Le développement durable: ce n’est ni un panneau solaire ni une éolienne ! C’est avant tout une femme épanouie et bien instruite !

An English message follows…

En générant de l’énergie nécessaire pour faire pomper de l’eau, le panneau solaire, l’éolienne ou toute autre source d’énergie renouvelable épargnent à la femme de se rendre à la source d’eau avec sa jarre, gagner du temps et d’efforts et avoir beaucoup plus de temps pour s’instruire et instruire les générations futures… à la lumière de l’électricité assurée par le panneau photovoltaïque. Le panneau solaire et l’éolienne ne sont donc que des moyens facilitant une convergence plus rapide vers le développement durable! Ce n’est qu’un exemple montrant que le maillon central dans la chaine, c’est la femme!

Parmi ces femmes, une grande figure Tunisienne, Mme Alia BABBOU ou Saida Alia, dont voici un extrait de son biographie Itinéraire (p.330), spécialement sélectionné par KEN :

« La petite Tunisie a été le creuset dans lequel se sont fondues tant de civilisations, tant de religions et de croyances. Les envahisseurs de tous bords traversent le Maroc sans y laisser grand-chose. La Libye est un désert décourageant. Mais la Tunisie, Tounès El Khadra, ou pour reprendre l’ancien nom, Ifriqiya, a toujours été un pays de cocagne : son relief accueillant, ses forêts denses, ses rivages enchanteurs, ses habitants très ouverts, cultives, son histoire à péripéties, son rayonnement à travers les âges sur les deux rives du bassin méditerranéen, sa diversité qui va d’un nord presque européen à un sud ou s’égrènent comme les perles d’un collier dont on a coupe le fil, des oasis aux sources étincelantes et aux eaux pures et souvent curatives. »

Au fil de la lecture d’Itinéraire, on découvre la richesse inouïe d’un pays, petit par son territoire, parfois géant par ses hommes…et ses femmes.

Ah ! Et une chose encore ! C’est à une femme, Mme Brundtland, que l’on doit la première définition du développement durable: Il s’agit d’un développement «qui répond aux besoins du présent sans compromettre la capacité des générations futures de satisfaire les leurs». Ce concept s’est fait connaître lors du Sommet de la Terre de Rio, organisé par l’ONU en 1992.

Liens Utiles: 1. Femmes et développement durable , 2. Alia Babbou

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While generating necessary energy to pump water, the wind mill or any other source of renewable energy spare women both time and efforts to go to the source of water with their jars and thus to have much more time to learn and educate the future generations… in the light of the electricity ensured by the photovoltaic panel. The solar panel and the wind mill are thus only means facilitating a faster convergence towards sustainable development! It is only one example showing that women are the ones at the heart of the development process!

Among these women, a famous Tunisian figure, the late Mrs. Alia BABBOU or Saida ALIA, of which here is an extract of its biography “Itinéraire” (p.330), specially selected by KEN:

“That tiny Tunisia was the crucible in which were based so many civilizations, so many religions and beliefs. The invaders of all edges cross Morocco without leaving much there. Libya is a discouraging desert. But Tunisia, Tounès El Khadra, or to take again the old name, Ifriqiya, was always a land of plenty: its accessible relief, its dense forests, its breath-taking shores, its very open and educated inhabitants, its history with adventures, its radiation through the ages on the two banks of the Mediterranean basin, its diversity which goes from an almost European north to a south shelled like the pearls of a collar, of the oases to the shining sources of pure and often curative waters “

Through “Itinéraire”, one discovers the amazing diversity of a country, small by its territory, sometimes giant by its men… and its women.

Ah! And one more thing! It is thanks to a woman, Mrs. Brundtland, that one owes the first definition of sustainable development: It is about a development “which meets the needs for the present without compromising the capacity of the future generations to satisfy theirs”. This concept was made known at the time of the Summit of the Earth of Rio, organized by the UN in 1992.

Useful Links: 1. Women & Sustainable Development , 2. Alia Babbou

Electricity based projects.

It is clear that nowadays one of the major environmental problems that we’re facing is an energy related problem. Indeed, Article 2 of the Kyoto protocol emphasizes:

• the importance of energy efficiency (Article 2/ 1-a-i),
• development and promotion of new renewable forms of energy (Article 2/ 1-a-iv).

Tunisia is collaborating with Annex I countries (mainly developed countries) in different energy related fields. One of these fields is the Technology collaboration for appliances. A practical application is to upgrade refrigerator manufacturing plants. Notice that there are twelve plants manufacturing refrigerators in Tunisia. Most of them are simply assembling kits delivered by foreign countries’ manufacturers while others produce original appliances with their own design using diverse components available on the world market. Knowing that Tunisia has a population of 9.8 million people with a 1.1% annual population growth rate, we should expect an increase in energy consumption. Indeed, Tunisia had 6.8% annual growth in electricity demand since 1980, of which 25% was consumed in the residential sector. Refrigerators consume as much as 40% of the latter. This consumption could quadruple by 2030. Tunisia’s recent improvement in energy efficiency of its cold appliances market has benefited consumers and enhanced the industry’s competitiveness. This is still an on going process. Indeed, Tunisia has an agreement for free trade with Europe coming into force in 2008. This process will probably initiate major changes in the sector.

