EcoWaste Coalition Releases Green "Ten Commandments" for Choosing the Country's Next Leaders
As the campaign for the May 10 polls enters the final stretch, the EcoWaste Coalition, a non-partisan environmental network advancing a green electoral agenda, has released the following “Ten Commandments on How to Choose Green Candidates” to guide the electorate in choosing candidates for national as well as local positions who can lead the country to a greener and toxic-free future
The EcoWaste Coalition urges the voting public to consider the group’s environmental “Ten Commandments” in making their choices for the upcoming polls.
1) Thou shall not vote for candidates who use the 5Gs to win: Guns,Goons, Gold, Gin and Garbage. Vote for candidates who stand for the essential Ms: Malinis (Clean), Maayos (Orderly), Matipid(Thrifty), Mapanindigan (Principled), Marangal (Honorable), Mapayapa (Peaceful), Makatao (Humane), Makalikasan (Pro-Nature) and Maka-Diyos Godly). Moreover, support candidates known for their simple, pro-people and ecological lifestyle.
2) Thou shall not support candidates who nail, staple, strap or plaster campaign materials on defenseless trees and other restricted sites. Vote for candidates who love and plant trees, use the least amount of campaign materials and abide by the campaign rules.
3) Thou shall not pick candidates who use smoke belching vehicles that contribute to poor air quality. Go for candidates who walk or ride bicycles rather than those who come in convoy of cars. Vote for those who use fewer vehicles in motorcades and cut fuel consumption and emissions.
4) Thou shall not fall for candidates who make beautiful speeches about their love for the people and the environment, but fail to match their words with deeds. Does the candidate walk his talk? Check ifshe/he is engaged in any environmental advocacy or project, or has financial interest in any polluting and environmentally destructive business. Vote for those who live by what they say.
5) Thou shall not select candidates who profess to protect the environment, but are mute on what they intend to do. Ask the candidates, point blank, on how they intend to serve the interest of the environment. For instance, ask how they intend to protect andconserve our diminishing water resources. Vote for those who will work earnestly to heal and preserve the environment.
6) Thou shall not choose candidates who are hooked to the outmoded “hakot-tambak-sunog” (haul-dump-burn) and fail to act against illegal dumps. Vote for those who segregate their discards at home and in the work place and support ecological, low-cost and community-driven alternatives to dumps, landfills and incinerators.
7) Thou shall not vote for candidates who ignore the health, environmental, socio-economic and human rights concerns against 'sanitary’ landfills, ‘waste to energy’ incinerators, dams, coal power plants and similar projects. Vote for candidates who will assert the people’s sovereign right to a clean, safe and healthy environment. Go for candidates who will work for sustainable economy and ensure that the people’s basic needs are met and not kowtow to the dictates of big business and international funding institutions.
8) Thou shall not elect candidates who want to build big dams and allow mining, logging and other extractive industries to rape our land and abuse human rights, especially the rights of our indigenous peoples. Vote for those who will take up the cudgels for the human as well as non-human victims, such as trees, plants and wildlife, of environmentally-damaging human activities.
9) Thou shall not back candidates who remain silent against the health, safety and other threats of cigarette smoking, the aerial spraying of agrochemicals, and of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Vote for candidates who will advance tobacco control, the people’s right to safe and healthy food as well as food production systems that nurture the earth.
10) Thou shall not vote for candidates who refuse to act on chemical pollution, toxic waste and the climate challenge. Vote for candidates who see the need for preventive and precautionary actions to advance chemical safety and a toxic-free future for all. Go for candidates who oppose new coal power projects and support clean renewable energy investments to address the nation’s energy needs and beat climatechange.
EcoWaste Coalition
Unit 329, Eagle Court Condominium
Matalino St., Quezon City, Philippines
+63 2 441-1846
ecowastecoalition@yahoo.com
The EcoWaste Coalition urges the voting public to consider the group’s environmental “Ten Commandments” in making their choices for the upcoming polls.
1) Thou shall not vote for candidates who use the 5Gs to win: Guns,Goons, Gold, Gin and Garbage. Vote for candidates who stand for the essential Ms: Malinis (Clean), Maayos (Orderly), Matipid(Thrifty), Mapanindigan (Principled), Marangal (Honorable), Mapayapa (Peaceful), Makatao (Humane), Makalikasan (Pro-Nature) and Maka-Diyos Godly). Moreover, support candidates known for their simple, pro-people and ecological lifestyle.
2) Thou shall not support candidates who nail, staple, strap or plaster campaign materials on defenseless trees and other restricted sites. Vote for candidates who love and plant trees, use the least amount of campaign materials and abide by the campaign rules.
3) Thou shall not pick candidates who use smoke belching vehicles that contribute to poor air quality. Go for candidates who walk or ride bicycles rather than those who come in convoy of cars. Vote for those who use fewer vehicles in motorcades and cut fuel consumption and emissions.
4) Thou shall not fall for candidates who make beautiful speeches about their love for the people and the environment, but fail to match their words with deeds. Does the candidate walk his talk? Check ifshe/he is engaged in any environmental advocacy or project, or has financial interest in any polluting and environmentally destructive business. Vote for those who live by what they say.
5) Thou shall not select candidates who profess to protect the environment, but are mute on what they intend to do. Ask the candidates, point blank, on how they intend to serve the interest of the environment. For instance, ask how they intend to protect andconserve our diminishing water resources. Vote for those who will work earnestly to heal and preserve the environment.
6) Thou shall not choose candidates who are hooked to the outmoded “hakot-tambak-sunog” (haul-dump-burn) and fail to act against illegal dumps. Vote for those who segregate their discards at home and in the work place and support ecological, low-cost and community-driven alternatives to dumps, landfills and incinerators.
7) Thou shall not vote for candidates who ignore the health, environmental, socio-economic and human rights concerns against 'sanitary’ landfills, ‘waste to energy’ incinerators, dams, coal power plants and similar projects. Vote for candidates who will assert the people’s sovereign right to a clean, safe and healthy environment. Go for candidates who will work for sustainable economy and ensure that the people’s basic needs are met and not kowtow to the dictates of big business and international funding institutions.
8) Thou shall not elect candidates who want to build big dams and allow mining, logging and other extractive industries to rape our land and abuse human rights, especially the rights of our indigenous peoples. Vote for those who will take up the cudgels for the human as well as non-human victims, such as trees, plants and wildlife, of environmentally-damaging human activities.
9) Thou shall not back candidates who remain silent against the health, safety and other threats of cigarette smoking, the aerial spraying of agrochemicals, and of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Vote for candidates who will advance tobacco control, the people’s right to safe and healthy food as well as food production systems that nurture the earth.
10) Thou shall not vote for candidates who refuse to act on chemical pollution, toxic waste and the climate challenge. Vote for candidates who see the need for preventive and precautionary actions to advance chemical safety and a toxic-free future for all. Go for candidates who oppose new coal power projects and support clean renewable energy investments to address the nation’s energy needs and beat climatechange.
EcoWaste Coalition
Unit 329, Eagle Court Condominium
Matalino St., Quezon City, Philippines
+63 2 441-1846
ecowastecoalition@yahoo.com
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