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-- Once upon a time...-- Land was rich, air was clean and waters abundantSeas and the rivers were teeming with life-- One day, men from foreign lands came, cut down the trees, killed all the fish disemboweled the earth for shiny, but useless , pieces of metal. In the process, poisoned the air and the rivers-- Even taught the natives how to rape and pillage the Earth, Resulting in a devastated land, soil and watersThey called it economic progress and development

Forest- cave –and lived for 20 yearsWent out- after 20 yearsSaddened by what he saw, he died of a broken heart

-- Later people saw the walls of the cave painted with beautiful pictures-- Told the story of how beautiful his home was, -- what was happening and -- what it could have been

Like the man is our little story we lawyers are artists, in that we are story tellers.Words are our paintbrushes;Law is our mediumThe Courtroom is the canvass of our art

1988/99Land Area- 30 M ha50 yrs ago -16 m1988- 800k– Virgin forests92- TLAs-4 M

Trial court dismissed the case-Could not even tell the storyRight to tell the story– We have a responsibility to future generations

• Such a right … concerns nothing less than the right to self-preservation and self-Such a right … concerns nothing less than the right to self-preservation and self-perpetuation, a right that may even be said to predate all governments and perpetuation, a right that may even be said to predate all governments and constitutions. If they are now specially mentioned in the fundamental law of the constitutions. If they are now specially mentioned in the fundamental law of the land, it is because … unless it is written in the constitution itself, land, it is because … unless it is written in the constitution itself,

• ””

• the day would not be too far when all else would be lost …

not only for this generation but also for succeeding generations …. generations which stand to inherit nothing but a parched earth incapable of sustaining life.”

The “PHILIPPINES IS THE CENTER OF THE CENTER OF MARINE BIODIVERSITY ON EARTH”– Dr. Kent Carpenter/UN FAO Study

Tanon strait, oil drilling, fishermen losing fish catch

-We human beings are GUARDIANS of the Lesser Life forms and of the Earth- Give rights to a legal fiction called a corporation and even a boat, why not a an animal?- Injunction has become moot

Story—public beaches must be kept open and free for the access to everyone-- no one, esp. the foreigners, can appropriate them for their personal and exclusive use to the exclusion of others

March 1989: Rep Act 6716: Rainwater Catchments

-- FLOODS DURING RAINY SEASON--- CRACKING EARTH DURING THE DRY SEASON-- FORETASTE OF THINGS TO COME

July 20, 2010, INQUIRER

MANILA, Philippines - The Supreme Court (SC) has ordered the government to answer a petition of a group of environmentalists seeking the creation of rainwater collectors in the country. Respondents -- Malacañang, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government representing the 80 provinces, 150 cities, 1,400 towns and 42,000 barangays were given 10 days to comment on the petition filed by the group. SC allowed the petition of the Global Legal Action on Climate Change calling on the national government to come up with a more effective nationwide flood control project by implementing a 1989 law for rainwater collectors in all barangays.

Story:We do not have to suffer the constant tragedy that we go through every yearWe do not have to be as stupid as we seem to beThere is another way

Story of Humanity is unfolding, Ship of the Earth is foundering in the shallows of consumption• 20 years ago–

Preston, Santosa, Lalanath, etc in HK

• 20 years hence, while there has been greater awareness, but little has been done, after all is said than done, more has been said than done.

• Reframing the debate – Environment is not about the bird and the bees but about LIFE and the sources of Life – Land, Air and Water

• Economic Paradigm from Extraction and Consumption to the Economics of CPR (Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation of the vital organs of Life

• UNEP-Green Economics• Developed/Dev’g

Economies (Development based on consumption is not sustainable- 5 Earths

• OCC and us LCCs• Change words, change

meanings and then change mindsets

• Outcome of the story is still unfolding

• We have the tools in our hands – words as our paintbrushes, law as our medium, and the courtroom is our canvass

• The outcome of this story is in our hands

Will we succeed? Is this a fool’s

errand?