I DO not doubt that Gina Lopez has her heart in the right place.

But this is not all that we need in the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). This position is not merely about taking a strong stand against mining—and doing eco-tourism projects to prove that there are other ways of earning from the environment. It’s not merely about promising to clean the Pasig River—no matter the settlements that live off it. It’s not just about putting out money for the La Mesa Watershed Reservation.