letters

Saving with energy efficient buildings

Your articles on alternative energy (PIM Jul) provided some valuable information about energy sources available in the Pacific. As the authors pointed out, wind, solar, bio mass, and hydro-electric power systems can make great con tributions to the overall energy requirements of the Pacific Basin, helping to diminish the historic dependency on expen sive, imported petroleum.

Although it was outside the scope of these articles, there is another factor which can contri bute substantially to reducing this dependency on oil: energy conservation. As architects specialising in energy-efficient buildings, we can testify to the fact that major improvements can be made in the efficiency of operation of virtually any ex isting building, and in the de sign of most new ones as well.

Such elements as solar shad

ing, natural daylighting, natural ventilation, appropriate use of glass and other materials, and effective use of building insula tion can decrease the energy requirements of buildings by one-third to one-half. Since the built environment contributes heavily to the energy consump tion of any developing com munity, designing that built en vironment to conserve energy to the greatest degree possible is a major step in the right direction.

We would enjoy reading of the experiences of others work ing in this field in the Pacific, and we would be happy to share with anyone who is in terested the information we have learned through our re search and practice.

Cliff Terry A.I.A.

TRB/Hawaii Ltd Honolulu Hawaii

Sports

coverage:

A plea

I would like to commend you on most of your reporting in PIM concerning economic, political and cultural affairs, although the lack of in-depth analysis of the recent Australian and New Zealand elections was disappointing. I enjoy PIM very much, and feel it does the best job of any publication from the Pacific I have seen.

However, a very large area of interest to many readers is either not reported at all or only very sketchily: sports. The re cent Commonwealth and South Pacific Games were barely given any comment, with no list of participants, medals awarded, etc. This has

continued with total lack of coverage of the South Pacific nations’ participation in the XXIIIrd Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Many of the smal ler countries are extremely proud to have sent a team to L.A., at great sacrifice to athletes, organisers and fund raisers. Many would agree that international sports events are one of the few times where national differences are set aside in a true spirit of brother hood. Also many readers in the Pacific have no access to the instant satellite television cover age others may enjoy and rely on the print media such as PIM to inform them, serving to rein force national pride and this striving of the human spirit for excellence.

I feel it is important to convey not only the facts of the event (this surely is the bare mini

mum) but also the spirit in volved. The performances of all athletes may not be spectacu lar, but after all winning or losing is not the complete end in and of itself participation is the goal. Please increase the reporting of this participation as it is an important part of life in the South Pacific.

Thomas L. Jorris

(Returned U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer, Fiji 1973-75.) Georgetown University Washington D.C.

U.S.A.

Point taken and we’re working on it. PIM.

Thumbs down

on PNG building

I agree completely with Mr Bendumb, Papua New Guinea’s Transport Minister (PIM Aug), who said he thought it was too early for PNG to have a building “as big as this” for parliament.

Personally, after 20 years in PNG, married to a national lady, and since I retired having kept in constant contact with the island, I was absolutely stunned by the PIM photo graphs of the new parliament recently opened by “pikanini nambawan bilong misis kwin”.

You published in the same issue details of the “Jackson Report” about Australian aid to the Pacific, and especially to

Png.

I do not think that a sum of $26 million paid by Australia for an extravagant piece of political architecture was very necessary in order to boost PNG’s eco nomy.

A friend who is a specialist on Africa told me years ago how scandalised he had been by the $25 million palace of the Libe rian president in the midst of the slums of Monrovia.

In fact, the Port Moresby parliament surpasses our own in Canberra in luxury and by the way, once again, “old hands” like myself are amused

(as we were by the style of Port Moresby cathedral) by the architectural inspiration from Sepik Haustambaran, a well known phallic symbol.

On another point: taking a lesson from prosperous and peaceful Costa Rica (the only such country in Central Amer ica) which has no army, I am convinced that PNG could very well do without its 3000 men under arms. Perhaps instead they could increase the police force.

Anyway, without artillery, tanks or even decent air sup port, the national soldiers could not do much for instance against an Indonesian invasion based on a total military strength of half a million.

It was all right a few years ago to fight the bows and arrows of the poor Vanuatau rebels (as illegally as the Russians invad ing Afghanistan . . .). But in future I only see the PNG armed forces as a danger in the hands of an ambitious officer, in the South American or African style. His first act after seizing power would of course be to transform the fancy parliament into a museum or maybe his personal palace.

J. Huon De Navrancourt

Atherton, Qld.

Australia.

When will

Nauru act?

In response to praise by Anthony Detsimea of Nauru President Hammer Deßoburt (PIM Aug); When is the Nauru Govern ment going to solve its biggest problem finding a perma nent home for the people after the phosphates and easy money disappear?

The Banaban people bought and settled Rabi Island in Fiji.

What will Nauru do? And when?

Time is running out.

G. Maxwell,

Sydney. N.S.W, Australia.