Welcome to Let's build a better Jamaica
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day;
teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.
Objectives
The creation of a renewable energy industry that is owned and managed by the people.
It could easily be funded if the government was prudent: replace the indefinite payment of electricity bills with fixed term loan repayments.
The annual electricity bill: around US$150m.
An IMF US$1 billion loan: 20 annual repayments of US$52.5m.
So just by borrowing around US$100m could be saved every year. It makes sense to get a loan. It is negligent not to.
COVID-19 is decimating the Jamaican economy and has left most children without education. This initiative would liberate tens of millions of US$ annually to improve education and eliminate school fees.
- Solar powered schools with the possibility to sell electricity to earn revenue
- Solar powered streetlights nationwide
- Solar powered state infrastructure - police stations, hospitals, markets etc
- Waste-to-energy with proper functioning solid waste management
- Small wind and solar facilities in rural areas
- Electric school buses for safe and free travel
- Solar powered workspaces and workshops to reduce importation of goods that can be manufactured here such as khaki uniforms and tourist memorabilia
- Sustainable job creation
There would be significant impacts on the Sustainable Development Goals, the environment and crime.
And it would not cost the taxpayer an extra tax dollar. The COVID-19 pandemic has made it paramount importance that governments use the people's money wisely.
Boot them out!
Profligacy: Our finance minister billed the people for over US$65,000...
This section highlights why the Jamaican people need to rid themselves of the self serving parliamentarians who run the country to maintain poverty, crime and hopelessness. Jamaica receives copious amounts of solar radiation and wind, has no waste-to-energy but is transitioning from oil to LNG at great expense. How come? Because of falsehoods and corruption. Their energy policy is destroying Jamaica.
In China: Panda Green Energy recently connected a US$52 million 50 MW solar array to their grid.
Fuel is by far the greatest contributor to the cost of electricity, around 75% of the bill.
- Cost of fuel: $0
Only 3% of our electricity is generated from solar power.
In Jamaica: US$330 million LNG 190 MW power plant has been constructed.
Fuel is by far the greatest contributor to the cost of electricity, around 75% of the bill.
- Cost of fuel: in 2017 we spent US$4.75 billion
Question: why is the government uninterested in pandas?
Corruption! Over 30 years and no jail time
A country where corruption is seen as the norm; the PM cannot explain his wealth but this is acceptable.
Corruption! Only in Jamaica could 600,000 barrels of oil disappear
600,000 barrels of oil has disappeared into the ether and no one has been held accountable. Yes, unrefined oil valued over $43 million, gone like a fart in the wind.
Montego Bay
Photo gallery
Real and tourist Montego Bay.
A few lines for the diaspora and those who love Jamaica. Well it was a few lines when I started but it grew. And grew.....
About Us
My name is John Lennon and I am a British expatriate living in Montego Bay. I am very passionate about the environment and it's inextricable link to education. I want to build the first waste-to-energy plant, sell power to the grid and use the profits for education. I sold my home in London to fund a solar facility at a school but incredi
My name is John Lennon and I am a British expatriate living in Montego Bay. I am very passionate about the environment and it's inextricable link to education. I want to build the first waste-to-energy plant, sell power to the grid and use the profits for education. I sold my home in London to fund a solar facility at a school but incredibly that project failed to get off the ground (see the About Us section). But that is Jamaica for you. So undeterred......
I was born in the UK during Beatlemania and when the nurse saw Lennon on my name tag she postfixed John. Whilst it is a good ice breaker, the problem is that most people remember my name whilst I cannot return the favour. I have met a Paul McCartney, spoken to a Mark Chapman and believe it or not I checked into a hotel at the same time as another John Lennon.
Anyway, I spent my teenage years here before returning to the UK. Jamaica was very different back then. Some things have improved: today it is much easier to get around the island and shops are always well stocked. However, crime is certainly worse today and I think the same can be said for poverty. On our current course, I am not optimistic about the future.
I think we can start to address these issues if we create a transparent renewable energy industry. Please continue to read to see how this can be achieved.