WTF has the Ministry of Energy, Ghana ... done for Ghana so far?

Let's shake hands on this lie ...

“And what is a man without energy? Nothing - nothing at all.” Mark Twain

A few months ago in May (2010), the Minister of Energy and his Deputy, made bold (as politicians often do) to state that a Renewable Energy (RE) Bill would be passed, HOPEFULLY, before this year is over.

(Follow the links to feast your eyes.)

Did he actually mean it, that declaration?

Did they actually INTEND to make it happen?

I doubt it … and I also doubt that they have contributed to the development of Ghana’s Energy Sector in any significant, nation-beneficial, worth-noting way; nor that they even intend to do so.

What about the oil find? And all proliferation of activities, jobs, and courses attached to it since it was declared?

First of all, I do not believe that the oil will bring in more revenue and more national development THAN the Renewable Energy (RE) sector of Ghana. I don’t believe that. Yes. I said it.

Secondly, the Ministry of Energy (MoE) did not put that oil there, in the ground, beneath the ocean, abi? They were not even the ones who found the oil … duh … they did not have the rigs, equipment, technology, the know-how … 

Thirdly, the proliferation of complementary activities … uh, 80% - 90% of the petroleum jobs are going to foreigners, and Ghanaians living in foreign countries (equals only a fraction of the salaries and monies paid in that entire job sector will be retained locally – in Ghana) … the courses and activities, not run by the MoE are they? Most are not even inspired and sustained by the MoE!

So, now that we are clear on those issues … back to explaining some of my points:

Why do I think that the oil find will not bring in as much revenue and national development as the RE sector?

Well, because 100% of the companies drilling, with the rigs, equipment, technology, know-how are NON-Ghanaian.

Ghana holds only 10% of the oil-stakes. Something tells me 100% less 10% equals 90% … and 90% sure seems to be a huge stake not to have, as the country in whose territory the oil-wells have been found. OR?

How many of the people employed by these foreign companies are Ghanaians? And how many of the fraction of Ghanaians employed in there, actually live in Ghana, for us to claim that their salaries and the taxes derived from those incomes, and their lifestyle expenditures will come in to add to Ghana’s revenue?

Go on … I’ll wait.
.......
..........
...........


Okay, now I have to move on! :)

Now, in RE … within which we have Solar, Wind, Biogas, Rain-Harvesting, etc … the people living in the communities, the local pockets, the people themselves, and the nation of Ghana as a whole … will benefit from a proper exploitation of these infinite, natural (re)sources of safe, green energy and fuel compared to the sketchy "direct contributions" of the oil sector, and its devastating effect on the environment.

First of all, the environment is safer, more respected, and nourished by the people. By learning how to derive energy and fuel from these RE sources, the people acquire jobs, self-worth, AND money (income).

The local people and the community benefit directly from these sources of energy and fuel, and income and are developed gradually – by better/more facilities, being able to go to/continue their education, and being able to live somewhat better standards of life.

Since the income derived is mostly retained locally (mostly), the national GDP will ultimately taste that increment, will it not? And also raise the nation’s revenue levels, the global status per standards of living, and boost other economical relationships with the world.

The nation as a whole, will have several other minor reliable sources of energy and fuel, taking the huge load off the Akosombo dam and the Aboadze Thermal plant, as well as on any other government energy facilities the government has lined up … because they people are now tapping into safe, green energy sources.

We could even get so good at this, that like Egypt and South Africa, we could make an entire commercial activity out of these RE sources, even as far as exporting some out to neighbouring countries with an energy deficit.

See the cases of Egypt and South Africa  (and the amazing things SA is  doing with it), who are leading the pack in Africa and doing pretty well in cooking up large quantities of the types of green energy available in their countries. 
Please please NOTE how they both have Feed-in Tariffs, and note how in my blog post on the promise made by the MoE, I focused on the importance of the Feed-In Tariff, what it is, and how many people keep calling me to find out if it has been set, or whether the RE Policy, which contains that tariff has BEEN PASSED INTO LAW (the RE Bill)!!

A lot hinges on this Bill.

I could go on and on … but you get that the benefits, development of the nation, and income to the people is more direct and reliable in this scenario, right?

Not to forget that practically all this RE is 100% Ghana-owned green energy, unlike in the controversial oil finds … the same amount of monies being spent on oil drilling and petroleum technologies could have gone into RE technologies, courses, scholarships for the people of Ghana, just as is happening for the oil sector right now … and the passion and aggressiveness with which the MoE is pushing the execution and exploitation of the petroleum sector, could very well … and SHOULD very well have been applied to the Renewable Energy sector of Ghana … a long time ago.

But greed overcomes common sense and ethics, very often in the realm of politics, and the people in whose hands the people have placed their trust … squander it, and play water-bed sex-games with the people’s monies and resources … tee-hee-heeing (giggling) their way all through it.

