Investing in a Green Future

There is a pressing need to introduce the development of Renewable Energy in Papua New Guinea in order to address the challenges of clean energy, climate change, health, wealth creation and sustainable development.

 
Over eighty (80%) percent of Papua New Guineans still use traditional biomass (i.e. fire woods) for cooking and heating in rural areas despite the potential offered by different sources of renewable energy.
 
Renewable Energy comes from natural sources, including; solar radiation, wind, rain, tides, and bioenergy from agricultural residue, wood, plant growth; heat generated from deep within the earth and even disposed waste. They cannot be depleted or exhausted; neither emits toxic waste nor produces greenhouse gases and is constantly replenished. They are available locally and cause fewer emissions. The usage of renewable energy provides limited consequences as opposed to the fossil fuels.

The main types of renewable energy are Solar Energy, Wind Energy, Ocean Thermal Energy, Hydroelectric Energy, Geothermal Energy and Biomass Energy.

Current issues concerning climate change, deforestation, global warming, population growth and fossil fuel depletion dictate strongly for the societies to focus more and more attention to the renewable energy option. Apart from these concerns are the ongoing, ever increasing oil prices and power bills, increasing rate of respiratory illnesses and water-borne diseases and energy poverty in the rural areas. Various countries across the globe have been driving renewable energy legislations, grants, incentives and its commercialisation because of its sustainability.
Renewable energy can make significant contributions to the diversity and secure energy supply, to economic development, and to addressing local environmental pollution. The task is also urgent if we are to make sure that investment decisions taken now do not saddle us with sub-optimal technologies in the long term.

Awareness is growing of the urgent need to turn political statements and analytical work into concrete action. By identifying the steps needed to accelerate the implementation of radical technology changes, the government, industry and financial partners must make the right choices. This will in turn help societies make the right decisions.
 
Green or Renewable Energy  technology has the potential for a wide range of additional social, economic and environmental benefits, most importantly helping to extend affordable, reliable and clean energy access to the six (6) million people in rural areas of Papua New Guinea without grid access.
 
Figure 1:  Interrelationships between access to energy and sustainable development (Amigun, Musango & Stafford, 2010)

We can and must change our current path, but this will take an energy revolution and low-carbon energy technologies will have a crucial role to play.

We are at the critical stage of our development, and hence, such an investment will ensure a long-term sustainable growth. Our country has the foundation and competitive edge through our rich natural resources to utilize research and technology to enable us to move up the supply and value chain.
Green or Renewable Energy is critical to sustainable development. But, we must work together to maximize our efforts to achieve SUSTAINABLE, AFFORDABLE AND ACCESSIBLE ENERGY for Papua New Guinea while growing our economy and safeguarding the environment!

 
 

 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Multi-Level-Marketing of Niche Products in Papua New Guinea: Hop Rocket and JM Ocean Avenue

Introduction Papua New Guinea has some of the poorest social indicators in the world. Despite over 10% increase in the annual GDP (2012: 15.4%, 2013: 16.2%, 2014: 18.7%, 2015: 24.7%), PNG is not significantly progressing on its development indicators (Millennium Development Goals). There is essentially no transformation industry in PNG and the country is highly dependent on imports. Moreover, most people live below the poverty line, wages are low and there is a lack in social protections. According to UNDP (2012) thirty-seven percent of PNG's population live below the national poverty line and PNG is one of the poorest countries in Asia and indeed the world. Low income households in Papua New Guinea typically exhibit low or low-moderate levels of financial competence across all financial domains and activities. Poverty is the direct result of high unemployment rates and low income earning opportunities. Most of the employees in Papua New Guinea are middle to low income earne...
Read more

Writing that makes a difference: an author doing his own thing

JORDAN DEAN Jordan Dean has not only been quietly writing short stories and poems and publishing them using CreateSpace for a while now, he has also been helping other authors do the same thing. So far Jordan has published a collection of short stories and two collections of poetry. A fourth book is nearly complete. His independent approach is inspiring and we hope other Papua New Guinean writers will follow in his footsteps – PF   I’VE BEEN writing poetry and short stories for over a decade now. After completing my primary and secondary education in Alotau, Milne Bay Province, in 2003 I was selected to study Bachelor in Arts, majoring in literature at the University of Papua New Guinea.   My lecturers were the Papua New Guinean literary legends, Professor Steven Winduo, Russell Soaba and Dr Regis Stella. That’s when I started writing about my experiences, reflections, perspectives, feelings, emotions, dreams, aspirations and everyday issues: issues capable of depriv...
Read more

From Firewood and kerosine lanterns to Florescent Tubes: A self-help Development Initiative for a Rural Community

Image
I typed the name of my birth place "Iyaupolo village, Papua New Guinea" on Google and this response appeared: Your search - Iyaupolo village, Papua New Guinea - did not match any documents. This doesn't surprise me because this tiny village is devoid of electricity, basic health, education, water supply and sanitation services. Nor is there any signs of wharves, bridges, roads or houses built of corrugated iron and timber. Time has stood still for my insignificant village, unknown to world because it hasn't produced any politician, prime minister, or influential figure.   Location of Iyaupolo village   Forty (40) years after independence, my people in the rural parts of Fergussion Island, Milne Bay province are still living with realities that dates back a thousand years.   While we huff and puff about water rationing in Port Moresby, my people in rural Iyaupolo walk a fair distance, daily, for a...
Read more