The advent of the 21st century poses new challenges and opportunities in business. These Opportunities, however, are challenged by unorthodox events and environments that can easily disrupt traditional business models which requires a new kind of thinking and approach.
Global climate change, oil price shocks,local and international terrorism are the primary issues facing the world today. Poverty is a driver of increased terrorism in many countries and with the present economic climates being disrupted by oil price shocks the probability for terrorism to grow even further is enhanced.
The delivery of basic human services has not been met by the government of many countries, thereby creating the rise of instability; our programs will address areas of specific concern in each community that addresses specific services and self reliant activities.
Our plan is to tackle all these issues on a community level, where it all begins. creating an economic model that is based on Community Development (including the political, security, and sociological spheres) and which utilizes renewable technologies will be a first in the region. Thus, the operative term for the project is Resilience Thru Renewables.
Components
The key components for the plan includes a mix of the following, depending on the local conditions of communities/municipalities to be targeted:
- Biodiesel Mini-plant – harnessing waste oil of the community and restaurant establishments, and jatropha oil from plantations or backyards for conversion to biofuels. The same biodiesel plant produces glycerin, a catalyst for Wastewater and Methane waste digesters.
- Alternative Power Source – a Generator run by biodiesel as a primary power generating unit, secondary power generating units can include Solar, Wind or River/Wave Action Turbine technology
- Potable water – An inexpensive system that can tap groundwater, creek, or river. The water station can also be a primary producer of ice for fishing communities that need to transport their goods to market without risk of spoilage.
- Wastewater Treatment – By products of biodiesel can be used as catalyst for a wastewater treatment system designed for the community, if needed.
- Waste Management – Collection facilities for plastic and PET bottle collection and recycling, and collection of animal waste for use in methane digesters and create an alternative power source.
- Carbon Credit assets development – A self reliant community can capitalize on its green technologies to generate income by earning credits on their green enterprises.
Conceptual Framework
Self Reliant Green Communities/Municipalities – a stage-by-stage approach that adjusts to the needs and potential business opportunities for the community and investors alike :
- To harness normal daily activities and become income generating activities.
- Lessens air pollution in communities.
- Stabilizes price shocks of fuel especially for transport means of the community both passenger and commerce
- Creates a self reliant community in the face of adverse external events by providing stability in transportation and income generation.
- If linked to planting jatropha, a household can be a homesteader by managing a unused parcel of land owned by the local or national government to plant and maintain jatropha trees for harvest and sale.
- Developing alternative sources of power for the communities’ own consumption and for profit. Revenues and profit can be generated via operating these systems and also generating carbon credits for CO2 emissions reduction.
- Developing services that are needed or as an enhancement to an existing system of servicing the communities.
- Utilizing Renewable Energies – Wind, Sun, Current/Wave and Water
- Primary or Secondary options for community
- Grid tied to provide power to the outside world and generate income for the community by selling power to the
- Water – potable water at low prices, downstream products using water to help livelihood ( Ice plant, etc)
Worldwide Black Swan events that come from external and global sources can be mitigated by developing a self reliant infrastructure of fuel, power, water, trash.
This will provide export business for American companies and opens the door to new Philippine and Asian markets on renewable energy business opportunities.
What is needed is for business opportunities that takes the best practices from the Cooperative movement to develop a Corporate-Cooperative hybrid (Corporative) to tackle the issues of effective management and operation (run by a local leader that mobilizes the community to participate in these programs, and has experience in effectively managing a business to harness the opportunities and the profitable returns of the business benefitting the community).
Taking off from success of the Gawad Kalinga program, but on a green, self Reliant objective that could further benefit these values based model communities.
A cluster of these communities in close proximity developing self-reliant, redundant, and independent operating systems can potentially generate large outputs of product or excess power/energy which can be tied to local sales of biodiesel and/or exports of biodiesel, and sell excess power to the NPC or provincial main electrical grid.
Anchor project :Community Biodiesel Plant
As a pilot project, this biodiesel project is light, mobile/ modular, and replicable. It provides business opportunities, increased income opportunities for the household, self-reliance, participation and entrepreneurship development within the community.
This system tackles price shocks due to less volatile commodity as feedstock (waste oil and/or new vegetable oil); tackles global warming and CO2 emissions by mitigating airborne pollution and contaminants, additional CO2 emissions suppression can be achieved by using the glycerin by product used as catalyst for Methane Digesters.
V. Key Factors Addressed
We have already identified the proponents in theUSAand in thePhilippinesthat will start the program with the group as RE aggregators:
- Biodiesel – Andrew/Mike (Californiaand Washington-based)
- Solar/Wind – Next Generation Energy (Colorado-based)
- River/Wave turbine – Lucid Energy (Indiana-based)
- Potable Water – Waterhealth (L.A.-based)
- Wastewater – Edgar Maranan (RP-based)
- Methane digester – Edgar Maranan (RP-based)
- Plastics bags as fuel source – future development
- PET bottles for recycling and for crude oil – GTT/ MMDA
- Carbon Credits – Consultant (to be determined)
Needed for this project :
- Philippine/ Foreign Private Sector funding for pre-operating and initial operating expenses and Capital Expenditures, identifying and hiring key people to start up the project and develop a healthy balance sheet to qualify for US Grants and US Eximbank Financial programs.
- Selected US Grants focusing on Environmental, Global Climate Change and Green programs
- US Embassy Trade Counselor and USAID assistance in applying for the required grants and expediting of funds requirement.
Resources
Website urls for reference on possible grants for programs :
USAID Programs :
Global Development Alliance (http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/global_partnerships/gda/model.html)
Global Climate Change Program (http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/environment/climate/index.html)
Department of Trade/Commerce Market development cooperator program
USAID Public Private Alliances Related to Methane to Markets Partnership
USAID Promoting Transformation: Linking Natural Resources, Economic Growth, and Governance
USAID Public Private Alliance Programs
USAID Global Civil Society Strengthening Program (related to Public Private Alliance)
USAID Public Private Alliances related to Sustainable Forestry