WTF has the MoE done for us Ghanaians so far?

Well, there is the Petroleum Bill (of course) … waiting to be passed (as usual).

But wait … the RE Bill has also been lying in waiting, to be passed … about almost 2 years now (the same one the Energy Minister Oteng-Adjei and his faithful, mimetic cohorts spoke of attempting to try to try to pass into law before this year is over, remember?)

I bet you that fiver in your pocket … the Petroleum Bill might be passed first!

Okay, so Petroleum Bill has been ‘put together’ … what else has the MoE done for Ghana so far?

Oh oh! I know!
 …. They increased our electricity tariffs (and water as well), then took it down a little by a fraction with 2 decimal points … oh gee!

And since the tariff increase (the reason being to provide better services), we have really seen a good increase in quality and better service, yes? (NO!)

That’s already 2 big achievements for you, Mr. Energy Minister et al. You should clap for yourselves and throw a party … I’ll come.

What other achievements? What? If you find any, lemme know … I really really want to know.

Want to know why, a crucial ministry like one for ENERGY, has not seen it fit to set targets of import and achieve them for Ghana, with Ghana, for Ghana!

It is energy which makes civilizations, nations, countries … and makes them some mightier in strength and accomplishments than others. It could be the energy of the people, being harnessed to energize actual technological advancements … it could be energy sources which drive the country forward, power industries, transform lives, and develop the nation into a powerful, successful one.

We wait for you to pass our RE bill as you promised to try, Mr. Minister … and we wait for you to train the people, educate them, prepare them for a bigger Energy Age … because you know it is coming. 
And those countries who will be ready for that Age when it comes, will be the ones to survive the “mutation” of time and species … 
What have you done, or are you doing for Ghana?

What else, apart from your half-baked, minor ‘achievements’, is left for you to pretend to be busy about, Mr. Minister?

What else is there for you to actually delve into, in order for you to leave a legacy behind, Mr. Minister?

If not for us as a country, perhaps for your children and grandchildren? (you know this is a trick question … don’t you dare take that last option!)

In the meantime, there are 45 days left for you to make good on your word … pass the RE Bill, or tell us why you won’t make it this year, but as I always say:

Governments come and go,

Come and go …

But the people are always here,

Always here …

Leave a legacy, Honourable Oteng Adjei, and Deputy Ministers.

Leave a legacy …

Leave a legacy.

A Promise by the Energy Minister, BBC phone interview and live debate, and what Ghanaians say about Energy Alternatives.

The past two months have been eventful.

Tracy from PI in the US was sharing hopes on a consultancy going through for Energy-saving lighting. I oughta hope so too, since I may be working with the team on it if it goes through.

Emmanuel for SE in the US e-mailed again to ask whether government has at yet set a Feed-in tariff for Solar Energy - they are looking to hire consultancy for a market survey for a solar energy company to come in with large capacity. I don't know, but it seems their decision to do so hinges on the ability to sell the surplus energy produced to smaller companies and individuals, and therefore the need to know what the legal tariff for such a sale will be (Feed-in Tariff).

Unfortunately, only government can set this Feed-in Tariff, and only via a Renewable Energy Legislature ... why is this unfortunate? Our Renewable Energy Policy finally got drafted and finished about a year ago.

It's still lying somewhere, waiting to be used as washroom paper, or something as memorable. No effort has been put into passing it into law; not by Parliament, not by the Energy Minister and his Ministry, and not by any CSO or advocacy body ... wait! I think my NGO is the only Renewable Energy CSO for Ghana!

Yeah, nobody sees the fuss! But livelihoods depend on this billion-dollar industry.

We have abundant sunshine, areas of high and consistent wind speeds, abundant rainfall in some parts of the country, and MORE THAN ENOUGH waste to churn biogas and the other forms of bio-energy!!

More than enough work for Ghanaians, more than enough energy to develop the rural areas and give the migrants a reason to return back home and make a living with their own folks, more than enough energy to raise standards of living and boost our average income from $600 to $1500 or more!

...Only deterrant is we are too lazy to put our shoulders to the wheel, unless that wheel is Politics!

And so, BBC (Have Your Say) called me up to find out:

1. Whether I thought Ghanaians would now look at Renewable Energy as a wise alternative to electricity, now that there is a 42%+ increase in the tariffs?

2. What I thought had kept most Ghanaians away from going in for the green alternatives, even those who could afford it?

3. What Energy Solutions Foundadtion (my NGO) was doing to get more people into opting for Renewable Energy?

4. How my advocacy for Green Energy in Ghana (Ghana Goes Green) with the support of Reggie Rockstone (popular hip-life music icon) went, and why most of the youth did not show at the event?

5. If I felt Akosombo was now redundant, especially with more Ghanaians willing to look at alternatives (which does not necessarily mean they WILL go in for it!)

