Thinking Green

Dec 04, 2016 APNU Column, Features / Columnists

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If we are going to build a ‘green’ Guyana then it is imperative that at the community and individual level, we start educating ourselves to think ‘green’. The President has laid out broad guidelines for Guyana’s green development strategy and a template for the ‘greening of Guyana. This however can only become a reality if at the level of the individual citizen life style changes are made.
Everyone has a responsibility to reduce their individual carbon footprint, and there are lots of ways to do so. We encourage everyone to think about their lifestyle decisions and find opportunities to reduce their climate impact. If you drive a car make sure that it is tuned up and running efficiently. Replace your air, oil and fuel filters according to schedule and keep your tires properly inflated. You may be surprised, but keeping your tires properly inflated alone, can save up to 700 pounds of CO2 per year.
In the household, we should strive to change from the regular incandescent light bulbs to Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFL), however it is apposite to note that LED light bulbs are even more efficient than CFL’s and just as affordable. When buying household appliances ensure that it has an ‘energy efficient’ label.

SWITCH –OFF SOMETHING AND SAVE
At a personal level we must take responsibility for our power usage both at home and in the workplace. Screen savers, unplugged cell phone chargers, leaving lights on in rooms that are unoccupied, leaving air conditioners on in unoccupied offices, leaving televisions, radios and other appliances on and unattended they all increase our energy usage. We must learn the benefits of conservation; we must get in the habit of switching things off or unplugging them when they are not in use or when we are leaving the home or office.

SOLID WASTE
Garbage falls into one of two categories, either biodegradable or non-biodegradable. While biodegradable waste will eventually breakdown and become part of the Earth and soil, like food scraps, paper etc. non-biodegradable waste will not breakdown or at least not breakdown for many years. Examples of non-biodegradables are plastics, Styrofoam, metals, glass, tyres, old appliances, plastic grocery shopping bags, plastic water bottles and other similar materials.
Those of us who live in Georgetown know that non-biodegradable waste has become a public health and environmental concern. All across Guyana non-biodegradable waste, like plastics and Styrofoam can be seen littering our roadways, clogging our drainage canals and polluting our rivers. It is important for us as a nation to understand what non-biodegradable waste is, as well as the negative effects that it has on the planet.
Non-biodegradable waste that is properly discarded and taken to a land fill will only accumulate; it will not break down, it will grow, take up space and in some instances pollute the water table and endanger marine animals (especially when non-biodegradable waste is dumped into our rivers, lakes and streams).
However there are ways to prevent the accumulation of non-biodegradable waste. The most common one available to everyone is to recycle and be conscious – to think ‘green’. Another solution is to replace non-biodegradable material with ones specifically designed to be biodegradable. The recent restriction on the use of Styrofoam is a step in the right direction and an example of the type of action that can be taken to protect our environment.
Every citizen can play a part in the Greening of Guyana and there are so many easy ways that this can be achieved. Some of the areas that must be considered are:
* Solar Energy to power residential and government buildings, and wind power where applicable to facilitate coastal and hinterland agro- processing.
* Recycling of plastics, paper, cardboard, glass bottles and building materials. We must learn to separate our waste, so that we can reuse what is reusable and only dump what cannot be reused.
* Replacing old refrigerators and washing machines with new energy efficient ones. It is an established fact that old appliances use more energy.
* Power Down- The majority of office power is consumed by machines that are off but still plugged into a live outlet.
* Use natural light- Open the blinds and let daylight in whenever possible. Artificial lighting accounts for almost a quarter of office power costs. Don’t leave lights on at night when offices are empty. Turn off the light in rooms that not in use.
* Install motion sensor light switches, especially in bathrooms and conference rooms.
* Buy remanufactured ink and toner cartridges, they costs about fifteen percent less, also each reused cartridge saves about 2.5 pounds of metal and plastic and about half a gallon of oil, all of which is wasted in the manufacturing process.
* Buy multi-purpose office machines that can do printing, scanning, faxing and copying. So instead of having, three or four machines, you have just one that is capable of doing several tasks.
*Fix leaky faucets and supply pipes.
* Drive at the speed limit; also combine as many errands as possible in one trip.

In a recent address His Excellency the President reminded us that citizens must enjoy the good life in a safe and clean environment. He said, “We will therefore rigidly enforce laws against littering. We will promote the use of bio-degradable packaging materials. The Regional, Municipal and Neighbourhood Councils must ensure that there are adequate, properly managed and safe dumpsites and sewage processing facilities in every region.”
A Partnership for National Unity is committed to Guyana’s ‘green’ development strategy and will work to make this nation a better place for this and future generations.

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