President Benigno Aquino II launches the National Renewable Energy Program (NREP) at the Rizal Ballroom of the Makati Shangri-la Hotel on Tuesday with energy and environment leaders, partners and stakeholders with the aim of attaining energy self-sufficiency.
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Sponsored by SM Prime, Former US vice-president and environmentalist Al Gore will keynote a lecture about climate change entitled the “Inconvenient Truth” which is an updated Asian version.

The leadership conference will be held in SMX Convention Center at SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City at 4pm.

At around 11:10 a.m., Gore arrived from Seoul at NAIA Terminal 1 via Korean Air flight KE-621. He was escorted to the NAIA dignitaries’ lounge waving hands and giving smiles to the crowd. Gore will have his meeting with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo before his scheduled lecture.

Gore, world-renowned steward for environment, is a Nobel Prize awardee who bang the bulletin last week because he and his wife announced that they will be ending their 40-years marital status.

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the Panay monitor lizard or bayawak including 164 new endemic species in the Philippines in its updated “red list” of threatened and endangered species. The said specie is threatened by habitat loss or being hunted and served in some exotic restaurants in the Philippines.

A Film festival that tackles about the environment will be screened in selected SM Malls for people’s awareness about the factors that affect our environment today. Dubbed as the ” Green Film Festival “, it highlights environmental issues like climate change, scarcity of water, environmental decay and the need for people and nations to work together for a sustainable future. Green Film Festival is an international festival staged yearly in different countries worldwide, this time they will feature 8 films that is for free. It will be held at the Mall of Asia, Megamall & North EDSA this September. The Green Film Festival begins September 22 & 23 at the SM Mall of Asia then on September 28-29 at the SM Megamall and at the SM North EDSA on October 5-6, 2009. Watch out for It!

Issues about the arising problems of global warming will be tackle in tonight’s documentary show, The Correspondents. Hosted by Karen Davila, this episode features the young advocates who was actively participating in environmental activities. At the age of 10, Jommel is now busy doing tree-planting activities as one of his advocacies to save the environment. While Tim’s mission is to lead the clean up drive to their community. The two of them belongs to some children who is aware of what is happening to our environment right now. Get to know more of them this Tuesday night at The Correspondents, after Bandila.

The most common problems we are facing today is how we will dispose our trash. But what if we came to a decision to dispose our mobile phones and batteries? As we all know, they contain toxic substances that is harmful to our environment. Though most mobile phone manufacturers are careful to minimize the use of toxic chemicals and metals in their products, there are still elements that are necessary in making the battery and the phone itself that should not be disposed of mindlessly anywhere. In Glorietta, Globe Telecom has placed in the foot of an escalator some clearly marked containers where you can drop your malfunctioned and useless phones. Sony Ericsson shops have containers where you can give your SE mobile a proper disposal. While Nokia is planning to do the same thing. With this move, we can contribute some little effort to lessen the burden of our environment.

The longest running drama anthology Maalaala Mo Kaya celebrate its 18th year on Philippine Television this year. Ms. Charo Santos- Concio, the host of this show, continues to bring us heartwarming stories that inspires all of us who watched it. Plus, it really depicts the real stories of people from different parts of our country as its trademark for almost two decades. This time, in celebration of its 18th year, they will be bringing us 5 inspiring stories for this whole month of August. This is also an MMK debut to TFC as they bring us 4 stories from the U.S. where they have our very own actors and actresses who are now based in the States. See more of this heartwarming stories starting August 1, after the Singing Bee.

Four battery-powered vehicles named “Green and Go” Shuttles was launched at the Araneta Center in Cubao today. This will make malling more convenient for the public and also helps in protecting the environment. Rene Dela Cruz, chief operating officer of the Araneta Group said that these “Green and Go” Shuttles guarantees no harmful emissions that pollute the environment. It has the capacity of 14-seats that will help bring mall-goers to and from Gateway Mall and Ali Mall for free. Senior citizens and the disabled will also benefit the said shuttle as they will be assisted in going to and from the two malls. Early this morning, Bb. Pilipinas 2009 winners took a short trip with one of the shuttles together with Quezon City Vice Mayor Herbert Bautista.

Our very own Fashion Designer Rajo Laurel made his contributions to the Rags to Riches Enterprise and The Philippine National Red Cross as he designed fashionable enviro-Chic Bags. It is a collaboration with the Eastwood Mall together with the Rags to Riches Enterprise, compose of the women of Payatas who made rags as a source of their living. According to Rajo, it started almost a year and a half when the members seek his help and eventually, he helped them through creation of fashionable and environment- friendly bags. Soon the Business boomed and already changed the lives of Payatas Mothers. They also received a Social Enterprise Award in 2008 held in San Francisco and the over-all champion at the Business in Development Global Challenge in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The Bags costs P600 each and these will be given to the Rags to Riches Enterprise while the other proceeds will be given to the Phil. Nat’l. Red Cross,one of the foundations which Rajo supports.

The chytrid fungus (batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) is considered a “very serious threat” to amphibian biodiversity in the Philippines. The fungus, which attacks the skin of frogs and salamanders and affects the formation of tadpoles’ body parts, is also present in Japan and Indonesia. The Luzon striped frog, Rana similis, one of five affected endemic species, has practically disappeared from the lowland forests of Mount Labo on the southeast tip of the main Philippine island of Luzon. The nocturnal, stream-dwelling frogs form part of the diet of Philippine fauna comes to a near extinction due to climate change and nature imbalance. For now,our country is lucky enough to have 110 species of frogs that is 80% endemic.