By Lesroy W. Williams

Observer Reporter

(Basseterre, St. Kitts) – The Caribbean has the potential to go green for much of its energy needs, but individuals can do a lot on their own, according to a top official of the Organization of American States

Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States, Albert R. Ramdin, and his Chief of Staff, Sherry Tross, were in the Federation for the 25th anniversary of Independence.

The OAS is founded upon the pillars of democracy, development and security, the ambassador said.

“The OAS has a membership that is diverse. We have as a member, the richest country in the world and one of the poorest; we have one of the largest and one of the smallest,” Ambassador Ramdin said.

Sept.15-19 was observed by the OAS as Green Week.

In speaking on the issue of climate change, Ambassador Ramdin underscored the importance of raising awareness among politicians because he thinks there can be a lack of awareness at times.

“Through technical assistance, information sharing and consensus building, we can get the global approval of all countries towards a mechanism to address climate change,” Ambassador Ramdin said.

However, Ambassador Ramdin strongly thinks that raising awareness must happen at the local, regional and global level.

We must not wait on government policies before we start to change our lifestyles and habits. Climate change is about the attitude of individuals, he said.

“Turn off that switch when you leave that room!” he said.

The approach to climate change must not be a top-down approach, but a bottom-up approach, Ambassador Ramdin said.

“Individually, we can make that difference and collectively it will be a major difference but programs must be put in place to raise consciousness about climate change,” he said.

Ambassador Ramdin said the Caribbean can begin to use alternative forms of energy such as the sun, wind and geothermal sources.

He was quick to point out that alternative forms of energy require a lot of financing, technology and the questions about how it will affect the environment.

You don’t want to use most of your land to grow corn or sugar cane for the production of biofuels while creating a food shortage, he said.

“You don’t want to change one dependency for another,” Ambassador Ramdin said.

“In the case of the Caribbean as a whole, I’m surprised that Caricom leaders have not reached that level to agree on investments, to agree on allocations, given the fact that there is a Single Market and Economy that they can reach a level of food security that can make them less dependent on the outside world,” he added.

Ambassador Ramdin, who is Surinamese, was elected Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States on June 7, 2005. As Assistant Secretary General, Ambassador Ramdin is closely engaged with the situation in Haiti, manages issues of priority for small states, monitors the hemispheric trade agenda and briefs the General Secretariat on Caribbean concerns.

There are 35 independent countries of the Americas that have ratified the OAS Charter and belong to the Organization.

The member states are Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti Honduras Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, United States of America, Uruguay and Venezuela.

Cuba remains a member but its government has been excluded from participation in the OAS since 1962.