Wild Tobago

The tide is turning from fossil fuels to renewables. Will we catch the wave at the crest, or be caught in the undertow. Dr Anjani Ganase makes the case for Trinidad and Tobago to be in the forefront of renewables. Trinidad and Tobago, like many countries around the world, is largely dependent on fossil fuels as its source of energy; but unlike many countries, we also rely on fossil fuels to drive our economy. For two generations, about 50 years, oil and gas supported our economy and this source of energy also seeded employment and innovation in the fossil fuel technology that has resulted in the successful liquid natural gas (LNG) driven economy over the recent 20 years. Today, LNG is still the biggest earner for Trinidad and Tobago. T&T is, therefore, in an especially vulnerable position, as the world is forced to consider a future of alternative energy sources to save our planet and us from the devastation of climate change. The true cost of burning gr...

CLIMATE CHANGE CAN BRING CHANGES FOR THE BETTER Climate change seems too big a problem for “me one” to take on. Isn’t this something the government is supposed to deal with? Something that the big countries like China and India must tackle? Ruben Smith says that climate change is all of the above. But he argues that small communities must be alert to the opportunities. He is hoping that the newly appointed members of the Tobago House of Assembly will meet the challenges for that island. This feature was first published in the Tobago Newsday on May 18, 2017 Opportunities for changes come with climate change: the sun is always on as a source of energy! Photo Pat Ganase What does climate change mean? In very simple terms, global warming results from the release of greenhouse gases – such as carbon dioxide and monoxide, sulphur oxides, and other gases – creates a greenhouse effect, trapping heat in the atmosphere. At the same time, the growing population of the e...