Radio Havana Cuba's Science, Technology and Environment Program:
BREAKTHROUGHFor broadcast Sunday, October 29, 2000
Written and narrated by Arnaldo "Arnie" Coro, RHC's Science Editor
Hello and welcome to Breakthrough, our Science, Technology and the Environment update... I am Arnaldo, Arnie, Coro, RHC's Science Editor, and here is today's topic: Cuban and German researchers gather with journalists in Havana to discuss environmental issues.
For two days, Cuban and German researchers and journalists participated in the second Environmental Seminar, which took place at Havana's International Press Center, just across the street from the famous Hotel Nacional de Cuba.
The use of renewable energy was a top priority on the agenda, with the very much-related topic of sustainable development coming in a close second. Urban solid waste management, how to properly develop new tourism facilities, and the role of the media in educating the population about environmental preservation were also part of the discussions.
Dr. Alfredo Curbelo, a well-known Cuban expert in the field of energy conservation, spoke at the end of the seminar. In his speech he came up with a list of possible areas of cooperation between Germany and Cuba, including the use of solar energy, the management of energy-intensive industrial installations, solid waste recycling systems and the exchange of information between German organizations devoted to the environmental research and their Cuban counterparts.
The role of the mass media was also highlighted, with Barbara Avendano, a journalist from the Tribuna de la Habana weekly explaining in detail how the nine participating journalists representing TV, radio, magazines and news agencies had already presented to the Cuban audience the results of the seminar. Dr. Norman Medina, from the Cuban Ministry of Tourism, gave a conference explaining in detail how Cuba's most important economic sector of today, developing ecotourism, is introducing energy-efficient technologies -- not only in the new hotels being built, but also retrofitting them into already-existing ones -- and how his Ministry has developed excellent coordination with the Cuban Environmental Protection Agency, which supervises how the tourist trade relates to the environment.
The Second Cuban-German Seminar on the Environment was a very successful event in which research and development, theory and practice marched together towards the goal of developing our nation in a wise way that will not damage the environment. German technologies will probably form part of Cuba's future development plans in the areas of electricity generation, heat recovery, air conditioning and solid waste recycling, according to what I saw at the seminar.
And this was Breakthrough for today, amigos! Join me next week at the same time and short wave frequency for five minutes of science, technology and environmental information. From Havana, I am Arnaldo, Arnie, Coro, this station's Science Editor, now wishing you excellent reception of our short wave broadcasts.
For more information, via Air Mail:
"Breakthrough"
Radio Havana Cuba
Havana, CUBA 10600
Via e-mail: arnie@radiohc.org
To Arnie Coro's Dxers Unlimited
NY Transfer's Radio Havana Cuba homepage