In this age when we are grappling with the growing problem of emission of harmful gases and global warming the dependency on fossil fuels for energy is coming under growing scrutiny and calls to move towards greater use of renewable forms of energy are growing.

Scientific data is overwhelming with respect to global warming and its causes and therefore the issue now is for a global concerted effort to roll back the severe harmful effects in order to safeguard the future of the planet.

Global warming is the increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s near-surface air and oceans since the mid-20th century and its projected continuation. Global surface temperature increased 0.74 ± 0.18 °C (1.33 ± 0.32 °F) during the last century. The Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concludes that increasing greenhouse gas concentrations resulting from human activity such as fossil fuel burning and deforestation are responsible for most of the observed temperature increase since the middle of the 20th century. The IPCC also concludes that natural phenomena such as solar variation and volcanoes produced most of the warming from pre-industrial times to 1950 and had a small cooling effect afterward. These basic conclusions have been endorsed by more than 45 scientific societies and academies of science, including all of the national academies of science of the major industrialised countries.

Climate model projections summarised in the latest IPCC report indicate that the global surface temperature will probably rise a further 1.1 to 6.4 °C (2.0 to 11.5 °F) during the twenty-first century. The uncertainty in this estimate arises from the use of models with differing sensitivity to greenhouse gas concentrations and the use of differing estimates of future greenhouse gas emissions. Some other uncertainties include how warming and related changes will vary from region to region around the globe. Most studies focus on the period up to the year 2100. However, warming is expected to continue beyond 2100 even if emissions stop, because of the large heat capacity of the oceans and the long lifetime of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. An increase in global temperature will cause sea levels to rise and will change the amount and pattern of precipitation, probably including expansion of subtropical deserts. The continuing retreat of glaciers, permafrost and sea ice is expected, with the Arctic region being particularly affected. Other likely effects include shrinkage of the Amazon rainforest and Boreal forests, increases in the intensity of extreme weather events, species extinctions, and changes in agricultural yields. (Source: (Wikipedia).

One of the ways by which the emission of greenhouse gases can be reduced is through the increasing use of solar energy which makes use of the natural sunlight.

The conservation of fossil fuels is a simple, but very important benefit that results from the use of photovoltaic (PV) solar power. As more and more businesses, homeowners and governments move to renewable energies such as solar, we conserve fossil fuels and other natural resources that are quickly diminishing. With the expansion of our global economy and rapid growth in highly populated countries, the demand for energy is increasing at an unprecedented rate. Conserving natural resources has never been more important.

Solar electricity for the Third World is an effective energy conservation programme because it conserves costly conventional power for urban areas, town market centres, and industrial and commercial uses, leaving decentralised PV-generated power to provide the lighting and basic electrical needs of the majority of the developing world’s rural populations.

However, one of the hindrances to the use of solar energy, especially in poor communities, is the prohibitive cost of installing the necessary equipment. And therefore there should be increased focus on the development of equipment that is affordable to the poorer sections of society.

In the case of Guyana which enjoys a substantial amount of sunshine annually, the solar option is definitely viable.