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Letter of the Day | Concerns about nuclear energy direction for Ja

June 9, 2023 jrobinson

THE EDITOR, Madam:

As a young university graduate with a degree in physics and applied physics, I was an ardent advocate of nuclear power in Jamaica. I argued that the use of nuclear power was necessary to generate abundant, cheap energy to allow Jamaica to develop manufacturing industries such as the production of aluminium and other finished goods, providing much-needed jobs and economic growth. At the same time, I dismissed cons such as environmental pollution and safety issues as being irrelevant and of secondary concern.

With advancing years and hopefully a little more wisdom, I have come to realise that we have an obligation to pass our only planet on to our descendants in a condition that is no worse than we found it.

The recent announcements by the prime minister and Minister Vaz that Jamaica is planning to add nuclear power generation in the form of small nuclear reactors to our energy mix, leaves me with grave concerns about the advice they are receiving.

As Dr Dennis Minott has said in several articles in your newspaper, there are a number of issues that need to be carefully considered before making such a decision. Among them are:

1. Although the manufacturers of these plants promise that they will take them back for disposal when they reach the end of their useful life, what guarantee do we have that the company will still be around to fulfil its obligation when the 40-50 year expected lifespan expires?

2. Even if the company is still in business, changes in government regulations in their home country may well bar them from shipping the unit or its disassembled components into their country. The radioactive waste may then find its way into poor third countries in exchange for a pittance paid to corrupt politicians, or simply be dumped into the ocean.

3. Although some nuclear power plants use air cooling, most such plants, including small modular reactors (SMRs), use significant amounts of water for cooling and for the production of steam to generate electricity. This water can be held in either a closed-loop or a ‘once-through’ system. The actual amount of water consumed will vary depending on the technology being used and may fall as the technology improves, but a reasonable estimate for an SMR generating 300 MW will typically range between two to 14 million gallons per day for the primary coolant (used to transfer heat away from the fuel rods), plus an additional eight to 80 million gallons per day for the secondary coolant (used to transfer heat from the primary coolant to the steam-generation system, where the actual electricity is produced). In total, we are looking at anywhere from 10-94 million gallons of water consumed per day, depending on the plant design and whether the system is open or closed-loop.

4. Even more concerning, and a fact that is often glossed over by advocates, is that ALL nuclear reactors produce radioactive coolant (usually water) as a by-product of their operation. By design, coolant comes into contact with the reactor core where the uranium fuel rods are contained. As the fuel undergoes fission, radioactive isotopes are generated, some of which can dissolve or become suspended in the coolant. This radioactive coolant is treated to reduce the radioactivity as much as is possible with current technology, but it is impossible to remove it entirely. The radioactive coolant has to be stored somewhere – usually in some sort of storage pond. In a country that sits on a major fault zone, where a high-magnitude earthquake is a matter of ‘when’ NOT ‘if’, a pond full of radioactive water/coolant represents a potential environmental disaster. If you have doubts about this, consider the repeated discharge of polluted industrial effluent into the Rio Cobre.

METHODS OF DISPOSAL

5. Returning to the issue of disposing of the nuclear plant at the end of its useful life, the most common methods are: a) decommissioning and dismantling, b) entombment (encasing it in an element such as lead), and c) deep geological repository (disposing of the radioactive components by dumping them in a salt formation or deep rock formation). Given Jamaica’s small land area and widespread porous limestone geology, options b) and c) are impractical, which leaves us with option a) which involves removing all radioactive materials, decontaminating the site, and demolishing the facility. The radioactive waste generated during this process is packaged and stored in specialised containers for long-term storage or disposal. It is obvious that to minimise transmission costs and losses, the SMR location can’t be too remote from where the power is to be used, which means that in reality, this demolished, still-radioactive site will be left sitting within a few miles of major industrial and/or residential centres. It is important to note that EVERY gram of radioactive waste generated since the first nuclear power plant was built in 1954, is still sitting somewhere out there emitting radiation!

We should ask ourselves why, prior to the Ukraine-Russia war, many European and Asian countries were planning to mothball their very expensive nuclear power plants long before they had become obsolete.

Assuming that we find a suitable location and an adequate water supply and that the plant does become a reality, I very much doubt that future generations will thank us for the legacy we plan to leave for them.

Gleaner

Alternative Energy Electricity Government News

Risk factors of nuclear energy

June 9, 2023 jrobinson

MINOTT… we are not doing a good job at dealing with waste at all, let alone with nuclear waste which is thousands and millions of times more dangerous.

