I was outraged when I read the Department of Public Information (DPI) release that the “Gas-to-Energy project, when constructed and operationalised will significantly reduce the emission of harmful gases into the atmosphere, thereby improving Guyana’s status as a good environmental steward.” As a former Chemistry teacher of long standing I cannot remain silent in the face of such public disinformation by the DPI.
The release continues, “Records dating back to the state of the environment report in 2016 would have indicated that the electricity sector, the power generation sector is a primary consumer of fossil fuel and subsequently, is a great emitter. It contributes significantly to the emission of greenhouse gas, particularly carbon dioxide. So, a move toward natural gas will mean that those emissions, though there will still be greenhouse gas emissions, it will be reduced.” Ignoring the DPI’s obvious inability to edit the message, this clearly demonstrates that Senior Environmental Officers of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are not aware that natural gas from oil wells is also a fossil fuel that emits carbon dioxide when burnt, and that it will emit an equal amount of that gas as the other fossil fuels because an equal amount of CH bonds will have to be broken in any hydrocarbon fuel for the C and the H to react with oxygen. CXC students are supposed to know this. How come these EPA seniors with oversight of their Oil & Gas Department don’t? Can’t they consult their teachers or our university instead of the advisors employed by their bosses? Poor Guyana.
The only difference in emissions between the current fossil fuel and the natural gas will be from their compositions. Transparency Institute Guyana Incorporated, of which I am a member, has been told by Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Ltd (EEPGL) to ask the Government for the analysis of the oil and gas from the wells. We asked, but the oil and gas compositions have not been forthcoming, so we don’t know how much sulphur or other pollutants are associated therewith.
These are just examples of the sad fact that our incompetent leaders must employ people who are unable to discover their incompetence, and so rubber stamp public lies. Some students used to fear me because I declared that while I would do all I can to help them learn I would not be a party to certify them to menace society. The incompetence radiates from the top and it is about to saddle the country with a burden of considerable debt.
Yours faithfully,
Alfred Bhulai
