15 April 2017, Sierra Madre Mountain Range, Siniloan, Laguna. 410 Native Philippine Forest trees were planted in the Sierra Madre Mountains today, thanks to the proactive leadership and commitment of the Ford Everest Club Philippines (FECP) – Laguna Chapter.

FORD Everest Club Video

A mixture of 100 Bani (Pongamia pinnate), 150 Kalumpit (Terminalia macrocarpa), 100 Malaruhat pula (Syzygium nitidium) and 50 Palo Maria (Calophyllum inophyllum) with an extra 10 planted by the forest guards and by 35 Ford Everest members, volunteers and their families, represented by FECP President Mr. Edmarl Tecson and Mr. Genesis Tanio, FECP Team Admin – traversing from all parts of Laguna and Manila to join the event at about 1,500 ft up in the clouds on a clear day that had rained prior.

Photos of Ford Everest Club Philippines – Laguna Chapter Planting, 15 April 2018

The Laguna Chapter of Ford Everest Club Philippines reached out to FEED in mid-March this year to inquire on how we can participate in tree planting activities. By the time several exchanges were held, the group decided to double their commitment of the initial 200 tree order, as well as donate PHP10,000 to the partial scholarship of a
University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) – FEED’s first Living Legacy partner, where a number of Climate Change Survival 101 type environmental interventions are held.

The Ford Everest Club PH partial scholarship will be allocated directly towards one of two UPLB scholars selected by end May 2018 – one study of which will be to measure the carbon offset assessment of the trees planted at the Laguna Quezon Land Grant’s 9,000+ hectares by FEED and other Living Legacy, Students & Volunteer for the Environment (SAVE) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) partners to date (retroactively since onset in the 1990s). The results of the Mistral level thesis study will be launched also in a separate press release with details on its hypothesis, methodology, research and results for better visibility into the effectiveness of tree-planting interventions and the Philippine native trees carbon-offset capabilities at the UPLB-FEED sites.

Currently, several UPLB scholarship applications are under assessment and will be released/revealed by early June 2018 and issued in a separate Press Release.

Thank you to Ford Everest Club Philippines, may the Forest always be with you too!

Which Province in the Philippines Has The Highest Deforestation Rate and Carbon Emission?

Extracts from the original piece by EAL Salas, December 8, 2015: http://eric-salas.com/2015/12/08/philippines-highest-deforestation-rate-carbon-emission/

Re-greening? So how far is the Philippines in reducing the loss of the country’s ‘greens’? Map of the Philippines showing tree cover loss and gain.

Although the total tree cover gain (272,676 ha) was only analyzed from the 2001 to 2012 period, it was still way less than the total tree cover loss* (678,868 ha from the period 2001 to 2013).

Where is the Philippines in the ranking of countries with the greatest tree cover loss (from 2001-2014)?

We are at no. 38 out of 203 nations worldwide (Note: The number of nations was based on the Montevideo Convention). Most Southeast Asian countries are doing worst than us — Indonesia at no. 5, Malaysia at no. 8, Myanmar at no. 18, Laos at no. 24, Cambodia at no. 25, Vietnam at no. 26, and Thailand at no. 29. The no. 1 country with the greatest tree cover loss is Russia, followed by Brazil at no. 2, Canada at no. 3, and the United States at no. 4.

Why forest and tree cover matter?

According to the NYDF, they support up to 80% of terrestrial biodiversity and play a vital role in safeguarding the climate by naturally sequestering carbon (CO2). They help remove carbon from the atmosphere by acting as long-term carbon reservoirs.

The U.S. Forest Service explains:

Interest in terrestrial carbon sequestration has increased in an effort to explore opportunities for climate change mitigation. Carbon sequestration is the process by which atmospheric carbon dioxide is taken up by trees, grasses, and other plants through photosynthesis and stored as carbon in biomass (trunks, branches, foliage, and roots) and soils. The sink of carbon sequestration in forests and wood products helps to offset sources of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, such as deforestation, forest fires, and fossil fuel emissions.

CO2 Emissions are Still Rising Globally

About Carbon Neutrality in the Automotive Industry

So what exactly is a carbon footprint? In simplest terms, carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases produced by various human activities within a given time frame. Carbon footprint is usually measured in tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) released into the atmosphere. Your home has a carbon footprint if you use oil, coal or gas to heat it. That cheeseburger at your favorite restaurant has a carbon footprint: raising the beef and wheat and operating the restaurant all involves greenhouse gases. Your car has a carbon footprint, dependent on the vehicle’s fuel consumption and driving distance.

“Cars and trucks account for 15-20% of global carbon emissions; and on average account for 20-30% of a typical households footprint and significant proportion of a business footprint.

Vehicle manufacturers, businesses and individuals alike are under increased pressure to reduce their environmental impact, by adopting cleaner vehicles and offsetting fuel emissions. Even electric vehicles cause carbon emissions whilst being driven. The actual amount depends on the source of the electricity – therefore electric cars are only as clean as their power source. If the electricity is predominantly produced from fossil fuels the cars will have a higher footprint than if the electricity is mainly generated from low carbon or renewable energy sources.

The good news

Advances in car design over recent years has lead to big improvements in efficiency. This has increased the miles per gallon (mpg) you can expect a car to achieve, which results in a reduction of CO2 emissions and saving fuel costs. However, driving even the greenest of cars will still result in additional carbon emissions (unless powered totally by renewable energy). Individuals and companies are now increasingly looking to offset these emissions, through investing in carbon reduction projects around the world.”

Source: https://www.carbonfootprint.com/car_offsetting.html

Help the Planet: Offset Your Car’s Emissions

Look how others help lower your car’s carbon footprint:

Calculate your Carbon Footprint

Several carbon footprint calculators exist on the internet, choose the best one that comes closest to your reality, here’s just a few examples:

Contact FEED to Offset Your Carbon Footprints

FEED runs a number of Students and Volunteers for the Environment (SAVE); Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) – such as mangrove planting for coastal protection or ridge reforestation plantings; One Child, One Tree; Bio-Intensive Gardens (BIG) for nutrition in public elementary schools and other spaces; Climate Change Survival 101 and other LIVING LEGACY programs – customised environmental engagement activities for individuals and organisations interested in contributing to climate change adaptation efforts and greening critical areas such as watersheds, ridges, and reefs that all require rehabilitation.

Contact us at FEED for more details, to join our regular activities or to design your own CSR Program: info@feed.org.ph or call/text +63 (0)917 552 4722.