Only after a heighten sense of awareness, education, and grass roots activism will most governments act on pushing for more green friendly power source technology and usage. As I had mentioned yesterday under the other PDN article “Develop: Follow Hawaii and push for clean energy industry for Guam” because islands will be the first land massed societies to confront power sourcing and waste issues as a direct result of land capacity and increased population.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not defending the Government of Guam and their particular reasons for not using the green technology as power sources. The fact of the matter is that green power source technology is quite expensive and governments are truly aware of that. Most civil governments in today’s society are always faced with budget constraints, therefore sometimes “…Robbing Peter to pay Paul...” This practice is normally present and used to quench many of the incumbent’s constituent’s demands. It is something most elected officials don’t plan on prior to being seated in office, but the issue does come to them later during the tenure.
The funny thing about the high price of this technology such as solar panels, etc., China currently leads the U.S. and most of the European Union in manufacturing affordable solar panel technology. Not to be beaten by China and their increase production of green technology, President Jimmy Carter proposed immediately after being seated in office that the White House use this solar panel technology and that American manufacturers and consumers, follow suit in an effort to decrease if not eliminate the use of foreign fuel sources. The bad news, was that immediately after Ronald Reagan was seated into office he immediately informed his staff to “remove” all the solar panels previously installed by the Carter administration. Go figure “Gipper.”
Part of Guåhan’s eventual social economic issues will be a direct result of an “ever increasing practice of urbanization” in an effort to accommodate an “ever increasing population” for the most part, not the current fault of the local government, but the fault of the U.S. Department of Interior, the Department of Defense, and elected Congressional House and Senate Representative actions based on their individual or party motives.
Why is this an issue? Well, what does one do with all the increase in waste produced by the increase in population? It has to go somewhere…it has to go somewhere.
What power source is the Federal Government proposing the island of Guåhan use to accommodate the military buildup and the increase population as a result? Answer, “A naval submarine with a nuclear reactor.” Wow! What a great “green power source,” huh?
The best approach in psuhing any government in leaning towards the approval and usage for a “greener” power source is through civil and social activism using education as the “weapon of choice.” First and foremost, it is the people of Guåhan that must first be educated in what choices are available and the potential impacts of those choices both “short term” and “long term.” The next ideal step after the education process is for the people to push those concerns using the political process. Remember that the elected government officials are the direct representative “of the people” and must work in the “best interest” of the people. Hafa Mohon?
BTW, let’s begin with a Guåhan “Zero Waste” policy using the template created, applied and used in “New Zealand” (URL: http://www.zerowaste.co.nz/). Once Guåhan has achieved this “Zero Waste” concept, the stepping stones would then lead “I Tåo’t åo’ Tano’” towards a “Greener Power Sources.”
If the government wants to build a “firing range” on Guåhan, both the Federal Government and the Government of Japan can work together on an “Off Shore” range. Why? If Japan can build an off-shore Airport Terminal, then they can work together with the Federal Government and build a firing range a couple of miles off shore (if they still want a firing range on Guåhan).
“Not Another Acre!” Hafa Mohon?
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