tagged w/ pacific islands
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Urgent economic need is driving a transformation of Tonga’s energy system
by Zachary Rybarczyk
Can you even imagine the United States setting a 50% target for renewable energy production by 2015?
Perhaps the U.S. could look toward the Kingdom of Tonga for some inspiration.
Tonga is one of many Pacific island nations that have set very ambitious renewable energy goals. Officials have set a goal of procuring 50% of power from renewable sources by 2015. Ambitious? Absolutely. But the transition is a matter of economic necessity.
Launched in 2010, the Tongan government laid out its Tonga Energy Road Map (TERM) in order to reduce carbon emissions, improve its electrical grid, and cut its dependence from foreign energy sources. Because Tonga is so dependent on imported resources for its energy needs — particularly diesel, which is used for 98% of electricity production — renewable energy systems are attractive:
The Tongan economy and electricity consumers have been exposed to high and volatile electricity prices linked to oil prices over the last ten years. Between 2001 and 2004, the average price of crude oil increased from around US$25 per barrel to around US$40 per barrel, an increase of 60%. In the next 4 years to 2008, the average price of crude more than doubled to a peak of around US$100 per barrel. In late 2008, crude oil prices dropped and continued fall into early 2009 averaging around US$62 per barrel during 2009. Diesel prices tracked the price of crude oil and led to Tongan electricity rates exceeding TOP1.00/kW-h in late 2008. Crude oil price is expected to increase in the future based on projections from the United States Department of Energy.
During the oil price spike in 2008, Tonga’s economy screeched to a halt. And since then, with oil prices continuing to rise, many consumers are not able to afford electricity at all.
In order to combat this problem, the island state recently received support from different organizations to execute on the roadmap for 50% renewable electricity.
With grants from the government of New Zealand to upgrade and expand outdated grid distribution, and technical support from the Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Program (REEEP) to expand its renewable energy portfolio, Tonga could very well become “a blueprint for other Pacific Island states that are grappling with similar challenges,” said Martin Hiller, the Director General of REEEP.
In January, Tonga signed an MOU with project developer Madsar and the Abu Dhabi Fund for construction of a 500-kilowatt solar PV project on Vava’u Island. The project will provide affordable, clean power for over 13% of Tonga’s 110,000 citizens.
The government has already broken ground on a large solar farm on its main island of Tongatapu with the help of another New Zealand grant, which will result in significant “diesel savings of around half a million liters a year, and around two-thousand tons of carbon emissions will be reduced per year as well.”
That’s one of the major differences between inertia in the U.S. and swift action in a place like Tonga: economic urgency. Until America faces an acute crisis, political leaders will likely continue to drag their feet on clean energy.Urgent economic need is driving a transformation of Tonga’s energy system
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First Breaking News...
MASSIVE QUAKE HITS JAPAN
Tokyo (CNN) -- An 8.8-magnitude earthquake hit Japan early Friday, triggering tsunami alerts and sending people fleeing out of buildings in the capital. The quake rattled buildings and toppled cars off bridges and into waters underneath.
In Tokyo, crowds huddled together and tried to reach relatives via cell phone. Its epicenter was 373 kilometers (231 miles) from Tokyo, the United States Geological Survey said. It triggered a tsunami alert for various countries, the National Weather Service said.
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March 11, 2011 5:35 a.m. EST
Tokyo (CNN) -- An 8.9-magnitude earthquake hit northern Japan on Friday, triggering tsunamis and sending a massive wave filled with debris that included boats and houses inching toward land.
The number of fatalities was unclear, but Japan's Kyodo news reported at least 10 killed and numerous injured.
The quake prompted at least 20 countries and numerous Pacific islands to issue tsunami warnings. It was followed by powerful aftershocks that were felt in capital of Tokyo.
At Tokyo Station, one of Japan's busiest subway stations, people grabbed each other to steady themselves. Children cried. An announcement over the station loudspeaker warned commuters to remain underground.
With bus and train lines interrupted, workers and children poured into the streets after offices and schools were closed.
Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan appealed for calm and said there were no reported leaks of radioactive materials from power plants.
Firefighters battled a blaze at an oil refinery in Chiba prefecture near Tokyo.
"This was larger than anyone expected and went on longer than anyone expected," said Matt Alt in Tokyo.
"My wife was the calm one ... she told us to get down and put your back on something, and leave the windows and doors open in case a building shifts so you don't get trapped."
