

The major disadvantage of coal power plant is its negative impact on the environment. Coal-burning energy plants are major sources of air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. In addition to carbon monoxide and heavy metals like mercury, the use of coal releases sulfur dioxide, a harmful substance linked to acid rain. The extraction process can be detrimental to the environment as well as the workers. Mining coal destroys habitats and has other negative effects on the environment like water pollution from the runoff. As mentioned above, Luna’s main source of livelihood is fishing and farming, so the coal power plant will surely destroy their main source of income. Coal mining also causes a large number of injuries and deaths each year. Fires in connected mine shafts are difficult to locate and extinguish. The combustion and the hollowed-out earth that destabilize the ground makes some areas uninhabitable, which forces people to relocate. (encyclopedia.com)

In addition, this will be a major contribution to global warming and climate change that we couldn’t control and cure for the past years.

Nowadays, people are only focusing on innovating and improving the quality of life; turning agricultural to industrial lands, inventing stuffs to make life easier, building establishments without considering its long-term environmental impacts and effects. 

Hence, as a student from a Science High School that promotes eco-friendly environment, I am encouraging everyone, especially the folks from Luna, La Union to take action to save not only the town that will be affected, but also the environment by helping me sign this petition. In this way, we can secure our future; not by building constructions that are harmful to everyoune, but by building a better place and a safe, healthy environment because... Why embrace an improvement that can destroy us? Why develop a place we can’t soon live in?