About climate change…
ASSOCIATE Director of UC Davis Energy Institute, Mr. Gerald Braun is in Guyana on a speaking tour being coordinated by the United States (U.S.) Embassy in Georgetown.
In an interview with the Guyana Chronicle yesterday, he said the world is an evolving product of continued globalisation and is shifting from 20th Century renewable energy technology to 21st Century technology.
“We have a lot more work to do and more and more energy options are becoming commercially available,” he said.
According to him, his areas of focus during his stay here are the changes in the energy markets and the influence of climate change on them, as well as what can be done at the level of the average person.
Braun said, among other things, greenhouse emissions are increasing in proportion to global economic activity; they are accumulating in the atmosphere and changing climate in significant, measurable ways; climate models can now accurately predict long term effects with geographic specificity; no national accountability mechanisms exist and local adaptation, enabled by accurate predictive models and local energy security, is advisable.
The visitor, who lives and works in the United States (California), said, for the first time in years, there are many options, many pieces, including wind, solar and hydropower, which need to be fitted together.
Braun posited that the shift to newer renewable energy technology is being done in a resource poor situation and there are increasing challenges, from engineering to having to deal with large companies intent on frustrating people’s views about climate change and have them believe the phenomenon is not a big deal.
He said the concept of community based renewable sources is based on the need for each person to make a contribution in their own communities and countries, rather than sit waiting for climate change and its devastation.
Braun contends that climate change will change everything and, when the full scale of the effect is felt, the burden will be on adaptation, an area where there is still much more work to be done.
“Some local economies will be greatly affected and we do not know how or when or even what exactly will happen. Climate change is a matter of what happens everywhere,” he maintained.

PLANNING

In that context, Braun said more planning, generally, needs to be done at the community level.
“We can’t just say that the State will take care of the people’s energy needs. As technologies that can be implemented locally become increasingly available, it is important for communities to plan their energy use,” he argued.
Braun said the job of communities now is to ensure that the place where their children and grandchildren were born will still be where they will be able to grow, some place where the economy still works.
He reiterated that the community-based renewable sources concept is largely an economic issue that advocates use of local resources to stabilise energy cost which will, in turn, mean progress and a better chance to survive in a globalised world.
“This is not being idealistic, but recognising that there are new technologies available…the communities that have this recognition will be better off,” Braun posited.
He said communities need to decrease dependency on things that will either not be available in the future or be very expensive.
“Each community should do what they can do…they can keep track of the changes and make sure that they are not adversely affected,” he cautioned.
Even as he called for greater community centred focus, Braun said, from his years of experience, he can conclude that a community-based renewable energy policy will take a long time before it is developed.
However, the current encouragement is for increasing awareness at the local level.
“We are all on the same learning curve and we have to recognise that we can’t change the infrastructure or economy overnight…the question is what will be the general direction we take. Do we have more centralisation or more efforts at the local level?” he asked.

DIFFERENT

Braun acknowledged that Guyana is different but said, even so, consideration must be given to “the other ways of doing things.”
He said, to the average person, not just in Guyana but worldwide, the various initiatives being advanced by countries are Greek to them, because they may not be tuned into the details of renewable energy or climate change.
Braun said informing the public is very important, as getting the buy-in from the people.
“Once people know the options they can buy into the concept and advance long term sustainability of whatever their choice…rooftop solar systems are very cost effective and, in Guyana where electricity costs are high, why wouldn’t people want a more cost effective way?” he wondered.
Braun admitted that there are a lot of cost effective options to energy use which ought to be looked into, ones people would choose if they are available.
Questioned if any progress was being made with energy use, he responded: “We are making progress but, in assessing that we have to look not at yesterday but at a few years back…that is the trick to look back, say 10 years ago and appreciate where we have come, even as we recognise that there is much more to be done.”
Currently, Guyana relies on imported fuel oil and diesel for its electricity generation, both of which are expensive and carbon intensive but this country is moving to develop a hydropower, at Amaila Falls and substantially reduce dependence on fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions.
Braun said, especially with hydropower, the more people know the better.
“In California, we had what I would call unintended consequences we had to accommodate…a country, I think, should take advantage of all the good and economical options when it comes to renewable energy,” he offered.
Braun has, over the past week, met with representatives of Government agencies, hosted a public forum on clean energy and climate change and delivered a lecture at the University of Guyana.

INTEREST

He said the response to the latter was good and the discussions indicative of the students’ interest in the way forward as it relates to climate change adaptation.
Braun said the question of funding for research, in particular, was a major concern and he advocated that utility/power companies or independent organisations be involved in supporting research and development by UG.
He said, for those purposes, there needs to be two-way communications, so that the utility/power entities know what is happening and the people are better informed and can make better choices.
Braun observed that involving universities, especially, in research and development will help to assess the current situation and plan for the future.
“It (research and development) are fundamental from the standpoint that the rising generation of engineers and economists, as well as persons from other professions need to be involved,” he said.
Braun said, in fact, the involvement of a university in California did just that as the State advanced its development plans.
He said early development of California’s economy depended on hydroelectric power from the Sierras.
He said progress with climate change is affected primarily by two things – politics and commerce, challenges that are slowly being addressed and he is optimistic that more progress will be made.
Braun said his speaking assignment is not based on what should be different but rather involves some selfish interests.
He said, though, that much of what he has learnt in the 35 years of being in the energy business is applicable to the way forward on renewable energy, expressly in adapting to climate change.