EDITORIAL: Red clouds, Green dots, Blue flags…

World Environment Day focused on the worrying impact that climate change is having on the polar regions, their ecosystems and communities, and the consequences for this world and its six billion inhabitants.

“But how can climate change and the melting of glaciers affect little old Cyprus”, one may ask.

Apart from the fact that many are convinced that this tiny island is the centre of the universe, anything happening anywhere on this planet should concern us all because of a chain of issues involving every citizen of Earth, ranging from the use of renewable sources of energy and investments in emerging renewable energy technologies to trading carbon emissions.

So, how much is being done? Alas, the answer is “Too little”.

Cyprus prides in being at the top of the league in the use of solar water heaters, effectively cutting down on the potential consumption of fossil fuels by power plants to drive electric heaters. But Cyprus is also slipping in this table as little else is being down to encourage energy efficiency and it may also miss the 2012 deadline to replace fossil fuels with at least 10% renewable sources of energy on a national level.

One would have thought that the appointment of an Environment Commissioner a year ago should have sparked the enthusiasm or at least the curiosity of those in government to coordinate efforts and drastically reduce the island’s dependence on fuels.

But this is a one-man show with an office that lacks the necessary public and political support, otherwise Cyprus should have introduced laws and incentives to dramatically improve energy saving, that, at the end of the day, would also have economic benefits for all parties concerned.

Fortunately, the presidential elections are not too far off and with four candidates in the running so far, the issue of the environment and energy should be pushed to the top of their agendas and promises.

The incumbent need only declare that he will upgrade the Commissioner’s office to a fully-fledged government service very soon, while all the other candidates can make commitments of the same nature.

It is high time that drastic measures were introduced to improve energy efficiency that will also help keep Cyprus clean and green.

These include an ongoing assessment of energy efficiency systems in all public buildings, the introducion of low-consumption climate control, subsidies for the year-round nationwide purchase of efficient bulbs and much more, including recyclable bags for the collection of recyclable refuse (paper, plastics, garden rubbish, etc.). Cyprus could even be bold enough to impose the mandatory replacement of all public street lighting that drain the national power grid (at three times the fuel cost of three years ago) with stand-alone solar-powered street lamps that will make up for the high cost of purchase through the efficiencies over the years.

But in order to achieve such ‘revolutionary’ concepts, either by government, municipalities or private consumers, one needs the political will to push the necessary legislation through.

If not we will be happy to have the cleanest beaches in Europe, but these will be empty of ecologically-conscious tourists that will prefer other ‘green destinations’.