Good Afternoon !
Governor Calvo’s weekly address is about the importance and potential benefits of renewable energy use on Guam.
VIDEO: You can access the video by clicking HERE. See this and other videos on the Governor’s YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/
TEXT: The text of the address follows.
Gifts from above
By Eddie Baza Calvo
Hafa adai, my fellow Guamanians...
I cringe whenever I see the price of gas. I can't remember the last time I saw gas under four dollars. Then I got to thinking about the price of everything. Food is just too expensive. The price of utilities sways based on the price of a barrel of oil. We never thought that a barrel would cost over $40. Most people are working two - sometimes three - jobs to pay the rent and utilities, and buy food for their families.
It's this same thinking that has kept us staggered from changing the way we look at things - how we operate things. Guam has only taken baby steps in promoting and using what the Good Lord gave us to help cushion the blow to our pocketbooks. Solar power, wind power, conservation efforts - they all go hand in hand when talking about the future of our island. It's about looking at alternatives and realizing the potential benefits.
In April, there was a conference dedicated solely to the sustainability of Guam. The Island Sustainability Conference brought together innovative minds to discuss new ideas, enhance services for the people of Guam, and break the mold in changing the way we look at things. Where are we going to be in five years? Where are we going to be in ten years?
In last week's issue of the PROA Newsletter, we explored the possibility of going from monthly power bills that keep going up to paying nothing for power at all. We also provided useful information on how you can save money in gas for your car, and ways to cut grocery costs. All of these growing expenses are tied to the cost of fossil fuels; and for a small island like Guam in the middle of the Pacific, we can either remain oppressed by the rising cost of fuel, or we can free ourselves by using renewable gifts from above.
Our ancestors taught us many great values, including respect and the strength of family. They also taught us how important it is to adapt. With a true commitment to solutions that are in the best interests of your pocketbook and our environment, we can certainly adapt in ways that are sustainable, affordable, and ahead of the rest of the world. After all, we've been blessed by God with the solutions we need to adapt. It's time we take the gifts He's given us, and use them to help the people of Guam.