Many locations throughout Guyana are reporting severe flooding due to unusually heavy rains. Coastal villages including areas that dont normally experience much flooding such as Diamond/Grove have been inundated this year. Unusually high water levels in the Demerara River has caused flooding in villages along the East Bank and in the upper parts of the river including in Rockstone.

Heavy rains have also washed out parts of the road and bridges on the Georgetown - Lethem road, which is am important road for people living and working in the interior and travelling to Brazil.

The official rainy season is May to June, but into the second week of July the rainy season remains relentless.

The news has finally been released that the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund has been set up and the first USD 30 million,  has been given by Norway with The World Bank invited to act as the fund manager.

See link to article here: http://www.stabroeknews.com/2010/stories/07/14/forest-protection-fund-to-be-set-up-by-month-end-norway-to-deliver-first-tranche.

This development came through amid growing concern of corruption in the rapidly expanding carbon credit market.

Everyone will be waiting and watching to see how Guyana manages these funds and how efficiently and transparently they can be utilized in the Low Carbon Development Scheme that is tied to the funding scheme.

We were probably lucky, but our most recent visit to the chem lab produced a very good first dye sensitized solar cell, based on Michael Grätzel's cell layout.

This is the beauty in full pseudo equatorial sunlight (6° 46′ 0″ N, 58° 10′ 0″ W):



As you can see, on this photo it made a peak 542mV, but we found it performing up to 570mV in direct sun at times.

Some more technical information about the cell:
1. Dye size:
    approximatly 20 square cm (4.8cm  x 4.0cm)
2. Transparent Conducting Glass Layer:
    Antimony doped Tinoxide with 4-5 Ohm square resistance
3. Dye used:
    Eosin Yellowish
4. Electrolyte used:
    Lugol Solution, volatile
5. Efficiency:
    Approximatly 1.2 % in direct sunlight
6. Durability:
    30 hours at 90 to 100%, then rapidly degrading

We have not checked the reasons for the rapid degradation of the cell. It is likely to have been the electrolyte, because the cell was not sealed, but it can also be the Eosin (or both).

We hope to be able to conduct more research in this cell since there is potential for better and more durable dyes and the use of non volatile electrolytes.

Our primary goal is to make it available to hinterland communities that have no electricity and to make life more secure (e.g. via street or pathway lights) and residential supplies.

We want to setup a functional street light with a Grätzel DSSC Cell in the Amerindian Hinterland of Guyana within the next months to come.

For all our friends and supporters, we ask you to donate to this project and thanks to those who already did.

The Barakara Falls is a picturesque location popular with visitors, both local and foreign, that traverse the  Mazaruni and Essequibo Rivers and nearby locations. It is often the recommended site for people wanting to visit a waterfall while in the vicinity of the Essequibo River or Bartica. 

Recently public concern had risen over the plans of a local contractor BK International to target the falls and its immediate environs for rock quarrying. The company cited growing demands for crushed stone and as such the Falls is a necessary casualty to satisfy the current appetite for stone. Apart from obliterating a location that many local people love to visit, the activity also threatens the livelihoods of local tour operators. This is threat that has touched a nerve in many Guyanese and is a sad reality in resource exploitation.

Update

On May 11th, it was announced that BK International has been ordered to cease their operations at the Barakara Site and restore the area. After a national outcry at the fate of the falls the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission has issued a cease order after visiting the site along with representatives of the Environmental Protection Agency. An EIA conducted in 2005 had noted the importance of protecting the falls and its watershed and the company was supposed to refrain from operating at the site.

A great relief that Barakara Falls will continue to grace the area, hopefully for many years to come.

On Earth Day, 22nd of April 2010, the winners of the Champions of the Earth were announced. Among them was Guyana's President Jagdeo who was recognised as a powerful advocate of the need to conserve and more intelligently manage the planet's natural and nature-based assets. Jagdeo was believed to have recognized more than most the multiple Green Economy benefits of forests in terms of combating climate change, but also in terms of development; employment; improved water supplies and the conservation of biodiversity. The key behind this recognition is the Low Carbon Development Strategy which was launched and promoted by President Jagdeo and his government.

For Guyanese there were several reactions to this award including pride for being recogized on the international stage for something positive.

While happy to be associated with this prestigious award, many now watch and wait to see if this award will influence the way that things are done in Guyana.