And a few other questions.

I will not bore you with my answers right now, but in my next blog post, I shall!!

Though, you can listen to the live session they held after this phone interview, where I was asked to be present, with David Ampofo, Israel Laryea, Dr. Maxwell Antwi, the Minister for Energy, the MDs for GridCo and ECG, and a cross-section of the general public.

The audio link for this can be found here : http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/africahaveyoursay/

on the right-hand column that says (Listen here : 54 mins).

It was a most lively, grilling debate, and the Energy Minister came under fire, but perhaps, some of you might be SLIGHTLY pleased to know that he promised that due to the urgency and pressure with which I advocated for a Renewable Energy policy IMMEDIATELY, as a way forward for all Ghanaians ... he would ENSURE THAT the R.E. POLICY WAS PASSED INTO LAW BEFORE THIS YEAR ENDED.

Please, all of you help me to monitor this promise!

Several others at the live session also insisted that this be done to enable multi-national interests and private sector participation to come in and start vamping up this sector of the economy.

What almost all the people I ask opinions of, are demanding of RE in Ghana these:

1. Bring in more service providers and after-sales service assurances, because we want fair prices, not monopolized ones; and we want to know that after we invest in these alternatives, there will be numerous licensed and reliable set-ups to service, maintain, and repair, should the need arise! Otherwise, we have absolutely no confidence in going in for these alternatives now, or ever, no matter how dire the electricity or fuel situation is!

2. We want MORE, much more education on what these RE alternatives involve. We want to have data, so we know their technicalities, their capacities, their advantages and disadvantages, the entire information, so we can weigh all this against our needs and make the best choice OURSELVES, before going to the service provider for that final decision.

As at now, government has absolutely NO mass education going on for us to be aware of anything.

1 in 5 Ghanaians do not know what RE is, until you break it up into Solar, Wind, Bio, etc.

3 in 5 are only aware of solar, until you remind them of wind, and after that, they have no idea what bio-energy is or involves.

We drown in ignorance, and die of poverty, yet we sit on 'gold' of such vast, endless reserves, that it hurts to watch us struggle.

WHAT?! Ignorance paaa nie? (trans: What heights of ignorance!) I shake my head indefinitely ...

As I keep saying, in your bid to make a bright future for yourself and your loved ones (partner, children, parents), make sure THAT FUTURE WILL BE THERE, when you do get there! Save your future ...

Tthink Earth.Green.Renew.Sustain.

I feel such a weight on my shoulders, knowing that I am well the only one doing anything like this in the entire country (my father keeps reminding me, "That is why BBC and other foreign countries are interested in contacting you all the time ... cus you are the human, non-business, side of this new phenomenon in this sub-region) ... but where do I start? Who do I do it with? How do I change the landscape for the better?

One day at a time ... one advocacy at a time.

Join me.

2 Dedications & An Idea

I dedicate this update to Fred Anane-Frimpong and Emmanuel K. Bensah Jnr.!

Two favourite men of mine with cojones of steel, and brains like that of Brain of Pinky & The Brain fame.

Emmanuel has, over the past one week, re-opened my eyes to see the value in the work I do in my Renewable Energy foundation.

He, selflessly, promoted and encouraged the little I have been fighting for, and made a good mountain of that mole-hill … I was encouraged to keep my dwindling spirits up; something which, for the Renewable Energy industry here in Ghana, translates into a lot.

Read his delightful blog at : http://ekbensahinghana.blogspot.com

Fred (I delight to call ‘Faf’), launched last year, his intention to drive over-land from UK to Ghana (via West Africa) with a good friend of his, to raise awareness and money (all contributions going directly to WaterAid) for clean water for Ghanaians who need it most!

What crazy person drives over-land on such a campaign!

You gotta love them!

Read about Faf’s WaterDrive campaign at :

http://www.dotfaf.com/mt/mt-search.cgi?IncludeBlogs=1&tag=WaterDrive2010&limit=50

It’s worth every minute and penny spent, I guarantee!!

Middle of last year, when my Renewable Energy Foundation took off, I had grand dreams and some money. Not quite enough money, I found out 5 months later, when after Phase 1, I had –GH5000 (negative representing my debts after the affair).

I am just about to finish paying off those debts. Someone would learn her lesson, and back-peddle as fast as she can, into another interest zone … like opening a mini-eatery that will bring profit (cuisine happens to be my favourite hobby, and third alternative to a career for me).

I’m not Someone. I’m Golda, and I always have my swagger on! (I wish …)

So here I am, about to finish paying debts, and already thinking of jumping back in (with even better, fail-proof plans this time) to make my GH more sustainability-conscious.

I was thinking of several things I could do to help Ghanaians find a lasting, cheaper alternative to daily energy needs, and knowing I could only do one at a time, if I mean to do it right, I of course, needed to decide on what to start with first.

