Philippine delegation head, Heherson Alvarez, talks to Climate-Change.tv about the recent storms that have paralysed his country, and about the need for adaptation initiatives to help reduce the loss of food, lives, and knowledge. He emphasises the undeserving vulnerability of the small island states and stresses they are “carbon takers”, not “carbon makers”. Aiming for a global intelligent balance of interests, he says the states should muster resources and lead where they can, before major world cities are similarly affected. Also see Heherson Alvarez speaking from Bangkok in 2009 and Bonn in April, 2009. And see Loren Legarda, Senator, Philippines, speaking from Copenhagen