President Leonel Fernandez participated in the Clinton Foundation Energy Forum held 6 December in New York City at New York University. During his remarks, President Clinton outlined the key energy issues facing the world: how the global community manages its existing resources; innovative ideas to meet future energy needs; and the profound environmental, economic, security and political consequences energy policy has on developed and developing nations alike. The forum panels agreed that climate change is a global problem that needs global solutions.
“If this country wants to be recognized as a positive force, then we must recognize the need to address climate change,” said President Clinton, pointing out that while the US comprises 5% of the world’s population, it produces 25% of the world’s greenhouse gases. He mentioned the challenges ahead for China and India, countries that soon will be emitting more greenhouse gases than the US, unless ways can be found to create wealth and jobs while simultaneously reducing emissions in order to bring any positive climate change.
Stephen Byers, a member of parliament in the United Kingdom and Co-Chair of the International Taskforce on Climate Change, and the DR’s President Leonel Fernandez both discussed the dramatic weather changes causing concern among everyday citizens in their countries. Byers mentioned the rare winter typhoon that occurred in Taiwan and the Philippines, the European heat wave that lead to 26,000 premature deaths in 2003 and the floods in Europe of 2002. President Fernandez focused on the unusual increase in hurricanes that hit the Caribbean last year, mentioning that the region experienced 10 to 12 hurricanes in 2004, compared to the usual two or three. “People would say something strange is happening and there’s concern created.”
But the question is, how do we translate the science and the concern into action by citizens and their leaders?
Byers said, “The way in is by explaining to people that you’re handing down to your children a worse quality of life because of the way you’re living.”
“We need to start by looking at the tremendous opportunity, rather than the hand wringing,” said former Timothy Wirth and president of The United Nations Foundation and Better World Fund. “The key is not to tie energy to national security but to domestic policy and the tremendous opportunity for jobs by creating clean affordable energy.”
During the event, President Fernandez explained the realities of energy in his country, and why the Dominican Republic has to stay focused on the short-term goal of delivering a reliable energy system to the people. “It’s a question of survival. Eighteen- to twenty-hour blackouts cause political problems and unrest, and threaten government stability.” He also pointed to the fact that a country must be able to provide reliable energy for its industries and businesses in order to develop economically.