On the 11th October, The Egyptian tourism authorities revealed its new advertising and publicity campaign titled “The Gift of the Sun”. Whilst it is true that RA signifies the Sun god which according to E. A. Wallis Budge was the One god of Egyptian Monotheism, of which all other gods and goddesses were aspects, manifestations, phases, or forms of the god.

The Sun is our main source of light and energy for which we, in Mauritius are especially blessed being in the tropics. We have longer or at least more even daily lighting throughout the year. As a renewable source of free energy, I wonder what stop us from maximizing on the technologies available to benefit fully of God given free energy. Is it lack of imagination? Is it lack of foresight, will power and laziness from us and our leaders? I read an article on Malta where it was stated that over 60% of household are equipped with solar panels for their hot water needs. In Reunion Island, where I visited a few months ago, subsidies and incentives are provided to owners of new houses equipped with solar panels.

On the 19^th October the BBC reported that a Swiss is taking the challenge to cross the Atlantic in a catamaran powered only by Solar energy. I would imagine that most of our Catamarans used to cruise our Tourists around our island could be solar powered. Less dependency on fossil fuels and above all much less pollution would be achieved.

I mentioned earlier, that experiments and tests in Colorado US and many other places are being carried out to sell back to the power generating supplier the excess energy generated by the private home. The authorities, political leaders we pray, must have the foresight, vision, guts and will to drive these changes. Could Mauritius be chosen as a scientific pilot site scaled to a village or town?

Whilst, we always hear on foreign radios or Medias the need to look into renewable form of energy, it would seem that in our country we are timid about it. I would see a newspaper dedicating at fixed interval, say weekly, and publishing an update of the technologies available on renewable energy. I personally read bogs on the subject and find it most interesting.

We could declare that use of fossil energy is “MUDA” for the country and wage a battle to the reduction of its use. Meanwhile I rejoice as the theme of the Egyptian Tourism authority The Gift of the Sun has aroused a renewed interest in “my green bias” for the future of our world.

Entrepreneurs of Mauritius , this may be an area to investigate and to turn into a lucrative business project.