Opinion
- Editorial
Mai'khi C'Nia:Shaking
the oil monkey off our backs
NOW
IT came to pass that Jamdown was drowning under
a sea of black as the unbridled price of fossil
energy wreaked havoc upon the geo-political front,
and the local economy buckled and strained under
the external shock created by its calamitous undulating.
Jamdown's
energy crisis was not novel, for the people hath
gazed down the barrel of that gun before, and the
great conceptualiser hath initiated a response,
which included the establishment of hydroelectric
facilities on Jamdown's choice roaring waters.
But,
this endeavour became lost along the way; yea it
disappeared in the smog of myopia that characterised
governance on the rock.
And,
as the mercantile exchange system in the Big Apple
perpetuated a game of Russian roulette with the
stability of vulnerable oil-dependent developing
economies, and Middle Eastern extremists kept creation's
most capable policing authorities on their toes
with high oil consumption and extended war budgets,
Jamdowners viewed Prime Time Wednesdays with trepidation;
anticipating dollars in hike at the pumps, or pennies
in roll-back respite, and they would find no peace
of mind either way.
Dearly
beloved, every dark cloud hath a silver lining,
and so it is with the energy predicament in the
land of wood and water, for the administration staring
in the face of a gargantuan oil bill of nigh one
and one-half billion dollars hath devised a national
energy policy, and though it is some three decades
overdue it is written that it is better late than
never. Behold, its centrepiece is a 15-year target
of increasing electricity generation from renewable
solutions to the tune of 15 per cent above what
currently obtains.
Know
ye that this development represents an extraordinary
opportunity for the Jamdown household, wherein provision
hath been made to enable the acquisition of a range
of energy- saving products considerably less expensive
by exempting them from import duties and consumption
tax.
PETROCARIBE
The
astute entrepreneurs amongst ye can thus accrue
a windfall from peddling wind turbines and photovoltaic
panels and such. Verily I say to ye, along with
the economic breathing space established by the
PetroCaribe facility, plus the ethanol initiative
that is currently being rolled-out, Jamdown hath
the makings for licking its fossil energy conundrum
once and for all.
Hear
O Jamdown, for if thou doth not play thy part in
a responsible manner, then this energy policy shall
collapse upon thee like a ton of failure, and electrocute
thee, and send thee into an economic tailspin ne'er
before beheld in thy fair land. And three decades
on thou shall again be at the throat of thy administration
berating it for not shaking the oil monkey off thy
backs.
But,
the ball is in thy court this day and thou can save
thy nation these blushes and rescue thine own economy
from a crippling oil bill, while at the same time
saving thyself a fistful of dollars.
For
there shall be a new light illuminating the rock
and it shall be powered by solar innovations; yea
these are the days when the comfort of home shall
be enhanced by thermal air-conditioners, when solar
dryers shall make thy garments crisp and downy,
and solar electric refrigerators shall chill thy
juices and lower the temperature on thy palate.
Let
there be light, Jamdown, and let it cost thee much
less than thou art shelling out for it this day.
Let there be power, harnessed from the sun, and
spun from the wind, and let there be electricity,
clean and cheap. Place thy resources into achieving
these things, and thy days shall be happy and bright.
Selah
Mai'khi
C'Nia is a
contributor
of the Jamaica Gleaner. Petroleumworld not necessarily
share these views.
Editor's
Note: This commentary was published by Jamaica Gleaner,
on Saturday | July 1, 2006 , Petroleumworld reprint
this article in the interest of our readers.
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Petroleumworld
07 02 06
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© 2006 Mai'khi C'Nia/Jamaica Gleaner. All rights
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