I commute everyday on my way to the office. I believe that in that way, I help the environment repair itself. I have nothing against people who take their cars to work. But they do have an option to make the most out of the carbon emissions they contribute.

What do I mean? My past boss in the Energy and Clean Air Project (ECAP) is a good example. He encourages carpooling and I was one of the three people who benefited from that. We live around the same area. But I guess, what I really appreciate most there is the environmental side to it. Imagine if all people drove a car. One person per car is one of the most destructive things I could imagine.

Last week, I read about a planned effort of Beijing government to ban 1 million cars from August 7-20 “as a test-run to ensure clean air at next year’s Olympics.”

Beijing, one of the most polluted capitals in the world, was said to have pollution levels that cause around 400,000 premature deaths in a year.

Beijing has spent around 15 billion dollars on a massive pollution clean-up in the run-up to the Olympics, according to city officials, but air quality remains a key concern.

Despite assurances from the Chinese government, International Olympic Committee leaders have expressed deep concern about the problem and demanded “contingency measures” to contain the pollution threat. AFP

The 2008 Olympics will be held on August 8-24, 2007.

On a similar note, I would like to share that the electric jeepney has been launched here in the Philippines. Superbong reports…

Have a clean air day! Breathe free and have a longer life. Don’t let the smoke get in your eyes.

Let me restate that.

“What was with Brad Pitt at Ocean’s Thirteen Premiere?”

The answer: a BMW Hydrogen 7. I know. Brad Pitt is enough reason to send me screaming out to the limits of my voicebox but his car is just too hard to ignore.

Hydrogen technology dramatically reduces emissions generated by personal transport and, in particular, minimizes the emission of CO2. Running in the hydrogen mode, the BMW Hydrogen 7 essentially emits nothing but vapor. And, unlike fossil fuels and traditional gasoline, hydrogen is available in virtually infinite supply. With the BMW Hydrogen 7, the BMW Group is laying down a marker for sustainable mobility. This car will play a pioneering role in driving forward hydrogen technologies. Autobloggreen.Com

BMW Hydrogen 7 is also considered as the first hydrogen-drive luxury performance automobile for everyday use.

Brad, you are definitely a hottie!

Photo Credits: ecorazzi.com

In a survey made by the Asthma Insights and Reality in Asia-Pacific in 2005, it was found out that in eight major urban centers in the Asia-Pacific, the Philippines had the highest incidence of work absence due to asthma with a percentage of 46.6. If it affects adults in that severity, then it follows that the effects to children are even worse.

In a recent article entitled “Children with asthma have more emotional problems,” it was revealed that many children with asthma experience behavioral and developmental problems. The article was based on a study published in the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, which collected data from a national health survey in the United States.

The good news is that there are people doing something to intensify research on child asthma. Watch this video:

On May 5, Saturday, the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation of New Zealand will have an Asthma Balloon Day to raise funds for child asthma research. They will be having various activities across NZ all dedicated to widen the knowledge base on child asthma. To know more about this initiative, visit the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation Website.

NZ’s move is a laudable one. I hope that the Philippine society will have the same drive to make a difference for asthmatic children. Air maintains life and gives nourishment. If the air that children breathe is polluted, then what nourishment does it give them? I’d classify that as junk food.

I hope that we can make solid steps to combat the primary cause of asthma in children - air pollution - to create livable communities, and the larger picture is a generation of healthy and bright Filipino kids.

I am a frequent bus rider. I use this mode of transportation at least five times a week. I am lucky if I chance upon an airconditioned bus. Most of the time I am left to no other choice but board a non-aircon bus, more popularly known as “ordinary,” here in the Philippines.

The traffic is excruciating. About half of the time spent in the whole bus ride is due to traffic. Sometimes, I doze off during the trip only to discover upon waking up that the bus has been snailing by. Also, the particulate matter emitted from other vehicles travels through my trachea into my lungs, lodging there forever (Read about ‘You are what you breathe‘ in this blog). Traffic contributes to the deterioration of our air. Another pervasive problem is that drivers do not have proper driving skills and they tend to idle in one area for more than 10 minutes while waiting for passengers.

Cognizant of all the disadvantages of this current transportation system, the bus rapid transit was introduced and its feasibility was studied.

When I was still working with the Energy and Clean Air Project (ECAP) of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), I had the opportunity to be exposed in talks on the plan to promote BRT as a sustainable transport option in the Philippine capital. Of course, it is not an easy task as public utility drivers are sure to disapprove of it seeing it as a move that will only threaten their livelihood. But the BRT has illustrated benefits. See the Mexico success story in this video:

I can no longer wait to board on a bus, reach home early and have more time to hug my husband and little boy.