EXPONENTIAL start-up costs, qualified employees, proper waste disposal and site selection are being cited as factors for Jamaica’s shortfall to be able to successfully establish a nuclear energy facility on the island.

The concerns were raised by Dr Dennis Minott, a scientist trained in applied nuclear physics, with a PhD in physics and undergraduate training in engineering, who has described announcements by the Government to introduce nuclear energy in the renewable energy mix as delusive.

“The cost of small nuclei is running at about US$8 million per megawatt. Just the capital cost. And for Jamaica, if we were even to have a 10-megawatt plant let alone a 100-megawatt plant that would be US$800 million of installation cost, let alone the cost of personnel, the cost of infrastructure, the need for clear space and the need to be extremely military,” Dr Minott revealed to the Jamaica Observer in an interview.

In a recent sectoral debate presentation in Parliament, Minister of Science, Energy and Technology Daryl Vaz said if Jamaica does not join the rest of the world in pursuit of building its own nuclear energy capabilities, the country will be left behind. However, the renewable energy specialist says several things need to be in place before such a move could even be considered, and Jamaica’s economic position already put it at a disadvantage.

He explained that for such transformation to take place, a rigorous evaluation of what the aim is will be needed. For a nuclear plant to operate effectively, he says the trained human capital is paramount and it would require to have on stream, all the time, one or two nuclear physicists available 24/7 and these trained employees will need to be properly compensated.

“It cost CAN$251,000, US$190,000 (plus) per annum to even get a low-grade physicist to work full time at the boring, but important job of supervising a nuclear power reactor. Then you need engineers, they come in at roughly the same costs, then you have got to have operators, they come in at about US$90,000 plus per annum,” added Dr Minott.

He reiterated that the country has no experienced civilian engineers, physicists, operators or fire personnel in dealing with nuclear energy. For the most part, the human capital that is available and is knowledgeable about some nuclear science and technology resides at the University of the West Indies, Mona, in the International Centre for Environmental and Nuclear Sciences (ICENS). But, ICENS only operates a small nuclear reactor, which is slow and small-scale and Dr Minott says it is a misrepresentation of what a nuclear facility is.

“It [ICENS] has nothing to do with this [nuclear energy] at all. It is blatantly untrue to say that we’ve had 40 years of experience with nuclear power, we have not, and we have no experience whatsoever. We may have one or two people trained in nuclear power like myself, but nobody based on anything in Jamaica has been trained in Jamaica to handle nuclear matters,” he said.

But even with trained members operating in a nuclear facility, proper disposal of nuclear waste is another concern.

“We are not doing a good job at dealing with waste at all, let alone with nuclear waste which is thousands and millions of times more dangerous,” he said discerningly.

In pointing to the country’s already troubled disposal practices, including from medical waste which has been piling up, Dr Minott said those waste could possibly include radionuclides from nuclear medicine practice. He believes if medical waste is not being disposed of properly now, the same will follow suit with nuclear waste.

“Have no doubt that the medical doctors who must have administered those nuclear medicines knew that these were extremely hazardous materials but they are out there because whoever is disposing of them is not incinerating them,” said Dr Minott with serious concern.

He says that medical nuclear waste is likely to stay radioactive for three or four months, while nuclear waste has far longer-lasting radioactivity. He explained that even if nuclear waste is disposed of in deep salt mines some 500 to 600 metres or more below the earth’s surface or in mountains, they are still radiating. As such, it’s just a matter of putting them out of direct reach from people, and he’s of the view that it’s highly unlikely nuclear waste generated in Jamaica will be dumped elsewhere.

He, however, admitted that it is possible to minimise the risks against alpha particles, and beta particles because they can be contained. But gamma radiation, which is electromagnetic radiation, cannot be contained effectively without adequate shielding and less frequent exposure.

“Workers cannot be continuously going five days a week or seven days a week, spending five hours per day, on a reactor, and not come away hurt, and I’m not talking about nuclear accidents, I’m just talking about normal operations,” he said.

He added that the narrative or assumption that Jamaica has an insufficiency of power is false and a false solution is being pushed. He says the issue of grid stability is not only dependent on the availability of power.

“Jamaica doesn’t have an ideal grid but it’s not unstable. JPS doesn’t necessarily run an unstable utility. The problem is we have failed to invest in infrastructure, the distribution lines as well as the big transmissions lines. We have failed to invest in the kinds of consumption devices that we ought to, and not just invest, we do not maintain them as well as we should. We do a bad job at it,” said Dr Minott.

