Alternative energy

The search for alternative energy has been a recurring theme in this country particularly at times of steep fuel price hikes in the World market. However all Governments have only paid lip service to the issue with no serious attempt made to explore avenues of cheap energy sources.

Now we have Science and Technology Minister Prof. Tissa Vitarana resurrecting the subject once again particularly in the light of yet another looming oil price hike in the world market. He has submitted a Cabinet memorandum which has received Government approval to explore means of alternative energy and a Ministerial sub committee has been established to go into the matter.

We have travelled this road before where legions of committees were set up only for the findings and deliberations to be pigeon-holed in some musty Ministry office. Hopefully this will not the case this time around. A genuine attempt should be made to look for alternative energy sources. The country would soon have to grapple with a serious energy crisis given the increased demands for power for post-war development.

According to the Minister, Sri Lanka spends 40 percent of her foreign exchange on fuel imports and 64 percent of this goes for power generation. How long can we sustain this? It is satisfying to note that a start has been made even in a small way.

According to the Minister, some people have already taken steps to grow Gliricidia and use them to produce bio fuel while some leading tea and garment factories have started to use bio fuel to produce electricity.

Scientists have also started conducting research to use sugarcane, solar power and sea water to produce alternative sources of energy. We should also explore the possibility of developing mini hydro power stations in the vicinity of water falls which the country is blessed with abundantly.

We cannot wait for long gestation hydro power projects given the looming energy crisis. We should try to lay our hands on every possible alternative energy source without delay if we are to avert a breakdown that will be exacerbated with the impending world fuel price hike.

There has been lot of talk about garbage recycling as a cheap energy source and from the mountains of garbage rising to the heavens all over Colombo, there is no doubt the entire city could be lit up if this source is being properly exploited. In this light it is encouraging to note that a recent Supreme Court ruling had made specific orders for the Colombo Municipal Council to commence a project to recycle city garbage for energy purposes.

We ought to take a leaf from countries like Brazil which have taken serious measures to develop renewable energy with remarkable results. Sri Lanka which has emerged from three decades of war which precluded it from directing its attention in other spheres should now have the opportunity to venture into new realms for the economic health of the country. One of the key areas that should receive the Government’s attention is to develop cheap energy sources. It is no secret that many investors give Sri Lanka a wide berth due to prohibitive electricity costs that eat into profits.

Now with many mega development projects in the pipeline, there is bound to be a heavy demand on the national grid. We therefore will need every energy sources we could look for if these development programs are not to be jeopardized.

Recycling baby boom

There is good news for the developed world. Several developed countries including Australia, Sweden, France and the United States are enjoying modest baby booms. These countries saw their population ageing and had apparently taken precautions to ensure that the active labour force does not fall below the number of non-working pensioners or the old. With the current financial crisis throwing thousands out of jobs and forcing workers to stay at home an additional incentive may be generated in favour of procreation.

What interests us is not their demographic changes but what would they preach us the developing nations. We have been blindly following their advice on birth control as a panacea for poverty eradication.

Small is beautiful, they taught us and our rulers also promoted the three wheeler concept that a family should be small enough so that all could go in the same three wheeler.

We have found by experience that poverty remains whether our families are big or small. It is because the cause of poverty lies elsewhere. It is colonial exploitation, which continues under a different guise even now, that is the prime cause for poverty.

Unequal distribution of wealth both among nations and within nations contributes to poverty.

Shouldn’t we now call upon the developed nations to believe their dictum small is beautiful? With family planning many developing nations including Sri Lanka has shown a declining birth rate. So the boom has passed on to the developed world from the developing. Has nature recycled the baby boom?