BRIQUETTES : majority of Ghanaians still use firewood and charcoal to cook. I won’t bore you with the various reasons why this is bad … you should all know by now. If you don’t, Google it up! Several attempts to mass educate on alternatives like LPG (a negative option if we’re thinking sustainability) has gotten nowhere.

But why has our government not mass-educated on briquettes?!!! Consistently, if ever??

Briquettes are eco-friendly ‘coals’.

They can be made out of any biodegradeable material (paper, plantain & cassava peels, banana peels, sawdust, wood chippings, fabric, etc).

Personally, what freaks me out about briquettes is the fact that any household can do it themselves, and it’s very easy to do – hence automatically being a great means of income for most non-working folks in areas of high demand.

All you need is have an old metal bucket, in which you can toss the trash material (whether it’s paper, peelings, wood elements); but you need to have a separate bucket per material.

Fill the bucket with your material and add enough water (doesn’t necessarily have to be chlorinated water) to allow you to mix into a thick mixture. Allow to soak for some hours or a day (if paper, work it until all shredded and soggy).

If you are doing it on a commercial basis, it will be advisable to have a local metal-worker fashion a basic compressor for you. This will simply compact the wet mixture into the shape you choose, as well as squeeze out most of the moisture from it, thus making your work quicker.

If it’s just on a small basis for the family, you can use your hands to scoop enough, squeeze out the moisture as dryly as your hands will allow you, and shape the matter into whatever form you want.

Whether commercial or self usage, briquettes must be dried in the sun after this phase, before they will successfully burn/act as a good source of bio-fuel.

So get a good, dry surface, and lay your briquettes out to dry for a day or two.

The best briquettes are well-dried, and have holes passing through them (this creates a greater surface area for combustion, thus burning better), so if you can, let your compressor be such that it punches holes through your briquettes.

Briquettes burn longer and hotter than charcoal as well, and they leave very little ash … plus, they ARE ECO-FRIENDLY!!

So I have decided that, when my ‘brokeness’ (temporary poverty) level decreases, I will start a training workshop for selected areas, both within and out of Accra, that have several low-income families that can benefit from such skills and knowledge.

After all, there are more than enough chop-bars, food vendors and farms around the country to supply coconut, palm husks, peelings, etc for these trainees to make some income selling briquettes in their neighbourhoods, at prices competitive and discouraging to what charcoal sells at.

It won’t be easy for me to get it off the ground, but neither was my Greenfoot Campaign last year, and I have survived it, so … HERE’S TO BRIQUETTES!!

If anyone wants to help or volunteer for this project, or has information that will be helpful, I will love you to share it with me. Any help is welcome!

In the words of my good friend, Fred Anane-Frimpong (Faf), I say, wish me luck, and hope I don’t need it!

Carbon emissions not cause of Global Warming. (?) Dude ... Global Warming ain't even happening! (?)

Where in the world are we?!

Literally and literarily.

This is the question I have been asking myself since reading about some new findings that leaked out about the time of Copenhagen. The new debate, backed by scientific proof (which is yet to be proven) insists that CO2 did not cause the rise in temperatures, nor have tests shown a continuous rise in global temperatures. It says, rather, temperatures are dropping.

Well, Dr. David Evans says so ... and this was as far back as 2007. What does the world have to say or think about this? Why has it not been debated and researched upon earlier?

What implications come with this ... ? 192 stupid countries meeting in a wasteful talk-shop on a highly intricate and expensive summit based on a FLAW?!

Does everyone just go back to their normal lives, not bothered anymore about GHGs and taking good care of the earth? Are the carbon trading businesses now trying to hide into cracks What is really, truly happening? What is really truly, the cause of our globe falling out of sorts? Is it really falling out of sorts?

Does Sustainability just continue its journey WITHOUT worrying about Global Warming and if it's really happening?

Cause if it is, the real cause must be verified.

I will bring you more as we go along, and will love to have your questions, feedbacks, arguments, and thoughts on this startling "new" revelation.

Now ... I haven't blogged for a month!

I have been working on my foundation and a few really intense stuff.

I have been very lucky to get 2 lady friends, both Ghanaians, who are just as driven as I am ... to start a sub-initiative with.

One lady is an engineer and the one is an architect. Maybe you can guess what we are working on so quietly, but this is just to let you know that I haven't run away from my passion of RE!!

At the last Barcamp here in Ghana, I held a session on Green Concept in Ghana, and I was glad to know that gradually, people are getting interested in what I have to say. As usual, I emphasized that I provide free information, free data, and free marketing for all experts and suppliers of the RETs ... and tried to explain how one may start utilising the technologies in units.

I will bring you some more of this later, in as fun a way as possible.

In the meantime ... uuuuuuuuuuuu ... what a confused terrain GREEN is now!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Your favourite Green Pest!

(I love you too.)