blueEnergy Committed to the Environment

By Kenia Joiner and Chris Sparadeo -- As a member of the Municipal Environmental Commission, blueEnergy has recently participated in different activities in celebration of international Environment Day. These activities were developed in conjunction with members of the environmental commission including governmental institutions such as MARENA (Nicaraguan Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources), MAGFOR (Nicaraguan Ministry of Agriculture, Fishing and Forestry), MINED (Nicaraguan Ministry of Education), FUNCOS (Nicaraguan Sustainable Harvest Foundation), FADCANIC (Foundation for the Autonomy of the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua), the Municipality of Bluefields, and the Bluefields Indian and Caribbean University (BICU) and the University of the Autonomous Regions of the Nicaraguan Atlantic Coast (URACCAN).

Reforestation “El Pool Natural Reserve”
Reforestation in the El Pool Natural Reserve took place on the 26th of May 2012, with the goal of planting 200 Mahogany trees in the area. Situated on the outskirts of the neighborhood “19th of July”, El Pool has historically been exploited for its natural resources, namely trees and rocks. Its transition into a Natural Reserve in 2009 has diminished levels of degradation while allowing for many of the native flora and fauna to reclaim their rightful terrain. Participants in the reforestation efforts included MARENA, MAGFOR, the Municipality of Bluefields, BICU, Guardabarrancos and blueEnergy.

Chris Sparadeo (r) helps plant mahogany trees at El Pool

Inter-University Forum on Solid Waste Management
In efforts to sensitize university students to the importance of solid waste management, blueEergy presented its experience with biodigestion to an audience of around 60 students, professors and governmental officials at the BICU University. blueEnergy’s Gilles Charlier, Renewable Energy Program Coordinator, shared his insights on the subject in his presentation titled “Biodigesters for Organic Solid Waste Management.” Charlier described blueEnegry’s current involvement in using small-scale biodigestion as cooking fuel as well as its larger scaled proposal to implement a biodigester at the municipal slaughterhouse to offset its electricity usage.

Gilles Charlier presents bE's experience with biodigesters

Municipal Fair: Exhibition and Craft Competition with Recyclable Material
Artistic Expression! On the 7th of July, students from BICU and URACCAN universities came together at Plaza Caracol in Reyes Park to present their crafts fashioned completely out of recycled materials. Who said garbage is waste? The creativity of the young university students was in its highest expression, with a myriad of articles ranging from handbags made of reutilized plastic, recycled paper cards to plastic bottle brooms. Students also gave public workshops in recycled paper pressing and jewelry making. After a day of fierce competition, it was BICU who took home the bacon for their work with recycled papers. Second place went to the students of URACCAN and their plastic/aluminum hybrid creations. Congratulations to the 4th and 5th year ecology students for their participation, creativity and support of recycling efforts in Bluefields. Alongside the students, the womens' municipal compost cooperative showcased and sold its high-grade compost generated from the municipal landfill. blueEnergy was in attendance to show its support for the recycling initiatives and to demonstrate its projects with renewable energies.

Exhibition and craft competition with recycled materials

Alongside the students, the coordinating members of the event had a strong presence at the fair. The Municipality of Bluefields, MARENA, and of course blueEnergy presented work to the public.

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