The economies, societies and ecosystems of small island countries have been burdened by the need to import fuels throughout the fossil fuel era. Most of these countries generate their electricity using imported diesel fuel, which is extremely expensive, vulnerable to disruption, and environmentally damaging.
Island nations are among the most threatened by global warming as sea levels rise and ocean acidification increases. It is incumbent upon island nations to adapt and develop sustainable systems both from the standpoint of economics and the environment.
One important effort towards this end is the Ten Island Renewable Challenge. The project was launched in 2012 by Richard Branson and Virgin Limited Edition, the Carbon War Room, and Christiana Figueres from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The goal is to reduce island nation dependency on fossil fuels through the acceleration of commercial opportunities in renewable energy by attracting expert engineering firms and investments.
This year, governments of six Caribbean islands – the British Virgin Islands, Colombia’s San Andres Island, Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Turks and Caicos – have agreed to join the challenge.
Island nations have some of the highest energy prices in the world. They also have enormous renewable energy potential, such as solar, wind and ocean energy resources. What is needed to replace diesel fuel with renewable energy in island nations is creative entrepreneurship and the mobilization of human and investment capital. Programs such as the Ten Island Challenge are working with pioneering island economies to make this happen.
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Six Caribbean Islands Sign On to Replace Diesel with Renewables
Photo, posted September 26, 2013, courtesy of Gerry Dincher via Flickr.
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Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.