He further added that if Jamaica were to get and concentrate on getting power properly connected to the electricity grid, then it would have stability because the instability that Jamaica endures is not caused by lack of power.

If all these were to be in place, though an advantage to pursue the creation of its own nuclear facility, Dr Minott reminded of Jamaica’s geographical position on the tectonic plates which poses a major risk of a nuclear accident due to earthquakes.

“Even an earthquake that is near the Jamaican soil, let alone one that hits and moves two tectonic plates in the way we know they can shake and I don’t know of any nuclear plant that’s built to withstand that,” he added.

And based on Jamaica’s small size, he says it’s a terrible idea to build a nuclear plant in Jamaica, explaining that large reactors are only appropriate for places with enough space. The Business Observer asked Dr Minott, should a nuclear facility be built in Jamaica, where would be a good location? His response was “The part of Jamaica that fits on Antarctica.”

Jamaica Observer

Climate Climate Change News

‘Absolutely regrettable’

May 17, 2023 jrobinson

UN sec-gen bemoans ‘developed world’s’ unfulfilled promise of US$100b to tackle climate change

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks to the media at a press conference at Jamaica House Media Centre in Kingston yesterday.

UNITED NATIONS (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has described as “absolutely regrettable” the unfulfilled promises by developed countries to provide US$100 billion annually since 2020, in support of developing countries impacted by climate change.

He bemoaned that the failure by the developed world to make good on their commitment that would assist developing states hit by the effects of climate change was indicative of an injustice of the world system.

“As it is not yet clear that the commitment that was made to double the finance for adaptation will be met, and this has been a huge cause of frustration in the developing world and a pretext for some emerging economies not to do what they also need to do in relation to the reduction of emission,” Guterres argued, during a press briefing at the media centre, Jamaica House in St Andrew.

According to the UN, the Adaptation Fund finances projects and programmes that help vulnerable communities in developing countries to adapt to climate change.

The UN and environmental groups around the world have pressed for urgent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions to limit the impacts of climate change on vulnerable small island developing states, among others.

Guterres made a strong appeal yesterday to the international community, in particular the developed world, “to make sure that we do not wait one minute more to ensure that these two promises are quickly implemented”.

The UN boss was on a two-day visit to Jamaica where he held talks with Prime Minister Andrew Holness.

He also praised Holness for being “a champion in relation to climate action and a champion in relation to an effective reformed multilateral financial architecture in the world”.

The prime minister told Guterres that Jamaica has been experiencing one of its worst droughts in the last six months. He also highlighted that in a matter of weeks the 2023 hurricane season will begin.

According to Holness, the country understands in real ways the impacts of climate change.

He said it is a moral imperative that more developed countries seek to ensure that countries like Jamaica, small-island developing states, who are vulnerable to climate impacts are put in a position where they can adapt to the changing climate.

He argued that there should be some form of reparation for loss and damage caused by the effects of climate change and that these impacted countries also benefit from technologies that could mitigate the impact.

Gleaner

Alternative Energy News

Opinion: No, nuclear power isn’t the ‘big bazooka’ climate fix you might think

May 15, 2023 jrobinson

Germany’s exit from nuclear power on April 15 doesn’t single it out as a quirky anomaly or black sheep in a world otherwise enthusiastically embracing nuclear energy.

Rather, it situates Germany firmly within the global mainstream: ever more countries are abandoning or scaling back their nuclear power programs, including the US.

Since a highpoint in the early 2000s, the number of operational nuclear reactors worldwide has fallen – from 438 to 411, according to this year’s World Nuclear Industry Status Report. (And that was before Germany’s move this week).

Nuclear power’s share of global electricity generation has now slid to its lowest point in four decades. While at the same time, renewable energy generation – clean tech like solar, wind, bioenergy and geothermal – has expanded by more than 30-fold.

Despite bipartisan backing, the US, the globe’s nuclear energy stronghold, has 12 fewer reactors operational than a decade ago – and none at all under construction.

In fact, when matched up against renewables as a source of energy that doesn’t emit carbon, nuclear power falls egregiously short.

It is so expensive and grievously slow to roll out that its steady decline is no wonder – even if there’s currently the illusion of nuclear’s comeback as a solution for the climate crisis.

