Through debates…
GUYANA Power & Light (GPL) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB),have started a special education programme and national debating competition targeting schoolchildren. At the start, in Ocean View International Hotel, Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara, on Wednesday, Assistant Chief Education Officer, Secondary Schools, Ms. Melcita Bovell said the series are not just debates where children win prizes and trophies for their schools but the discussions can change the way how energy is conserved.
Delivering the feature address, she emphasised the need for electricity consumers to be aware of how they use it, pointing out that most people only concern themselves with their consumption patterns two times, when there isn’t any and when the bill is paid.
Bovell posited that, as a nation, Guyanese must take a stance and make a paradigm shift in how energy is manage.
She lauded GPL for getting involved in the conservation effort, stating that its embrace of climate change is heartening, while expressing pleasure that there are persons who recognise that “if we want to move forward, we have to let the little ones lead us.”
Highlighting the importance of the undertaking, Bovell said energy conservation is important not only from the standpoint of electricity bills but to the environment.
GPL Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr. Bharat Dindyal reiterated the significance of institutional and attitudinal change, hoping that the debating would bring about critical changes in attitudes to how electricity is consumed.
Giving a background to the implementation of the project, GPL Deputy CEO, Mr. Aeshwar Deonarine echoed similar sentiments and explained that the utility is targeting schools because children are among the highest electricity consumers.
Alluding to measures that help conserve electricity, he said, if each of the company’s 147,000 customers change only one 60 watts incandescent bulb to a 15 watts compact fluorescent lamp, the same lighting output will be achieved and 197 kilowatt hours saved.
Savings
In what Deonarine termed a win-win situation, he said the savings would translate to $10,000 for each consumer and 50,000 barrels of diesel fuel per annum for GPL and 38 million pounds less carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
He said the sponsors hope the programme will stimulate students’ curiosity and develop their research skills, towards making them better informed adults of tomorrow.
IDB Chief of Operations, Mr. Jose` Manuel Ruiz observed that the young people in Guyana play a major role in ensuring sustainability in the use of electricity because they are the ones who will be using energy in the future.
He said the programme is an excellent way for young people to not only learn about the various ways of conserving energy but understand the many benefits that can be gained from such practices.
Ruiz said IDB is happy to partner with GPL in the scheme which is intended to promote sustainability and contribute to the development of this country.
He said the IDB has supported Guyana in the energy sector since 1977, providing, to date, funding for five loan operations and 15 grants totaling US$114.8M.
The schedule for the debates is not yet available.