THE energy issue has become an enormous challenge for our globe because of unsustainable energy use and overwhelming reliance on fossil fuels, the emissions from which cause a significant environmental problem known as climate change. Increasing the efficiency of the energy process and conserving energy becomes necessary in the production and consumption of electricity if we are to move towards the de-carbonisation and diversification of our fuel use. With the cost of diesel and other fossil fuels increasing, our country has embarked on a transition to use renewable sources of energy for our energetic sector.

As an educator at the University of Fiji, physics division, I was elated with the opportunity to travel to Moscow for a fellowship on the “Efficient Use of Energy Resources”. The fellowship which lasted for a month (October 5-30) was sponsored by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) and ISEDC (International Centre for Sustainable Energy Development).

The first thing that hits on you, when you land on Russian soil, is that you are in a country with such a rich cultural history and that in itself was a great feeling. Our group with a total of 19 fellows from 13 different countries were whished through expert presentations, field trips and formal lectures in different parts of a city adorned with beautiful theatres and streets fit for a scene out of a fairytale.

The structure of the fellowship program began with formal lectures at the Ecological Department of Peoples Friendship University of Russia which took us through the energy situation in many parts of the world pointing out the diversity of issues that exist. Discussions during classes promoted the understanding of the differences in energy situation that existed in each of the countries represented by the fellows.

Russians find it cheaper to use oil and gas to heat their homes and run their factories since it has one of the biggest reserve of these fuels. The Russian government views development of renewable sources of energy as a costly diversion.

A completely different picture appears when we bring Fiji’s energy situation in light with our high dependency on imported fuels being bought at high prices. This creates urgency in our country to develop alternative sources of energy to combat the rising price of fossil fuels.

If I widen the scope of comparison and bring in another country, Ecuador, a country on the South America’s west coast, a unique situation arises. An oil producing and exporting country with more 50 per cent of its export earnings due to oil, Ecuador still imports fuel because of its lack of in-country fuel refining and management issues which results in a high import bill. Different countries had different energy situation. Each country faced a unique energy challenge which was dependent on its energy needs and economic structures.

The problems were different, the ideas were different but the concern was the same – which path should we take into the energy future? It is usually a struggle to comprehend energy on a global scale when one does not have a solid frame of reference to understand it.

We, however, were provided with a unique opportunity to overcome this hurdle as the discussions during classes provided a medium for exchanging experiences and examples by comparing our country’s situation. We all knew about the energy situation back home and discussing this with others enabled us to understand the problems that occur in other countries. I was with an enthusiastic bunch of people, who talked about these issues during class, during lunch, during breaks and every other minute in between.

Field trips were organised to different institutes during the third and fourth week. Donning on our jackets and beanies we braved the cold and visited many interesting educational institutes such as the Moscow State University, Joint institute for higher temperatures and the Institute for electrification of agriculture.

During the last week we attended REENCON (Renewable Energy XXI century: energy and economic efficiency), an international congress that allowed for the sharing of experience and achievements in the field of renewable energy by delegates from all over the world. Major organisations such as IRENA (The international Renewable Energy Agency) and IFC (International Finance Corporation) were in attendance at this event which was held at the World Trade Centre in Moscow. The different organisations and countries uniformly identified the great energy challenge as ensuring that our energy demands are met in a sustainable manner which causes minimal impact on our environment and on our natural resources.

From what we know about our current energy situation, it is quite clear that the best way to achieve our energy targets is to place stronger emphasis on developing and implementing more efficient energy systems and to increase the use of alternative energy sources such as renewables. We are in a positive phase currently with the renewable energy industry gaining quite a lot of momentum over the last few years, as more countries are slowly but steadily coming to realise that their infrastructural components are highly vulnerable due to its reliance on non-renewables. Given sufficient policy and support mechanisms, renewable sources can become the dominant sources of energy in the near future with huge benefits for the environment.

October was one of the greatest educational experiences of my life. Energy was on everyone’s mind and I came across some of the most passionate environmentalist who advocated on ensuring that our energy needs are met sustainably. The city was welcoming, the people were helpful, the food was good and the weather was manageable (after piling on tons of warm clothes).

Set up in a city with its beautiful modern and historical buildings, this fellowship proved to be a very unique opportunity for me to experience the social and academic life in Russia. The traditional churches and castles with specks of modern building created a very distinctive atmosphere and learning in a city with such a long and rich history was an experience I would always remember.

* Drishna Charan is a physics lecturer at the University of Fiji. The views expressed are hers and not of this newspaper.