Nuclear power may look like an attractive, big bazooka fix to rising emissions. But it is a red herring and the so-called renaissance is nothing but a soap bubble. Nuclear power actually obstructs the transition to a carbon-neutral world. It robs the urgent rollout of clean tech funds, obscures planning clarity and throws a spanner in energy systems driven increasingly by renewables.

In terms of price, nuclear power is itself a striking anomaly in the world of technology, as cost has risen over the course of time rather than sunk.

Since 2011, the price of a kilowatt of nuclear generated electricity has soared by 40%.

Meanwhile solar energy, which the International Energy Agency calls “the cheapest electricity in history,” has plummeted by 90% – and is still falling as its technical efficacy steadily improves.

The cost of a megawatt-hour generated by utility-scale solar or wind is around $38; the same from a nuclear plant runs around $167. Why invest four dollars in a unit of energy when get you the same for one?

The high price tag on nuclear kilowatts is a result of the exorbitant construction bill and insurance costs. The tab is so high that countries simply can’t attract investors no matter how sweet they make the deal.

The two reactors that will go online this year in the US state of Georgia racked up costs of more than $30 billon. But the Hinkley C plant in the UK takes the dubious prize of the priciest: currently $32 billion.

As for rollout time – critically important as the planet is racing against the clock to stop global warming – nuclear also occupies the doghouse. While authoritarian states such as China start up plants more quickly – though not nearly as quickly as they throw up giant wind and solar farms – in the West construction time is almost always vastly underestimated. Supposedly about ten years, though usually much longer.

Since 2000 only one new European reactor has gone online, and in the US the first to be built in more than three decades began operations in Georgia this year. Of the 63 reactors that commenced construction globally between 2012 and 2021, only 19 are operational – and almost all of them in China.

This also means that the world’s current nuclear fleet is aging – average age 31 years. And as France’s disastrous summer of 2022 taught us (half of its reactors were down for repairs) old nuclear technology is unreliable – anything but the 24/7 phenomenon that advocates claim.

None of these numbers or arguments, however, should obscure the original reason that Germany, as well fellow European countries Spain and Switzerland, chose to toss in nuclear power, to say nothing of many of the 163 countries that never went the way of spitting atoms for energy in the first place.

Nuclear fission remains an extremely dangerous and toxic means of energy generation. In addition to the meltdowns in Chernobyl, Ukraine (1986) and Fukushima, Japan (2011), according to the IAEA, there have been 31 serious incidents at nuclear power stations worldwide since 1952— including two in France and six in the United States.

Most recently, in November 2022 the Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant north of Minneapolis, Minnesota, leaked about 400,000 gallons of radioactive water into a nearby stream.

And nuclear waste remains a radioactive dilemma without a solution. There are currently more than 250,000 tonnes of spent fuel sitting on or near nuclear plant sites – waiting for permanent repository sites to be named and constructed. The problem since 1954: nobody but nobody wants it stored near their communities or water supplies.

Germany, and all of Europe, is building out renewable energy, smart grids, electric vehicles and energy storage facilities at breakneck pace to eliminate fossil fuels from its energy supply.

This is a clear-headed, evidence-based decision in contrast to the pipedream of a nuclear future.

CNN

Alternative Energy Government News

DANGER!

May 15, 2023 jrobinson

Local scientist warns Caribbean leaders about building nuclear power plants

Jamaican scientist Dr Dennis Minott has issued an appeal to Caribbean governments to exercise caution on the matter of erecting inland or near-shore mini nuclear fusion power plants, saying that any such venture could pose serious risk to lives and the natural environment.

Dr Minott, who has a PhD in physics, postgraduate training in applied nuclear physics, and undergraduate training in engineering, made the appeal in a letter to the Jamaica Observer over the weekend in response to a comment by Prime Minister Andrew Holness at the opening ceremony of Expo Jamaica 2023 on April 27.

Holness had said that the Government was looking at introducing new energy sources that will make power generation in Jamaica more reliable, available, and affordable.

“We are currently doing a new integrated resource plan to make sure that when we do introduce more green energy, up to 50 per cent, that the entire grid is stable, and that the capacity has been increased,” the Jamaica Information Service reported Holness as saying.

“So, we are looking at pumped hydro storage… looking at the Mahogany Vale project, which I announced as an important element in our energy mix. I have [also] met with the International Atomic Agency. Jamaica has to explore new technology in nuclear energy, small nuclear plants to generate energy in Jamaica, which will be cheaper, more stable, and more affordable,” he added, as he indicated that the Government is serious about insulating the economy from energy shocks and high energy prices.