Having said that, the second collaboration field is related to renewable energies. In its 10th Plan (2003-2007), Tunisia has focused on the development of On-grid Wind Electricity as a renewable source of energy. The ANER is in charge to execute the project. The objective of the Full Project is to target both large-scale on-grid production of wind energy and small-scale off-grid production units in remote rural settings. Tunisia has also announced the future installation of an additional 200MW on-grid wind power plant within its 11th plan (2008-2011), thus adopting a long-term program approach in order to maximize private sector participation on a self-sustaining commercial basis. The benefits of the above capacity increases could be substantial to the country, stimulating to the wind power industry and the global environment, but only if accompanied with targeted foreign direct investments (FDI) to drive-in the expected private sector capital and technical “know-how”.

Renewable energy in Tunisia / Énergies renouvlables en Tunisie.

Un post en français suit / a French Post will follow

This is a follow-up to the two previous posts. Two years ago I read the “ecology of commerce” and saw “the corporation”… It was quiet a shock! If we don’t consume in a sustainable way and promote sustainable business practices, sooner or later we’ll pay the cost. Indeed, the gap between the natural world and our commercial lives has become too wide. Business believes that if it doesn’t continue to grow, it will destroy itself while ecologists believe that if business continues its endless expansion it will destroy the world around it. This will lead to the tragedy of the common.
Business faces three main issues: what it takes (harmful utilization of natural resources), what it makes (excessive amounts of pollutants it produces/ excessive energy it consumes), and what it wastes (extraordinary wastes it leaves behind). Potential solutions could be energy efficiency, renewable energies, and recycling.

Tunisia invested in both recycling and renewable energy. Currently, the energy sector accounts for approximately 5 % of the GDP of the country and less than 7 % of the total national exports. The Tunisian authorities have engaged in an energy policy that is compatible with sustainable development. This gave rise to the following sustainable energy strategy:
- Enhancing awareness raising and information;
- Setting out the appropriate legal framework to encourage the private sector to invest in the field of energy efficiency;
- Involving the public sector in making profitable use of the energy efficiency potential;
- Mobilizing the financial resources necessary to the development of the sector;
- Building local capacities and providing support to research and development programs.

Above all, consumers need to adhere to these initiatives at different levels. As mentioned in previous posts, it is a social problem. Education is a first step, taking action and implementing such actions is the second and most important step! I do believe that micro-strategies (at the consumer level) are very effective and efficient! As mentioned by Rym in the previous post, ecotourism is an interesting and sustainable solution! Sustainable transportation is another one! You’re welcome to send us eco-suggestions that you believe might help our country reach a new ecological standard!

Ceci est un suivi au deux précédents posts. Il y a deux ans de cela, j’ai lu “the ecology of commerce” et vu “la corporation”… c’était un choc! Si nous ne consommons pas d’une façon durable et si nous n’essayons pas de promouvoir des pratiques soutenables au sein de nos entreprises, tôt ou tard nous allons payer le prix fort. En effet, le gap entre la Nature et l’Entreprise ne fait que s’agrandir. Les compagnies pensent que la croissance est le mot d’ordre alors que les écologistes prônent le contraire. Cela donnera lieu à la tragédie des communs.

Les compagnies font faces à trois problématiques: ce qu’elles consomment (surexploitation des ressources naturelles), ce qu’elles produisent (émissions de gaz à effet de serre et donc pollution), et ce qu’elles gaspillent en déchets (tous types de déchets). Il y a deux solutions potentielles à ces problèmes : efficacité énergétique, énergies renouvelables et recyclage.

Le secteur énergétique tunisien représente environ 5% du PIB et moins de 7% des exportations. Les autorités tunisiennes se sont engagées dans une politique énergétique compatible avec le développement durable. En effet, ceux-ci sont les axes majeurs de cette stratégie énergétique durable:
- Accroitre la prise de conscience,
- Mettre en place le cadre légal approprié pour encourager le secteur privé à investir dans l’efficacité énergétique,
- Encourager le secteur public à utiliser les sources d’énergies efficaces,
- Mobiliser les ressources financières nécessaires au développement du secteur énergétique,
- Développer les capacités locales et soutenir la recherche et le développement.

Ceci étant, les consommateurs doivent prendre des initiatives à différents niveaux. Comme mentionné dans les autres postes, ceci est problème social. Éduqué est la première étape, passer à l’action en est la deuxième. Je crois fermement que les micro-stratégies sont effectives et efficientes! Rym a mentionné l’éco-tourisme qui est une solution non seulement intéressante mais aussi durable; le transport durable en est une autre. Nous vous invitons à nous envoyer des éco-suggestions qui pourraient aider notre pays à avoir de nouveaux standards écologiques.