Tulum, Yucatan Peninsula, MexicoSouth African’s have a history of reacting when it’s always far too late. We look for solutions to our electricity shortage only when the lights go out. It takes 20 years to build a new large power station that would make a difference to the power grid and that’s if the government can even raise the money. Which, it’s proving it cannot do, as the international investors would rather invest and lend money to those countries with vision and integrity. ESKOM has recently announced more cancellations of new power generation projects than additions to our power grid. The reality is, they cannot raise the money. Our energy security future looks particularly dark.

The entire world is looking for new sources of power supply, the engine that drives every economy. There is a global power shortage. There is also a global shortage of power generation companies and engineers. When Finland announced their new nuclear power station and had already secured the money to fund the project it still took just over 2 years, and huge incentive programmes just to hire the required technical staff.

Green energy is the way of the future. The USA leads that charge. A solar farm was completed at Denver International Airport – yes, built between the runways and you can hardly see its there. All that space just lying there between the runways, it was assumed that it was totally unproductive land. The new solar farm is so successful that it not only powers the airport (now off the power grid) but all the business and 4,600 homes in the area. President Obama has called for similar project at every airport in the country. Calling Denver the safest airport in the country as it cannot be effected by a blackout. Don’t you wish we in South Africa were following this lead?

The Americans knew that calling homeowners to action was a solution to the national power shortage crisis. If homeowners installed solar or wind technology in their homes it would make a massive difference to America’s energy security. The government made each private installation 100% tax deductible for the homeowner. In other words Uncle Sam is actually paying for American homeowners to go green.

We nay sayers here in South Africa say that solar won’t really help. That even with a 40% increase in the cost of electricity it would take 20 years to pay back a solar installation. What most completely overlook is that when you sell your house, a solar installation makes your house more desirable to potential buyers. Second, you will get a 200 to 500% increase over the total cost of installing the solar system into your home when you sell your house. Remember in 2010 the price of electricity will have increased 100% over the June 2009 prices. Can you afford to sit back any longer?

The Mexican government looked at even more creative ways to push their green agenda. The President created an eco-boutique hotel concept on the northeast coast of Mexico. Tulum overlooks Cuba. There are 85 small hotels, each hotel can only have between 100 and 500 meters of ocean view and can only build 20 guest rooms. All materials for construction had to come from sustainable sources in the region, every hotel had to generate its own green power – all from wind and solar. They had to sign an agreement that they would not draw from the power grid. Most recycle seawater for showers and toilets. Tulum, focussing on its green agenda, has created a million new jobs in a region that traditionally had no employment opportunities. The concept has been so successful that a second green eco-boutique hotel village has been announced just south of Tulum.

Why can’t we South Africans learn from these incredible projects? Can you imaging creating a million new jobs in the Eastern Cape by creating Africa’s first eco-boutique hotel concept?

We have the best game parks in the world. Examples of what an eco park should be. Then look at the accommodation, the bush camps and hotels, a green nightmare! Why can’t we turn every hotel and bush camp into a green-zone? Making every camp an eco-hotel. We would create jobs and surely could charge a little extra because the experience of visiting our pristine game parks would now have integrity.

What I learned in Tulum, was that wind power was the most effective. Try and find any local company that can offer wind technology. Chicago recently hosted a Wind Energy Exhibition, and 780 companies exhibited. In South Africa the experts have deemed wind technology as a non-starter. They say only the Western Cape has wind and then it’s the wrong kind of wind. Quintessential South African logic.

I grew up in Johannesburg and remember seeing windmills everywhere - in every part of this wonderful country. Wind powered energy drew water from the ground at a measured flow and back then those farms looked fantastic. Today we put down huge generators that spill pollution from diesel or petrol into the air. We pump out as much of the water possible and then spray it in the air – 80% evaporates before it brings life to the genetically modified plants or crops smothered in chemically based fertilisers.

Wind power in those days was a heavy iron clad windmill. Today it’s a fraction of the size and works miracles. Farmers in Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming have turned to wind power. They install windmills along the borders of their farm. The income from selling the power into the grid pays all their expenses for their farming operations. Everything they grow is 100% profit. Colorado is 6,000 feet above sea level and has the exact same climatic conditions as we do in the highveld.

Its time we got over ourselves and embraced the green agenda. Lets not talk and debate about why we cannot do these things. But lets be humble and without reservation copy all those eco models that do work. A green agenda means embracing new technologies and creating hundreds of thousands of new well paying jobs. I know South Africa can do it.

This post by David Wolstenholme - Exhibition Director of the Green Home Exhibition and Natural & Organic Products Exhibition (19-21 February 2010 at the CTICC in Cape Town)