Tuvalu, one of the small island states that faces a literal threat of obliteration due to climate change, has vowed to generate all of its energy from renewable sources by 2020. The estimated cost of doing so for the nation of 12,000 people is US$20 million.
The approach is a sensible one, given that the only hope for such states is swaying the world’s major emitters into being more aggressive about emissions reductions than they would otherwise be. Nevertheless, the prognosis for states like Tuvalu and the Maldives is pretty bleak. When rich states talk about ‘dangerous’ climate change, they seem to be defining it largely in terms of their own national interest. Furthermore, most states still haven’t adopted targets consistent with stabilizing greenhouse gasses at a level likely to avoid more than 2°C of temperature increase, and none have taken serious steps towards implementing a plan capable of reaching those targets.
It is also encouraging that Tuvalu is planning to go carbon-neutral by actually de-carbonizing its energy supply, rather than buying often-dubious offsets (like the Vatican, and others).
Not that I’m cynical, or anything. But would you like to lay odds that one of those “smart” traders, somewhere, somehow, will try to sell Tuvalu’s sinking as a massive carbon offset…?
Tiny Pacific nations which are most at threat from rising seas have vowed to dump diesel and other dirty expensive fuels blamed for causing global warming and replace them with clean sources.
Using coconut biofuel and solar panels, Tokelau — which consists of three island dots half way between New Zealand and Hawaii — plans to become self-sufficient in energy this year.
The leaders of other so-called small island states around the world made commitments at a meeting this week organized by the UN Development Program and the Barbados government.
The Cook Islands and Tuvalu in the Pacific are aiming to get all of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020, while St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the Caribbean is aiming for 60 per cent from renewables by 2020.
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/business/Coconuts+wind+power+Pacific+nations/6599371/story.html