Richard Lloyd Parry said when the quake struck, he looked through a window and saw buildings shaking from side to side.
Such a large earthquake at such a shallow depth creates a lot of energy, said Shenza Chen of the U.S. Geological Survey.
A tsunami is sweeping across the Pacific Ocean, with a wall of water heading toward at more than a dozen countries.
An earthquake of that size can generate dangerous tsunamis to coasts outside the source region, the National Weather Service said.
Humanitarian agencies were working with rescue crews to reach the people affected.
"When such an earthquake impacts a developed country like Japan, our concern also turns to countries like the Philippines and Indonesia, which might not have the same resources," said Rachel Wolff, a spokeswoman for World Vision.
In Philippines alone, the tsunami is expected to hit in the early morning and the government has ordered the evacuation of 19 provinces along the coast, which could affect hundreds of thousands of people
Authorities in at least 20 countries and numerous Pacific islands issued tsunami warnings, the National Weather Service said.
The tsunami could cause damage "along coastlines of all islands in the state of Hawaii," warned the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "Urgent action should be taken to protect lives and property."
Tsunamis are a series of long ocean waves that can last five to 15 minutes and cause extensive flooding in coastal areas. A succession of waves can hit -- often the highest not being the first, said CNN meteorologist Ivan Cabrera.
A day earlier, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck off of Honshu, the country's meteorological agency said.
CNN's Kyung Lah, Faith Karimi and Kevin Voigt contributed to this report.
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March 12 2011 - 3:38PM PT -
CNN's reporting two "MAJOR" aftershocks. Tsunami alerts reinstated.
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March 12 2011 - 11:07PM PT -
Japan upgrades magnitude of killer earthquake to 9.0; USGS keeps number at 8.9.
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March 13 2011 - 2:52PM PT
http://ow.ly/4dvh0
Here is what I think is, thus far, the most horrifying video (no, no dead or dying people) of what the tsunami looked like, taken from someone who had time to get up to higher ground and watch the town around him get destroyed.
Just picked it up from Sean Bonner, on Twitter...
seanbonner Sean Bonner
by BadAstronomer
Seriously, this first person Tsunami video is one of the scariest things I've ever seen.
http://ow.ly/4dvh0
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[Scroll down -- if you're set with oldest to newest -- to see new photos and videos, along with updated news]
http://cbskllc.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/japan-earthquake-today-tsunami-warning.jpg?w=311&h=337First Breaking News...
MASSIVE QUAKE HITS JAPAN
Tokyo (CNN) -- An... more
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The Pacific islands of Kiribati were among the last places to be colonized by humans. But now, because of rising sea levels, they may be among the first to be abandoned. Should Kiribati President Anote Tong surrender to climate change and evacuate? Can anything be done to help him buy more time?
This is a feature documentary produced by the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development.The Pacific islands of Kiribati were among the last places to be colonized by humans.... more
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IFAD
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The Pacific islands of Kiribati were among the last places to be colonized by humans. But now, because of rising sea levels, they may be among the first to be abandoned. Should Kiribati President Anote Tong surrender to climate change and evacuate? Can anything be done to help him buy more time?The Pacific islands of Kiribati were among the last places to be colonized by humans.... more
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IFAD
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2 years ago
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A tsunami that hit the Samoan islands may have killed up to 100 people, and left many more injured, Samoa's disaster management office fears.A tsunami that hit the Samoan islands may have killed up to 100 people, and left many... more
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One good deed President Bush and his Administration has done for the Polynesian Nations and the Hawaiian Islands. Thank You Mr. Bush, Please protect and save our precious Aina and Kai for if humans continue their course mankind will lose these precious areas.
I'm one of the lucky few to ever step foot on Nihoa – a remote, mysterious little island whose closest neighbor, Ni'ihau, lies beyond the horizon, about 120 miles southeast. The ancestors of my people, Native Hawaiians, somehow lived, farmed and worshipped on Nihoa – in the middle of nowhere – where their remnants still stand, frozen in time.
Accessing Nihoa – which lies within the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument – is tricky. There's a tiny sandy beach in the south bay that may have once been used for access. But endangered Hawaiian monk seals currently haul out there, and federal laws protecting endangered species prevent people from using the beach. Inaccessibility combined with a stringent permitting process has prevented humans from visiting – and thereby impacting – the island. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, just 26 groups have been onto Nihoa in 28 years, and the vast majority of these visits were by U.S. Fish and Wildlife staff.One good deed President Bush and his Administration has done for the Polynesian... more
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Kepano
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The tiny Pacific nation of Niue has warned, at an annual summit of leaders from the region, that climate change is set to leave many low-lying islands uninhabitable as a result of global warming.