While there is enough discussion about solid waste accumulating in the city and villages, and there are other significant pollution issues in Guyana that need more attention. Two years ago the Blacksmith Institute in collaboration with Green Cross compiled a list of the world's top 10 Worst Polluters.  Some of these are very relevant to Guyana. 

The unranked list includes Ground Water Contamination ; Industrial Mining Activities; Metals Smelters and Processing; Radio Active Waste  and Uranium Mines; Untreated Sewage; Urban Air Quality; Used Lead Acid Battery Recycling; Contaminated Surface Water; Indoor Air Pollution; and Artisanal Gold Mining.( www.worstpolluted.org)

There are quite a few notable ones that apply to Guyana, especially industrial mining activities and artisanal gold mining, which are already known and discussed many times. However there are lesser known ones that may also be significant threats to people and the environment, these include indoor pollution, used lead acid battery ‘car battery' recycling, untreated sewerage and contaminated surface water.

Indoor pollution is not something that is often thought of as a Guyanese problem, but it is a major issue around the world including developing countries. Many Guyanese still use fuel such as kerosene, charcoal and wood for cooking, and people have even started to run generators inside their houses, which are also potentially deadly. The burning of commonly used fuels can emit toxic fumes and particulates, particularly if care is not taken to ensure that the room is well ventilated and devices such as stoves and lamps are properly maintained. Indoor pollution is blamed for several health effects including various respiratory problems and lung cancer.

The dismantling of old car batteries and recycling of the lead is another potential cause for concern. This activity is particularly dangerous if conducted in proximity to homes, schools, offices and other places where people congregate. Lead particulates derived from discarded battery cases and dumped acid, coupled with ash and vapour from the handling and melting of lead plates is released into the environment.  The particulates can become wind borne and inhaled, and can also leach into water bodies including our water supply. However it is children and unborn babies that are most at risk from lead exposure and can suffer from serious neurological problems and birth defects.

Another source of pollution not included in the list, but is common in Guyana and in other lesser developed countries, is the burning of garbage heaps, particularly in rural areas and villages. Garbage heaps often contain all manner of waste items, including various types of plastics, batteries, electronic waste and old containers of chemicals including paint and pesticides. As such, when burned, these heaps can release a dangerous cocktail of toxins. The burning of certain plastics alone can release dioxins, which remain in the body and can build up after instances of exposure.  Continuous exposure can result in adverse health effects such as cancer.

Unfortunately many communities have little choice but to burn waste in order to get rid of it. More certainly needs to be done to investigate the depth of these issues, raise awareness and regularise these activities.

Earth Hour is observed on the last Saturday in March,each year. The event is organised by WWF where households and businesses are urged to turn off their lights for one hour, as part of a worldwide awareness drive against climate change.

The impact of this is clear in industrialized countries with the Tower of London and the Empire State Building usually gloriously lit each night, stand in darkness for one hour. Indeed the impact is even more startling when huge swathes of large cities lay dark for the designated time. 

In countries like Guyana the Earth hour is not so clear, since many Guyanese appear to be 'observing Earth Hour' once a month, sometimes several times a week, with the inevitable but sporadic blackouts that are often experienced.

Still it would be greatly appreciated if Guyanese would observe this period, as everyone has a role to play in resource consesrvation.

We managed to create the first fully local built DS Solar Cell in the chem lab this week. Our road map on this project has a functional, ready assembled Solar Cell, which can be used as a source of energy as the next milestone achievement.

Once this has been achieved, there is research on local dyes that give longer lifetime and a better conversion ratio and more durable electrolytes on our road map of this project.

I have a small photo here, from our first functional (laboratory) solar cell.

We are proud to be able to announce our first achievement on the roadmap to a completely local produced solar cell in Guyana. Our RND Team with the help of the School of the Nations Chemistry Lab has produced the first Transparent Conducting Layer (TCL/TCO) Glass plates, which will be used in the next step to receive further coating with Titanium Dioxide and lead the electrons which are delocated by sun waves.

Here you can see the good square conductivity on a 5x7 cm plate, square resistance of 4 ohms on point probe, with a 0.5ml of tinoxide applied to its surface.

 

We will announce further progress on this project on this page.

It is interesting to note such good will shown by the Guyanese public of late, recently highlighted in two Kaieteur News articles.

A 14 foot Anaconda that was found in Georgetown was not instantly killed, skinned and meat tipped into the pot as per usual, but the young man that found it said he wanted to sell it alive (hopefully to a certified wildlife trader)... and a green turtle found lost after laying its eggs was kindly escorted back to sea without ending up in the curry. Good job folks!!