REDUCING POLLUTION IN THE PHILIPPINES

In 2008 American Tim Bauer received the prestigious Rolex Award for his efforts to reduce the air pollution that envelopes major cities in the Philippines as well as in other Asian countries. Mr. Bauer set up shop in Vigan, Ilocos Sur to develop and market a kit that reduces the particulate emissions of two-stroke tricycle engines by roughly 70 percent; carbon monoxide (CO) emissions by 76 per cent; hydrocarbons emissions by 89 per cent; and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 35 per cent.

Anyone familiar with the Philippines knows about the huge pollution problem. Tricycles and jeepneys are the prominent source of transportation and yet they both are a disgrace for the massive amounts of pollution they emit and it seems like NOTHING has been done about it for years and years. Then along comes an American who invents a kit that is used to refit tricycles and the results are dramatic. Good for him and it's good for the Philippines. One question - why did it take a foreigner to do something about the pollution problem in the Philippines? Why does it seem the government could care less? Sorry, that's two questions. Here's the story.