Maldives goes green with Scottish help

19/03/2009

Glasgow scientist behind drive to turn idyllic islands carbon-neutral

A member of the Maldives government living in Scotland hopes his adopted country will get behind plans to make his homeland the world’s first carbon-neutral nation.

Ahmed Moosa, the science and technology envoy for the group of Indian Ocean islands, has lived in Glasgow since fleeing the country in 2003. In exile he helped engineer a successful campaign to oust a dictatorship and set up democratic elections late last year.

Now in power as science advisor to President Mohamed Nasheed, Moosa is leading an effort to save the Maldives from climate disaster. The announcement of plans to eliminate fossil fuel use in the country over the next decade comes only days after stark new warnings that the idyllic islands would be among the first places on earth to be engulfed by the rising seas.

Moosa told The Big Issue: “We want to be at the forefront of changing the way we all live. It’s not only the Maldives that’s going to have problems from everything getting warmer. So we hope other nations will support and follow us.”

The plan to drastically cut emissions includes 155 large wind turbines, half a square kilometre of rooftop solar panels, and a biomass plant burning coconut husks, backed up by banks of batteries. Moosa estimates the cost to be about $110m a year for 10 years, including $9milllion a year for a scheme to offset the CO2 emissions from tourist flights.

The scientist studied mechanical engineering at GlasgowUniversity in the early nineties, and now has five children at primary and secondary schools in the city. He hopes to use his roving role to attract support and investment here and across Europe.

“Studying in Glasgow helped me develop my interests and make important decisions. I feel Scotland is my second home, my children are half-Scottish, so I’ll be seeking help here.”

Moosa plans on approaching his old University, visiting local wind farm projects and has been invited by Stop Climate Scotland Chaos to speak at the Scottish Parliament next month.

The president of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, announced the carbon neutrality plan at UK premiere of The Age of Stupid. “Climate change is a global emergency,” he said. “The world is in danger of going into cardiac arrest, yet we behave as if we've caught a common cold.”