In his 2nd State of the Union Address Tuesday last week, US President Joe Biden told members of Congress that the climate crisis is a “reality” and encompassing, it has no colors nor boundaries.

As he pointed out: “Climate change is literally an existential threat to our nation and to the world.” Anywhere else, the paradigm is environmental, social and governance (ESG). Thus, it’s no surprise to me that most of the businesses, from banking to mining, described to be one of the most pollution contributors, are into ESG.

That thing called climate change has actually engulfed the Rotary Club Makati-Paseo de Roxas, where I am a member. Recycling plastics is one of the projects that we support.

One mining firm that has the same paradigm is Eramen Minerals, Inc. Like the late Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Gina Lopez, I’m indifferent to mining firms because of the environmental hazards its operations pose to the localities.

Eramen, though, has a good story to tell. Learned that this mining firm bagged the prestigious 2022 Presidential Mineral Industry Environmental Award in the Surface Mining Category and 1st runner-up in the Best Mining Forest in the Metallic Category at the 68th Annual National Mine Safety and Environment Conference.

It was in acknowledgement of its exceptional commitment, initiative, and innovation in environmental protection, safety and health management, and social development.

My research showed that sometime two years ago Eramen launched the Mine Environment Modernization (MEMO) Program to enhance its environmental protection and natural resource management.

One of the projects under the MEMO program was the development of a new 1-hectare forest nursery with a capacity to grow 500,000 seedlings. The new nursery is also the location of Eramen’s Forestry Research Laboratory, aimed to boost the cultivation of high-quality seedlings, particularly the Mindoro Pines, using in vitro germination.

To date, Eramen has planted over 510,000 trees covering more than 657 hectares, including mined-out sites, buffer zones, National Greening Program, and DENR-Eramen bamboo plantation program areas.

In addition to the forest nursery, Eramen also developed an organic agroforestry farm to grow a variety of fruits, vegetables, and other crops not only to augment food sources and sustainability of the mine but also to aid in reducing the impact of climate change.

As a chemist, I was awed by its waste-to-nutrient project, gathering vegetative waste or biomass to capture not only the biological macro-element such as nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus but also beneficial microelements.

Through the process, symbiotic microorganisms will grow exponentially, and dosing of enzymes is done periodically henceforth, producing cytokinin enhancers in the form of liquor. The liquor then is applied to seedlings in the nursery, especially endemic and native species of Mindoro Pine, which exhibit good growth and development proven after a year of experimentation.

Food waste and animal manure are being used to produce organic fertilizer that is mixed with other media for potting and final capping activities in progressive rehabilitation --  Gulayan sa Minahan and agroforestry areas. Way to go Eramen.

As the wheels of business and life churn, it is a certainty that we have to our share in protecting mother nature. It’s a reality that all of us must contribute our share for the sake of our children’s future.

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