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Tuvalu set to go carbon neutral
Funafuti, Tuvalu (UPI) Jul 21, 2009 Tuvalu, the tiny Pacific island nation halfway between Australia and Hawaii, is set to become the first carbon-neutral country in the world. The rising tide caused by global warming seemed like it would eventually submerge low-lying Tuvalu's nine coral islands, five of which are atolls. There was even talk of moving its 12,000-plus inhabitants to Australia. But soaring fuel prices prompted the world's fourth-smallest country to turn to renewable energy alternatives. Now Tuvalu aims to become the first nation to generate all its energy from renewable sources by 2020. Tuvalu teamed with e8, a non-profit consortium of 10 energy firms from the Group of Eight nations organized after the 1992 Rio Earth summit, as well as with the Japanese government. For the first phase of Tuvalu's renewable energy projects, a 40-kilowatt solar energy system was installed on the roof of the country's largest soccer stadium in Funafuti, the capital. Inaugurated in February 2008, the stadium solar project features a grid-connected solar system that meets about 5 percent of Funafuti's peak demand and 3 percent of annual household consumption. The project will contribute to powering Tuvalu's households, healthcare facilities, small and medium enterprises and other local development infrastructure. Data from e8 indicates that after its first 14 months of operation, the solar stadium reduced consumption of generator fuel shipped from New Zealand by 17,000 tons and saved 50 tons of carbon dioxide from being released in the atmosphere. In addition, the system reduces the risk of diesel fuel spills around Tuvalu's pristine reefs. Most of Tuvalu's residents make a living from fishing and farming. There is no heavy industry. "The plight of Tuvalu versus the rising tide vividly represents the worst early consequence of climate change. For Tuvalu, after 3,000 years of history, the success of U.N. climate talks in Copenhagen this December may well be a matter of national survival," Takao Shiraishi, general manager of Japan's Kansai Electric Power Co., one of the funders of the stadium project, said in a statement. Tuvalu's Public Utilities Minister Kausea Natano said his nation wanted to set an example to others. "We look forward to the day when our nation offers an example to all -- powered entirely by natural resources such as the sun and the wind," Natano said. Tuvalu gets sunlight most of the year. The Tuvalu government estimates it will cost about $20 million to reach its goal of 100 percent clean energy by 2020. Other nations that have vowed to become carbon neutral include Norway, New Zealand, Iceland and Costa Rica. Share This Article With Planet Earth
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