Embassy of the United States

Letters and Speeches

Remarks by Ambassador Robert Blake at the Earth Day 2007 Celebrations

I am pleased to be with you today to mark Earth Day.  I must say I am very impressed with the displays put together by the private sector and NGOs, and the presentation made by the students –which demonstrate your keen interest in clean energy, environmental issues, and global warming.

Earth Day offers a unique opportunity to join hands with those who care about environmental protection around the world and are working for a sustainable future for all of us.

The US government supports actions to protect our environment by encouraging conservation, innovation, and new technologies. Here in Sri Lanka the U.S. Agency for International Development has funded environmental programs in Sri Lanka to reduce growth in greenhouse gas emissions while promoting energy efficiency, forest conservation, biodiversity, and other development goals.  USAID has supported initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions including promotion of large scale wind power development in Sri Lanka and incorporating the environmentally advanced concept of “green building” certification in two of the nine vocational schools to be constructed under the Tsunami Reconstruction Program. 

But there is much more that can be done.  Take electricity.  Electricity costs in Sri Lanka are higher than in many parts of the world.  Moreover you derive 45 percent of your electricity from oil and other thermal sources which release carbon dioxide and other pollutants into the atmosphere.  By reducing electricity consumption, Sri Lanka could save on energy imports, reduce air pollution and reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. 

One sector that offers a large potential to save electricity is in the energy used by buildings.  Sri Lanka energy statistics indicate that the total consumption of electricity by the commercial sector including buildings accounts for one fifth of the total electricity consumption in the country. Buildings account for a large percentage of electricity consumed. As the environmental impact of buildings becomes more apparent, the ‘green building’ concept is gaining momentum. USAID India initiatives created an emerging “green” building industry in India. Energy efficient and environmentally sound building practices were facilitated by the creation of the Green Business Center in India with technical assistance of USAID – which earned India the first LEED Platinum (highest “green” score) award.  Many Indian buildings are now on the fast track to achieve “green” recognition.

Even within our embassy here in Colombo we have been working to improve energy efficiency by switching over to more efficient lighting – like Compact Fluorescent Lights known as “CFLs.”  We have thereby saved on electricity use for lighting by 60% - which also means that we have saved on our electricity bills – which is also a good bonus!

Another challenge for us all is global warming.  Earlier this month, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change known as the IPCC, the leading body of experts in climate change, released their fourth assessment report suggesting a way forward that was accepted by the 180 member governments including the United States. The report states that greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming have increased by 70 percent from 1970 to 2004, and the main culprit is the energy supply sector that includes transport, industry and land use changes.

The U.S. Department of Energy forecast indicates that global emissions of CO2 are predicted to increase from 25 billion metric tons in 2003 to 43-44 billion metric tons in 2030, based primarily on changes in energy supply and demand.

This week, President George Bush announced stronger climate change strategies that commit the US to an ambitious plan to reduce domestic greenhouse gas emissions relative to the size of the American economy. This will be achieved by striving to cut down emissions per unit of economic activity, that is greenhouse gas intensity, by 18% over the next 10 years. The US will also continue to support international research, invest in science and technology, and join hands with the international community to develop an efficient and coordinated response to global climate change.

In his “Twenty Ten” plan, the US President has also directed relevant agencies to take the necessary steps to cut gasoline consumption and greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles by 20 percent over the next 10 years.  In the US, some states have on their initiative gone further than the federal government in proactively curbing greenhouse gas emissions within the States – California and Oregon have been in the forefront.  

In the end, it is up to each country to decide what path to take.  This responsibility falls on all sectors and citizens and requires a combination of supportive policies, technologies, and most importantly attitude and lifestyle changes. The end result is that if it benefits the environment and the climate it will also benefit us - as it means healthier air to breathe, cleaner water to drink and a climate that is more livable.  So it is in our best interest to work towards this – locally and globally.

Now is the time for us to examine what we as individual citizens can to do reduce global warming. Each of us has a part to play in protecting our planet from global emissions. Did you know that if each electricity consumer replaced just one inefficient incandescent bulb with an energy efficient compact fluorescent light bulb, it would have a significant impact on emissions reduction?  And this is very easy to do!  The Sri Lankan market has an abundant supply of CFL bulbs at competitive rates.

According to a recent news article, energy experts estimate that India loses almost 12,000 megawatts of electricity to inefficient light bulbs. The same news source quoted that changing to a more efficient bulb can reduce India’s carbon dioxide emissions by four percent, and contribute to climate change as much as the entire CO2 emission of countries like Denmark and Pakistan. Similarly, Sri Lankan experts say that replacement of inefficient incandescent bulbs with CFL bulbs can reduce the use of about 160 megawatts of daily power demand of electricity. This amounts to about 5 percent of the power demand in Sri Lanka. According to a recent news article, energy experts estimate that India loses almost 12,000 megawatts of electricity to inefficient light bulbs.

At the end of this program, each of you will receive a CFL bulb to take with you.  We encourage you to use them in your homes, experience the difference and spread the good news to others.  Over the next few months, we hope that you and those you influence will gradually replace all the inefficient bulbs you use with energy efficient CFL bulbs.  In this way we would have started a little wave which would have a great impact on the desired end – reduction in global warming and a sustainable environment for all of us to live in.