Some are already feeling the effects, with rising sea levels leaving arable land unuseable.The tiny Pacific nation of Niue has warned, at an annual summit of leaders from the... more
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rwylie
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A proposal by U.S. President George W. Bush could give national-monument status to some of the world's most remote and pristine Pacific islands and their waters, potentially transforming them into the largest protected marine reserve on the planet.
But its success will hinge on whether the proposed ocean sanctuaries in the western and central Pacific are granted full-protection status, scientists warn.
That would prohibit potentially disruptive activities such as oil and gas drilling, fishing, and mineral extraction.
The central Pacific islands—which would include Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, and Jarvis and Howland Islands—could potentially cover about 776,000 square miles (2 million square kilometers) of protected area.
The western proposed reserve, comprising the Northern Mariana Islands, could cover as much as 115,000 square miles (297,000 square kilometers). It would include parts of the Mariana Trench, the deepest location on Earth's surface, along with coral reef islands called atolls. (See video of the islands.)
Because the President has exclusive power to protect U.S. resources, conservationists expect the new proposal will become law.
The waters of the central Pacific islands are home to some of the best preserved coral ecosystems in the world, Sala said.
Any one of the central Pacific islands in the proposed sanctuary contains five times as many coral species as the entire Florida Keys, as well as hundreds of fish species; dozens of species of seabirds; and numerous whale, dolphin, and sea turtle species.
A proposal by U.S. President George W. Bush could give national-monument status to... more
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Pacific leaders have warned Fiji it faces the possibility of suspension from the Pacific Islands Forum if it continues to show disregard for democracy.
Kerri Ritchie reports from the Forum meeting in Niue that the 15 Pacific leaders gathered at the summit have released their communique regarding Fiji.
The communique says that suspending Fiji from the forum is being considered.
The leaders may meet again in Papua New Guinea in December depending on the the progress made, monitored by the Forum's Ministerial Contact Group.
The statement also condemned recent statements by the Fiji interim government, saying they were inconsistent with a promise to hold democratic elections.
New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark says Fiji's interim Prime Minister, Frank Baimimarama, had no support in the room.
"He got it wrong and I think he's completely under estimated how very let down key Forum leaders who did their best to engage with him are feeling," Ms Clark said.
The Australian government is very happy with the outcome.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is believed to have played a principle role in delivering the outcome.
Commodore Bainimarama boycotted this week's leaders meeting.
He has refused to uphold a promise previously made to the Forum to hold democratic elections in Fiji in March next year.
Commodore Bainimarama took power in a bloodless coup in December 2006, and says electoral reform is needed before elections can be held.
The Forum statement also says leaders acknowledge the need to address long-term issues in Fiji, including national reconciliation, through 'inclusive political dialogue.'
Pacific leaders have warned Fiji it faces the possibility of suspension from the... more
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ivxx
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Stephanie, 22, has had to take several quarters off of school to earn money for her education at UCLA. She has been a housekeeper, transcribed for writers and even made cardboard boxes.
"If I were to sit down and write a resume, it would be impressive in terms of how lengthy it would be," said Stephanie in an interview with the Pacific Citizen, proudly wearing her UCLA shirt. "Right now is probably the only time when I've had just one job."
Stephanie is an undocumented immigrant, making her ineligible for financial aid and unable to apply for most jobs. For her, the future is uncertain.
Brought to the United States from the Philippines before turning four years old, Stephanie is one of the many undocumented Asian Pacific Islander immigrants who discovered late in life that she has no options for legalizing her status.
Although about 40 percent of undocumented undergraduate students are Asian, according to an annual report by the University of California's Office of the President, the API community is not as open about the immigration issue as the Latino community.
"When you have the Asian students, there is a sense of secrecy and shame." said Stephanie, who asked the Pacific Citizen to only use her first name because of potential risk to her employment.
Stephanie and UCLA graduate Tam Tran have spoken out about their experiences as undocumented college students, seeking to raise awareness of the issue and gather support for legislation that will offer them a pathway to legalization.
**continues,click link to read**Stephanie, 22, has had to take several quarters off of school to earn money for her... more
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