Guyanese are seemingly ignorant of the need to conserve on anything

May 08, 2010 Letters

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Dear Editor,
I recall during the 1980s when the nation was required to practice conservation so-much-so that people – particularly in the public sector, were expected to be prudent in the use of paper and electricity etc.
Nowadays we are seemingly ignorant of the need to conserve on anything, and this belief is borne out (in part) by the number of gas guzzlers on our roadways, and the unnecessary vehicular trips that many of us take.
Furthermore, not very many persons can boast of saving on the use of paper since computer usage became widespread.
We print documents at the drop of a hat instead of reading an electronic copy on the monitor.
And as if that is not bad enough we print the least important documents and so many draft copies of correspondence and other documents without thought, simply because we have come to care less about issues which – at first glance do not contribute to our wellbeing.
I have heard arguments which say that the daily quest for survival does not leave the time and energy to focus on matters of “no immediate consequence” like environmental conservation.
The fact remains that energy consumption contributes directly to climate change by adding carbon-based molecules to the atmosphere in excess of naturally occurring amounts.
I am of the firm opinion that a significant number of Guyanese are truly not knowledgeable of what actions they can take to mitigate the impacts of climate change from a carbon emissions perspective.
We must be willing to do the little things that we have it in our power to do individually and collectively if we are to demonstrate serious commitment to environmental issues particularly as it relates to lowering our carbon emissions – no matter how inconsequential these may seem. Let us focus on paper that we use (and abuse) on a daily basis and how it affects the environment.
As recent as 2007 the October edition of the Daily Green published a list of facts on the environmental impact of paper as contained in a report by Environmental Paper Network.
The facts at that time were that 50 percent of the earth’s terrestrial carbon was stored in forests which are critical protectors of biodiversity and of climate stability by virtue of the habitat they provide and the carbon they store; these are effectively the defence against global warming.
The report informed that 80 percent of the half of the world’s forest left standing was “seriously degraded” and 42 percent of the industrial wood harvest was used to make paper which accounted for 25 percent of landfill waste of which one third was municipal landfill waste.
The report indicates that municipal landfills account for one third of human-related methane emissions – “23 times more potent a greenhouse gas than is carbon dioxide.”
The argument was made that if the United States cut office paper use by just 10% it would prevent the emission of 1.6 million tons of greenhouse gases – the equivalent of taking 280,000 cars off the road.”
In making the comparison between making paper using virgin wood the Daily Green article stated that “paper made with 100 percent recycled content 44 percent less energy, produces 38 percent less greenhouse gas emissions, percent less particulate emissions, 50 percent less waste water, 49 percent less solid waste and – of course – 100 percent less wood.” Recent comments about unsustainable forestry and mining practices speak to concerns of the degradation of the ecosystems which is responsible for the release of millions of tons of stored carbon and in some cases for the displacement of those people whose lives and cultures are intertwined with local forest environments.
Many climate experts believe that the preservation and restoration of forests offers one of the least expensive and best ways to fight against climate change.”I think the point is made so I will stop there for now and go on to a few tips that we do as our little contribution to protecting our world’s forests as advised by Patrick Gonzalez, a Nature Conservancy climate scientist who sits on the United Nations Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change. These are paraphrased as follows:
1. Walk or bike instead of driving a motor vehicle and save one pound of carbon for every mile you travel. Vehicles run on fossil fuels, which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
2. Telephone or videoconference and save time, money, and carbon emissions. Airplanes pump carbon emissions high into the atmosphere, producing 12 percent of transportation sector emissions.
3. Save 100 pounds of carbon for each incandescent bulb that you replace with a compact fluorescent over the life of the bulb and reduce the amount of fossil fuels that utilities burn.
4.Use products made from recycled paper, glass, metal and plastic reduce carbon emissions because they use less energy to manufacture than products made from completely new materials. For instance, you’ll save two pounds of carbon for every 20 glass bottles that you recycle. Recycling paper also saves trees and lets them continue to reduce climate change naturally as they remain in the forest, where they remove carbon from the atmosphere.
5. If you own a car, it will get better gas mileage when the tires are fully inflated, so it will burn less gas and emit less carbon. Check your automobile regularly to ensure that the tires are fully inflated and save 300 pounds of carbon dioxide for every 10,000 miles you drive.
6. If you shop at a supermarket, the food you buy may travel in a plane from the other side of the world, burning fossil fuels the entire trip. Shop at local farmers markets and you will find fresh and healthy food, and help save our climate.
Materials consumption contributes indirectly to climate change because it requires energy to mine, extract, harvest, process, and transport raw materials, and more energy to manufacture, transport and, after use, dispose of products. I close by adding a borrowed thought which says that “our consumption and buying patterns can shape the world we live in, either for good or for bad.”
Patrick E. Mentore

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