If only we could read more...

The government minister distributed certificates to 40 participants of a week-long training session on the installation of solar energy systems...

He conveyed his ministry’s determination…to benefit from solar and wind energy to the greatest extent possible.

The minister stressed that cooperation with the private sector should be coupled with a publicity campaign so that the ministry and the energy sector could both benefit from the private sector's capabilities in the collective effort to promote citizens' use of solar energy.

If you thought that the exerpt above was taken from the Toronto Star or the Sydney Morning Herald, you are wrong. It was extracted from an article published by the Daily Star earlier today titled Fneish Promotes Use of Solar Energy.

Quite surprizing istn't it? In the midst of bickering about "the resistance," the presidency and the Sheb'aa farms, here is the Minister of Energy and Water promoting solar and wind energy in Lebanon, and speaking of public-private partnerships and government-sponsored publicity campaigns.

Good stuff! I am genuinely impressed by the Minister, and by his initiative to promote solar and wind energy in Lebanon.

Now if only we could read more of such initiatives in Lebanon.

For example, a week ago, the Daily Star published an article about a new organization in Lebanon called Eco-Power, which is headed by an individual who goes by the name of Elias Aoun. According to the article, Aoun, has succeeded in convincing 90 restaurants to donate their used vegtable oil to his organization rather than throw it down their drains. He then converts this grease into bio-diesel (a much less poluting substitute of fossil-diesel) and sells his product to paying customers.

Lebanon subsidizes conventional diesel heavily. Fossil diesel also pollutes Lebanon's air, and leads to an increase in incidence of resporatory diseases especially among children. For those reasons (and many more), Mr. Fneish should encourage Eco-Power and the bio-diesel industry in general by offering them incentives and gradually eliminating the subsidies that go to conventional diesel with the intent of making bio-diesel more competitive in the market place.

This proposition is one that is win-win-win!

• The environment wins with biodiesel as do the children
• The government wins because it does not have to subsidize conventional diesel
• The economy wins because rather than import diesel, a bio-diesel industry is created
  

Yalla Mr. Fneish... support BIO-DIESEL! Support Eco-Power! Support Aoun! (Elias Aoun) :-)