These initiatives, Holness is reported as saying, may take a decade to happen, but the country, he argued, has been lagging for 40 years.

“Let us start doing things differently. Let us start looking at the big projects that are going to make the difference, and that is what we are investing in now, to create a new paradigm in energy in Jamaica,” the prime minister said.

Dr Minott did not name Holness in his letter; however, it was clear that he was including the Jamaican chief executive in his plea to Caribbean leaders.

Stating that he understands the importance of considering all available options when it comes to energy generation, Minott said that “it is crucial that we do not compromise safety and sustainability in the pursuit of cheaper or more efficient energy”.

“As you are well aware, the Caribbean is renowned for its beautiful beaches, diverse wildlife, and vibrant communities. It is essential that we prioritise the safety of our people, environment, and future generations when making decisions about energy generation,” Minott said.

“Given our geographies, it is almost impossible to locate any small nuclear fusion power plant that would be 35km or more clear of human, large-animal, or fish habitation on these islands. Moreover, nuclear wastes must be safely disposed of, and there is very limited availability of trained physicists and nuclear power engineers, let alone civilian nuclear power technicians. Therefore, it would be unwise to venture into nuclear energy without proper consideration of the long-term implications,” he argued.

He said the potential dangers of nuclear energy are well-documented, and “it would be irresponsible to put our people and environment at risk without proper consideration of the consequences”.

He reiterated his appeal to Caribbean leaders to prioritise the safety of the region’s people and environment when considering energy-generation options.

“There are many viable alternatives to nuclear energy that we can further explore, including renewable energy sources like solar, wind power, small, medium and mini-hydro, and farmed biomass. These options are safer, more sustainable, and less likely to cause harm to our communities,” Minott stated.

In 2022, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) launched a project to help Caribbean countries safely reap the benefits of nuclear technologies in medicine, industry, agriculture, and research.

The Regulatory Infrastructure Development Project opened on April 11 with a four-day workshop in Vienna, Austria, with some participants joining online. Government officials from 14 countries in the region, all at different stages in the development of their nuclear regulatory infrastructure, had the opportunity to hold bilateral sessions with IAEA experts to assess their needs, the agency stated in an online report.

Participants included experts from Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St Vincent and the Grenadines, St Kitts and Nevis, and Suriname.

Two years earlier, Jamaica officially launched its Hazardous Substances Regulatory Authority, becoming the first Caricom member state to establish an independent regulatory body to ensure safety and security in the operation of facilities involving ionising radiation and nuclear technology in the country, including the Caribbean’s only nuclear reactor — the 20kW SLOWPOKE research reactor, which is owned and operated by The University of the West Indies on its Mona Campus.

The reactor is primarily used for neutron activation analysis of trace elements in studies related to health, the environment and agriculture as well as in education and training.

Jamaica Observer

Electricity JPS News

JPS rakes in US$1b in 2022

May 4, 2023 jrobinson

The Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) is reporting revenues of more than US$1 billion in 2022, as demand recovered from the COVID-19 slump at a time when electricity prices reached the highest they had been for more than a decade.

“Operating revenues for the group was US$1,163 million, which represented a 20 per cent or US$190-million increase over the previous year with the greatest contributor being electricity revenues which increased by US$190 million,” the JPS said in its annual report. Profits last year was US$54 million up 28 per cent from a year earlier.

It said as the country continued its recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, electricity sales rose 3 per cent in 2022. The increased demand was still 3 per cent below the pre-COVID year of 2019, but a welcome improvement nonetheless, the JPS said.

That came as the cost of a kilowatt of electricity reached 40 US cents in 2022, up 17.6 per cent, as the war in Ukraine sent fuel prices spiralling worldwide.

“This in turn fed into markedly higher electricity tariff for our customers, further increasing the theft of electricity, payment delinquency, and the incentive for large commercial customers to consider defecting from the grid and supplying their own electricity. The war also threatened the availability of goods and services needed to operate, maintain and upgrade the equipment that produces and supplies electricity.”

That aside, the JPS which is now celebrating 100 years, marked some milestones during 2022.

Its MyJPS mobile app which was introduced in 2020 to allow customers to track energy usage, make and track reports, check balances and pay bills, now has more than 420,000 customers registered “with a significant percentage being from the older demographics”, the JPS said.

It also said its service standards have improved with 64 per cent of its residential customers expressing satisfaction with the company versus the 60 per cent who were satisfied the prior year. Among commercial and industrial customers, the satisfaction level was much higher at 74 per cent in 2022, compared to 69 per cent in 2021.

