PadminiArhant.com –Vishwa Kalyan Award 2015 Environment Category

October 24, 2015

PA VKA Award 2015

By Padmini Arhant

Vishwa Kalyan Award in environment category 2015 is awarded to developing nations in recognition of the endeavor to eliminate fossil fuel and carbon emission reduction in the respective domain.

The public sector role in  energy programs with rural electrification as integral part of the project address developmental needs across the spectrum.

Environment Awardees are as follows:

  1. Ethiopia – The East African nation in the Horn of Africa is leading power generator in the region.

EEPCo – Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation is a public utility enterprise.

CEO – Ato Miheret Debebe.

The company overview – The corporation is in the business of producing, transmitting, distributing and selling electrical energy in accordance with economic and social development policies and priorities of the government and to carry out any other related activities that would contribute to achieve its purpose.

Ethiopia Clean Energy Program.

The grid based electricity generation is developed for national power supply.

Ethiopia’s clean energy drive through Wind, Hydro, Geo thermal and Waste Energy Projects facilitated Grid based rural electrification in the country.

Wind – The grid based wind electricity generation capacity – the total national potential is assessed at about 100 GW.  Many projects completed with more underway.

Hydro Projects – Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam already producing power from various stations in the country.

Geo thermal – The power plant connected to national grid allowing additional flow to meet energy demand.

Waste to Energy Power Plant (WtE) – The energy plant near open dumping site set up to transform 1,200 tons of waste a day into clean energy.

As a result, Ethiopia is able to provide energy to East and Central African nations in the Energy Transmission Construction projects to Kenya and Sudan besides addressing national requirement.

IT Projects:  The project aims to digitalize business processes and automate in EEPCO for efficiency and cost effectiveness in customer services and communication with stakeholders and concerned networks nationwide.

The current undertaking:

Goals:

The acquisition of state of the art software; with a thorough consideration of integration with the current system and future expansion of the corporation.

To improve EEPCO’s commercial operation by replacing the existing system with decentralized systems to establish a fully integrated Management Information System (MIS).

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2. Latin America.

Solar Energy.

Peru – The South American nation is embarked on solar power. 

National Photovoltaic Household Electrification Program expected to benefit more than 2 million people in Peru.

The program aims to provide electricity to poorest households using solar panels. The remote areas and villages using oil lamps and dependent on hazardous fuel would be relieved with connection to power grid.

The Peruvian government launched the first phase to provide 500,000 solar panels and installed some in the northeastern region of Cajamarca lighting homes with no access to electricity. The program poised at providing 95 percent of Peru with electricity through clean energy by the end of 2016.
The National Photovoltaic Household Electrification Program cost is about $200 million.

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3. Costa Rica 100% Renewal Energy with departure from fossil fuel.

The Central American country generated electricity entirely from renewal energy – the combination of hydroelectric and geothermal power permitting clean and affordable energy supply in 2015. The national commitment towards 100% carbon neutrality by 2021 sets important precedence for the rest of the world to follow suit.

Costa Rica record on renewal energy for electricity with determination to reach milestone in 100% carbon free status has earned them the environment award.

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4. KayapoIndigenous Tribe in Amazon protecting rainforests against miners, poachers, loggers and drillers in the region.

Kayapo ChiefRaoni or Ropni has led the tribe in dedicating their lives to preserve the Amazon rainforest – the treasure cove of Planet Earth.

Kayapos have been defending the world’s richest ecosystem for generations sacrificing their life as they are constantly threatened by land grabbers and big corporations not to mention systemic attacks against them leading to genocide. Kayapos fearlessly remain in the frontline to save habitat for entire humanity.

Rainforests are the nerve centers for ecological balance.  Since industrialization, rainforests face decline due to deforestation, dam constructions, contamination of rivers, soil and ground waters with oil residue and mining projects such as gold and other precious metals besides coal and minerals that require mountain top removal.

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5. Protecting endangered speciesIrrawathi dolphins of Myanmar in Mekong river are critically endangered from fisheries by catch and habitat deterioration.

In Zimbabwe, Africa – poachers prey on elephants by poisoning them with cyanide laced oranges or salt.  The recent incident in north and western national park involved 14  elephants  deaths and reportedly in 2013 – 300 elephants died from cyanide poison in Hwange.  Human greed prompts such cruelty against other species ignoring ultimate toll on natural surroundings.

The dismissal of global warming as a myth among skeptics slight polar bears plight in the arctic with melting glaciers posing challenge to marine mammals existence.

Human recklessness is not only endangering rare species but also targets original inhabitants in the world.

The indigenous population across the globe are subject to gross human rights violation and deprived from maintaining their rich cultural heritage.  The natives’ meaningful customs and traditions that are sacred to them prohibited with unnecessary enforcements indicative of disrespect for aboriginal spirit.

The award acknowledges efforts in revival of plants and animals on the brink of extinction. Accordingly, the aborigines are honored as reliable guardians and stalwarts in earth conservation especially with pollution and rising toxicity endangering life and planet survival.

Congratualtions! To winners of Vishwa Kalyan Award 2015 in environment category.

Peace to all!

Thank you.

Padmini Arhant