A Tiny Pacific Island Is Now Powered By Coconuts
It’s not a joke. Coconuts--and not
much else--are plentiful on the islands of Tokelau. So they’re making good with
what they have, and converting the entire region to solar and coconut biofuels.
The head of the New Zealand islands
of Tokelau just announced a new energy policy: They will be completely powered
by sunlight and coconut oil. Fortunately Tokelau is rich in both resources. If
successful, the three small atolls supporting about 1,500 people will be among
the first regions to switch their entire energy system to renewable sources.
“I
have been pushing the issue of 100 percent solar," said Tokelau’s leader
Foua Toloa in an interview with Radio New Zealand in 2009. "So by
February next year we’ll try to beat every nation in the world to become the
first country to be energy renewable completely run by solar and a little bit
of coconut oil.” The islands, although behind schedule, are pushing ahead.
At
the moment, the islands (administered by New Zealand) rely on diesel to meet
most of their electricity demands. Most of the population has modern appliances
such as refrigerators (90%) and washing machines (57%), along with satellite TV
and Internet. The islands have been importing 42,000 gallons of diesel, 47,000
gallons of gasoline, and 15,000 gallons of kerosene annually, according to the government, but solar power has been
making headway.
The
new energy plan will transfer over most of the islands’ power
generation--93%--to photovoltaic solar arrays, while biofuel derived from
coconuts will supply the remainder. Motor vehicles and some cooking equipment
will still require imported gasoline and kerosene. Still, the islands’ energy
strategy looks realistic and, in fact, is part of an effort among many South
Pacific island nations to commercialize renewable energy systems, freeing them
of expensive fossil fuels. Their interest is also driven by something far more
existential: Sea level rise as the climate warms and ice sheets melt has begun to inundate other Pacific
island countries
such as Tuvalu, and threatening others such as Kiribati, Vanuatu, the Marshall
Islands, the Cook Islands, Fiji, and the Solomon Islands.
Tokelau’s
effort, ultimately, is purely symbolic. Its meager economy generates about $1.5
million annually and likely emits less greenhouse gas emissions than most large
factories. It does, however, set a precedent that others may follow. At the
very least, the island will face a century of sea level rise knowing it’s not
contributing much to the phenomenon that will eventually inundate it.
http://www.fastcoexist.com/1678915/a-tiny-pacific-island-is-now-powered-by-coconuts
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