Jamaica Observer

Alternative Energy Electricity Government News Solar Buzz Featured

Jamaica to go nuclear

May 4, 2023 jrobinson

Gov’t exploring nuclear energy as part of National Energy Policy

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has signalled the intentions of the Government to integrate nuclear energy in the country’s energy mix.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of Expo Jamaica 2023 last week Thursday, April 28, 2023, the prime minster revealed that already he had spoken to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) — the world’s central intergovernmental forum for scientific and technical co-operation in the nuclear field — about using nuclear energy to generate electricity.

The move will form part of the Government of Jamaica’s National Energy Policy which, in part, aims to generate 50 per cent of electric energy from renewable sources by 2030. This, Holness said, will make the supply of electricity “more reliable, more available, and more affordable”.

“Jamaica has to explore new technology in [the form of] nuclear energy — small nuclear plants to generate in Jamaica — which is cheaper, more stable and more affordable,” he explained further.

“So the Jamaica Government is serious about insulating our economy [against] energy shocks and high energy prices,” the prime minister continued.

The move has been welcomed by president of the Jamaica Renewable Energy Association (JREA) Alex Hill, who informed Jamaica Observer that “nuclear cannot be written off as future energy source”. He added that though there are pros and cons, the energy source should be considered for integration into the country’s energy mix over the next five years.

Last October, Jamaican billionaire and chairman of Portland Holdings Michael Lee-Chin signed a memorandum of understanding with the Canadian Nuclear Laboratory (CNL) under which he will be promoting nuclear technology — through small modular reactors (SMRs) — as the means to decarbonise electricity production across the world. When asked by Business Observer if Jamaica will be targeted for SMRs, he responded, “Every country is a target, whether you are a large oil-producing nation, or Jamaica, there are demands for our services.”

Still vice-president of JREA Jason Robinson is of a completely different opinion to his colleague Hill, explaining that Jamaica is not ready “or will ever be ready” for such energy source.

“Jamaica is located in a hurricane and earthquake zone which puts us in extreme danger with out having to worry about a nuclear meltdown. Also Jamaica’s brand is a natural vibe not a one that fits well with nuclear energy. I think it would take a lot away from Brand Jamaica in terms of tourism as well,” he contended.

While Robinson notes the comments of Lee-Chin, and the backing he has received from Government, the JREA vice-president told Business Observer that there needs to be a much heavier debate before there is a push towards a nuclear facility in Jamaica.

“We all can remember Fukushima and Jamaica and the Caribbean cannot withstand that type of meltdown,” he added.

Hydroelectricity

In the meantime, Holness, pointing to an announcement he made in his budget presentation in March, said on Thursday that the Government of Jamaica of creating “a new Integrated Resource Plan [IRP]” that will facilitate the introduction of new energy sources to the energy mix and ensure that the grid is stable and has the capacity to respond to the growing demand for electricity.

Back in March, Holness informed Parliament that the draft of the IRP 2 was being presented to various stakeholders for discussion and feedback, and thereafter will be finalised and presented to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.

One of the energy sources the IRP 2 will explore is hydroelectricity from hydro storage pumps. In particular, he said the Government is pursuing the Mahogany Vale Project as a national priority and an important element in the energy mix. The Mahogany Vale Dam, located in St Thomas, was first proposed as a source of convert electricity from potable water supplied to the Kingston Metropolitan Area in 1967.

“These initiatives will not materialise in two years. It may take a decade to materialise but I want you to reflect on it: we have been lagging behind for 40 years. Let’s start doing things differently now, let’s start looking at the big picture to transform our country [and] let’s start looking at big projects that are going to make a difference,” Holness urged.

The introduction of new energy sources, the prime minister argued, will create a new paradigm in energy and “change the parameters that can reduce the cost of production, increase [businesses’] capacity, and ensure [businesses] can innovate integrate technology and compete effectively with the rest of the world”.

Jamaica Observer

Climate Climate Change Environment News

Adaptation Fund observes Earth Day 2023, fosters nature-based solutions

May 4, 2023 jrobinson

AS THE Adaptation Fund (AF) commemorated Earth Day on April 22, its policies has continued to uphold strong environmental principles while promoting biodiversity and nature-based solutions on the ground within the context of helping vulnerable countries adapt to climate change.

