Country Urged to Move Quickly to Implement Renewable Energy Options

Former Ambassador to the United Nations, Anthony Hill, is advocating that the country moves post-haste towards the implementation of renewable energy options to fossil fuels, in order to mitigate the factors influencing climate change.
Climate change refers to long-term changes in regional or global weather patterns, reflecting abnormal climatic variations.
Speaking at a recent Jamaica Institute of Environmental Professionals (JIEP) public lecture and panel discussion, at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston on the theme: ‘Solutions to the climate crisis – What can we do?’, Ambassador Hill cited the consequential impact that the high consumption of fossil fuels, such as oil and coal, has on the environment, which is influencing climate change.
“We, in Jamaica, have been following a high consumption model, and we need people to accept and believe that climate change is not something too distant from impacting us, and that we have responsibilities. Even if we are not contributors to the global factor, because it is global, it affects us, and therefore, we have to take adaptation measures, what is called mitigation steps,” he contended.
These, the Ambassador proffered, should focus on reducing the emissions of high energy consumption, by employing conservation measures, and implementing new and renewable energy options.
“When we talk about new and renewable energy and conservation, let us see if we can even copy China, which has committed to reducing its energy intensity by four per cent per annum. So, we need to become a little bit more relevant, not to re-invent the wheel, but really, to look to see what it is that we can do. Climate change may not be immediately effective in the ways it will affect the globe tomorrow. But we currently feel the effects through some of these extreme weather-related events, which we associate with global warning,” he said.
Noting efforts by the United States to regenerate its economy through a process of “greening”, incorporating the infusion technology and infrastructure to reduce carbon output from energy production and consumption, Ambassador Hill suggested this as an option, which could possibly be explored locally, in efforts to boost Jamaica’s economy.
“It has got to be based on new renewable resources from within the country, where it is said we rank very highly on the indices. With regard to solar radiation, we are well located globally, for solar voltaic and other kinds of renewable energy. We are also very high up on the wind speed, for the wind generation of energy. I think, however, that we should not be complacent by talking about all of the wonderful new capacity that we will be installing by 2015. The year 2015 may be too late, and we may tip into instability,” Ambassador Hill warned.