I have the Power!!!

So.. my last post mentioned the fact that Honiara is experiencing some power sharing issues.  Well, they have continued- now between two and three times a day, for an hour at a time, the power goes out and we are left sweating quietly in the dark.

 

All this darkness prompted me to do a little bit of research as I questioned my own knowledge about power, where it comes from and what its links are with the natural and built environment.

 

 

I found a pretty terrifying thing.  As far as I can tell, the whole of the Solomon Islands (well, the bits with access to power anyway) is powered directly through the burning of fossil fuels.  Huge turbines are powered by the burning of diesel fuel converted into useable electricity by generators.

You are probably a lot more savy about where electricity comes from than I was.. well – I always knew, it’s just easy to forget the simple science of it when electricity is (mostly) invisible.  

 

Power is to most people what money is to me.. stuff that comes in and out of my life – appearing and disappearing – seeming like I have no control over how it comes and goes… or how much I am wasting at any given moment!!!

 

When I reacquainted myself with electricity I remembered that energy is neither created nor destroyed, just converted from one form to another. 

 

With three main sources, Primary (nuclear), recurring (solar, natural thermal, wind and water) and non-renewable (gas, coal & oil) I know which of these sources I’d prefer to be responsible for utilising! And we don’t always get a choice about how we use power, or how its generated, but sometimes we do, and when we do we should think carefully about our choices. 

 

This isn’t a political comment about the Solomon Islands Government – having the status of one of the world’s least developed nations means that you start somewhere and work towards ideals as you go.. and I hear there are all sorts of plans afoot for exploring Hydro-Power etc.  It’s really just more of a comment about being informed about where your power comes from and how efficient you can be with it.

 

It’s what the rebuilding green part of the Extreme Weather Heroes project is all about.  When there is a choice about being efficient, like there is when you rebuild or start from scratch – it’s surely better to be making the best and most efficient and green choices we can.

 

Another example, and one that many of us can have some influence over, is the Government’s school building stimulus package. 

 

If your school is receiving funds for a building or resource – try and push through your school council to make that resource as green and efficient as possible.  You can make a difference!  Check out this wicked video of students in the UK using people power..

 

 

Since I found out that all the power I use here comes directly as a result of burning non renewable fossil fuels, I am happy to go without a couple of times a day – and have really looked at how much I need to use at home.

 

My landlord’s son here is an electrician and has installed some solar panels to power lights and I try to use those at night rather than anything else. 

 

I may not have enough knowledge about power or engineering to support the government here with their energy infrastructure... but I can make choices about how I use the power that is generated. 

 

And I can talk to other people about it and help to spread the good green word.

 

Till next time...

 

Lookim iu (if I can find you in the dark!)

 

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