For example, in the small island developing state (SIDS) of Seychelles – a project funded by the AF and implemented by United Nations Development Programme and the Ministry of Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment – is building resilience to the effects of rising sea levels, cyclones and erratic rainfall, such as floods and water scarcity through ecosystem-based adaptation.

These ecosystem-based approaches are securing water supplies, cleaning wetlands, and providing protections against flooding and drought by applying nature-based solutions such as reforestation that enhances upland wetlands and water catchment areas as well as endemic and native plant species, while reducing erosion.

Rehabilitation activities have covered about 3,000 hectares on Mahe and Praslin Islands, which are Seychelles’ largest. The project also includes pilot restoration activities in a Bougainvillea wetland in southern Mahe that has provided a natural engineering gabion weir for water storage.

The ecosystem-based solutions in Seychelles have included livelihood training, while improving climate resilience and restoring natural protections, healthy ecosystems and biodiversity along the way.

Another AF-funded project in Armenia carried out by the Direct Access national implementing entity Environmental Project Implementation Unit is making a difference by strengthening land-based adaptation practices in vulnerable areas next to protected forests such as Khosrov Forest State Reserve and Dilijan National Park.

It is fostering community-based, climate-smart agricultural practices in degraded areas to reduce climate risks on rural livelihoods while sustaining protected areas and improving value chains and accessibility of climate-smart practices and technologies.

“As we celebrate Earth Day, the Seychelles and Armenia projects are great examples of the Adaptation Fund’s concrete adaptation actions on the ground that benefit the most vulnerable groups and the environment at the same time. We see this positive and inter-related dual impact reflected often throughout the fund’s work,” said Mikko Ollikainen, head of the Fund.

Projects like those in Armenia and the Seychelles can be seen across the Fund’s portfolio. More than 20 per cent of the Fund’s portfolio is committed to increase ecosystem resilience in response to climate change, and a majority of AF projects across a range of adaptation sectors contain a complementary NBS component.

Many projects are also creating greener, more sustainable livelihoods in the process. About 610,000 ha of natural habitat have further been restored or preserved, and another 165,000 metres of coastlines protected throughout the portfolio.

Adaptation Fund

Gleaner

Alternative Energy Climate Environment News Renewable Energy Solar Energy

Conservation coalition confirms wind and solar transition is best route for the environment

April 21, 2023 jrobinson

The rapid transition to renewable energy offers opportunities to reset the broken relationship between energy production and nature, according to a new report by the Coalition Linking Energy And Nature for action (CLEANaction).

In its first major report, CLEANaction confirms that even when the full range of environmental impacts — from sourcing raw materials to final operation — is considered, generating and storing energy from renewables is far less environmentally damaging than using fossil fuels. The report argues that a transition focused on wind and solar can result in significantly reduced environmental impacts compared to other renewable energy types, although other renewables can be the most appropriate solution depending upon the local circumstances.

To limit global warming to 1.5ºC above pre-industrial levels and avoid the worst risks of climate change, renewable energy will need to account for more than 90% of electricity generation by 2050 according to International Energy Agency projections. The report explains how, in a vital decade for action, the potential for negative impacts from the energy transition can be carefully managed to ensure that renewable energy technologies causing the least damage to nature are prioritized.

CLEANaction is a coalition of NGOs, leading businesses, government bodies and financial institutions established in recognition of the urgent need for a global and just transition to a low-impact and nature-sensitive renewable energy system. The founding members are WWF, IRENA, ICLEI, The Nature Conservancy, Birdlife International and the Alliance for Rural Electrification.

“Climate change is causing havoc across the globe and, together with habitat loss and overexploitation, is a leading cause of reduced biodiversity worldwide,” said Dean Cooper, WWF global energy lead. “This loss of biodiversity, and of the natural carbon uptake and storage enabled by healthy ecosystems, exacerbates the climate crisis and threatens the health and wellbeing of humankind around the world. We all must urgently shift to 100% renewable energy, but we must take care to protect and enhance nature at the same time.”

Existing global-scale mapping of sites for wind and solar indicate there is enough energy available in areas that have low conflict with biodiversity to achieve projections from the International Energy Agency for a power system consistent with holding global temperature rise to below 1.5ºC. This Paris Agreement goal is a crucial threshold to avoid the most catastrophic impacts of climate change on people and nature.

Significant changes are also needed in how we source and trace materials, such as rare earth elements, for developing our energy infrastructure. A new, circular economic model is essential to reduce environmental impacts, according to the report.

