THINK GREEN

PHOTO TAKEN FROM: http://www.biochar-international.org/profile_Neil_Lumanlan_biochar_stoves

Typhoons in the Philippines are not unusual. However, those that cause great flooding have become unbearable for many, especially those who have been affected tremendously. Ondoy, Milenyo, and Yolanda are just some of the most severe downpours that the Filipinos have managed to live through. But no matter how resilient we are, we do not have the capacity to withstand all its drastic consequences forever. One typhoon survivor had the same realization.  Right after the life-changing typhoon Ketsana, he immediately thought of ways on how to reduce, if not totally eradicate, the repercussions of global warming. A University of Santo Tomas Instructor, Mr. Neil Ian Lumanlan devotes much of his time making gasifier stoves and intensifying the benefits it can give. The biochar, a charcoal used as a soil amendment, is the end product of these green stoves. Studies show they can be utilized to produce negative carbon dioxide emissions which can hopefully save our planet from being destroyed by the unwanted results of our own slackness. According to the International Biochar Initiative, this newly-discovered charcoal can be used to refine soil quality for better agricultural produce; can draw down atmospheric carbon; do not pollute land or water; and can recover processed heat for energy production. But most importantly, they can enhance the ecological conditions for biodiversity and thus, improving sustainability. With these perceived benefits, Mr. Lumanlan tries his best to promote this new green technology. As an instructor, he teaches Accountancy majors how to build stoves from tin cans that will eventually produce biochars and even gives them sample products from his own business to be used in their own homes. But aside from that, he also makes an effort to travel to provinces and help farmers build their very own version of biochar-producing green stoves. Simple yet truly revolutionary — these are the words that would best describe this young man’s projects towards a cleaner and greener environment. After experiencing the drastic effects of climate change, he believes that this simple step can make a difference and may really help the people around him to change and save our beloved planet before it’s too late.