The need for new energy policies. Make no mistakes about this: the price of oil is the single most important factor affecting the world economy as well as national economies. All countries of the world, specially developing countries and, even more so, isolated island states like Maldives, Seychelles, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Cuba, Dominica, Haiti, Mauritius need new energy policies, based on renewable energy sources.

What are these? Solar energy, hydro-electricity, wind and wave power, bio-fuels. Of that I am quite certain, efficient renewable energy systems will prevail sooner rather than later! Will Mauritius be a driver in that seat or a beggar for crumbs? As an example of what not to do is the recent ?Sugar Industry Efficiency Bill? voted by the Parliament of one of these island-states mentioned above, where the production of ethanol was specifically left out of the reform package. Talk of elected representatives doing their very worst for their constituents!

The sun rises anew every morning; thus any technology using solar energy has an energy supply that can literally last forever. Bio-fuels such as alcohol produced from sugar and electricity produced from bagasse, while not unlimited, can give a country a measure of independence vis-à-vis oil importation.

<B>Strong poison</B>

Alcohol as a fuel. Alcohols are a class of organic chemicals made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen (C,H,O). Methanol (methyl alcohol or wood alcohol) is a strong poison. It can be used as fuel but it is expensive. Ethanol (ethyl alcohol or common alcohol) is made by fermentation of any plant part, vegetable or fruit, that contains starch or sugar. Most commonly made from cane sugar (directly from pure sugar or from sugar present in molasses), from wheat, barley, rice, coconut, maize, potatoes etc., Ethanol is the alcohol in wine, beer, rum and other spirits.

Alcohol as a fuel for motor vehicles can be delivered, in practice under one of two forms: Anhydrous Alcohol or water-free alcohol (over 99% pure) which is added in a given percentage to petrol to produce GASOHOL.

Aqueous Alcohol or AQUAHOL (containing about 80% alcohol), is cheaper to produce and can be used directly in motor vehicles. Engines need modification of the air/fuel ratio to run on ?pure? alcohol. Starting such engines on a very cold day does pose problems, but has not prevented its widespread use in tropical and temperate Brazil, in India, increasingly (but way not enough!) in the USA and soon (but only in insignificant quantities) in Mauritius.

Alcohol burns smoothly and is a clean fuel.

The actual production of alcohol, for use as a fuel has in the past depended on 3 volatile factors, namely the respective prices of crude oil, of sugar and of maize.

It was more advantageous for sugar-producing countries to sell their cane sugar as such (specially at a guaranteed price) than to convert it into alcohol since petrol as a fuel was abundant and cheap. Today that petrol is neither abundant nor cheap, the equation has been permanently redefined.

What you can do? Simply demand and keep demanding that all measures be taken (as major actions not token projects) to ensure the energy self-sufficiency of these islands in the difficult years to come.

<B>Michael ATCHIA</B>