A circular economic and energy efficient model should prioritize the reduction of primary materials, as well as reuse and recycle to minimize further extraction and impacts related to the disposal of end-of-life equipment. When mining occurs, rigorous environmental and social safeguards must be in place to avoid the degradation of natural habitat and other harms, according to the report.

To achieve a clean energy future that takes full account of the impact on nature, CLEANaction is urging governments to:

Undertake strategic-level energy planning at national or regional scales to identify potential energy savings, suitable renewable energy sources and sites for energy expansion in areas of low biodiversity sensitivity.
Consider the impact on nature at the earliest stage of integrated clean energy planning, taking account of the full value chain (from sourcing material to disposal).
Develop national regulatory schemes that require energy developers to contribute to national conservation targets.
Invest in timely nature-sensitivity mapping to help direct technology siting through proper data and require industry to avoid protected areas, Key Biodiversity Areas and other areas of particular sensitivity and value.
Apply stringent environmental impact assessment processes and required standards to all new developments according to best practice.
Adopt a circular economy approach with optimized energy efficiency, to maximize reuse of energy materials, and minimize demand for natural resources.

CLEANaction is calling on renewable energy investors and developers to:

Integrate biodiversity, social and environmental risks early into renewable energy planning and investment decisions.
Apply effective biodiversity safeguards and environmental impact assessment procedures to avoid and minimize impacts, and offset any residual impacts to achieve net-positive outcomes.
Ensure there is traceability of raw materials and account for supply chain impacts within corporate commitments to nature.
Apply a circular approach to minimise the use of primary materials and maximise the reuse and recycling of materials.
Strengthen corporate disclosure and reporting on biodiversity, environmental and social impacts.

Solar Power World

Alternative Energy Climate Climate Change Environment News

CLIMATE LITERACY IS THE KEY TO REVERSING CLIMATE CHANGE

April 21, 2023 jrobinson

Climate education and environmental literacy are the most underestimated and underfunded solutions for adopting eco-friendly practices to end the climate crisis. Investing in education better prepares the next generation to face climate change as it establishes foundational values and solutions for environmental safety. Preparatory courses have the potential to raise awareness about harmful actions and develop a sense of circular and sustainable communities from a young age.

The Education International Manifesto on Quality Climate Change Education for All defines five pillars to help ensure such transformation is possible: (1) include governmental oversight on quality climate change education to guarantee students become climate-literate, (2) coursework based on science, (3) addressing the ethical, cultural, political, social and economic dimensions of climate change, (4) well-trained teachers, and (5) transformed school and learning environments to support climate literacy.

Even though effective methods of climate literacy implementation are widely available to governments, only a few countries have incorporated climate education into their school curriculum. According to the Climate Change Education Ambition Report Card, every country failed this commitment based on their submissions to the UNFCCC. The progressive countries on climate education with the highest real score include Cambodia (58%), Dominican Republic (51%), Colombia (50%), and Vanuatu (50%).

While the Paris Agreement emphasized the role of education and training to empower the public to make ethically informed decisions, countries who are committed to the treaty — including the US and China — have yet to implement an extensive and systemic reform on climate education. UNESCO exposes the tragic truth as reports show Africa and Oceania have considerably more climate change content, whereas Central and Southern Asia have the least. Countries most vulnerable to climate change are more likely to include climate literacy in their national curriculum frameworks than those primarily responsible for the emissions causing climate change.

The total negligence of climate literacy has disastrous implications for the countries as it not only jeopardizes the well-being of citizens and the safety of the environment, but also misses the chance to reverse climate change impact with proper education and professional development. For instance, well-trained architects and engineers can get the upper hand in the fight against climate change as they apply engineering principles that reduce the impact of major industrial activities. The Bureau of Labor Statistics already projects that the number of jobs for environmental scientists and specialists will increase by 8% between 2020 and 2030, signifying the priority for climate literacy inclusion in the school curriculum.

Llearning about environmentally conscious practices encourages changes in young people’s attitudes and behavior and helps them to adapt to climate change-related trends. Further progress intensely relies on our commitment to provide quality education in schools to prepare the younger generation for immediate climate change consequences and expose them to environmentally safe practices.

EARTHDAY.ORG’s Climate and Environmental Literacy Campaign is committed to ensuring that students worldwide have access to high-quality climate change education to support upcoming generations’ conscious and informed decisions. To successfully execute this commitment, demand global leaders at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change commit to compulsory, assessed climate and environmental education with a robust civic engagement component at COP28 this November.

Earth Today

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