The syndicate of engineers in Beirut has organized the "Fifth Week for Energy and Water" from 17th till 19th of November in the "Engineer House" (Beit El Mohandes). The event has been inaugurated by the representative of the Minister of Energy and Water, Gobran Basil, Engineer Cesar Abi Khalil and the head of the Lebanese Engineers Union, Bilal Alaily.
General Alaily stated the following: "We consume great amounts of water to generate energy, while this energy is used to produce quantities of clean water. The environmental and hydrological restrictions stand in the face of producing more energy, while high prices and other energy problems represent an obstacle facing the production of more water. To this, the climate change and the constantly rising oil prices make governments seek law bills that encourage the use and marketing of alternative energy.
In parallel, we find a decision taken by the EU (European Union) to produce around 20% of the total produced energy in terms of renewable energy in the year 2020 to reduce the production of CO2 that directly influences the phenomenon of global warming.
Engineer Abi Khalil gave the address of Minister Basil, which included the following: We view this conference as an academic cry in the face of the "intellectual desertification" of those who cling to the mechanisms of traditional approach. In the Ministry of Energy and Water we put all our potentials at the disposal to keep pace and develop this growing action for the fifth year in succession, working on a leading model for cooperation between the syndicate of engineers and the Lebanese Center for Energy Preservation that forms the consultative unit at the Ministry assigned to deal with two prime topics: preservation and efficiency of energy and renewable energies. From this pulpit I hereby announce in the name of H.E. Minister Basil to place those two topics at the top of the priorities.
