The Editor, Sir:

A view shared by many people including me is that one of the main reasons hindering Jamaica's progress and development as well as other third world and developing countries is the high cost of energy.

Oil along with its myriad of petroleum products such as plastics and asphalt and along with electricity play a very important and vital role in people's everyday lives.

My question is: why hasn't the government with the support and encouragement of the environmental groups limit importation of passenger vehicles to 1200cc?

In my view, four-cylinder vehicles is the way to go. Jamaica is a small and poor country which is consuming far too much energy for its size. And energy today is not cheap - it is rather expensive. The price of oil is pegged to the United States dollar. Each time the country's currency is devalued against the U.S. dollar, which has been going on unabated, oil and gasolene prices invariably increased. One glance at the country's annual energy bill tells you we cannot continue along this path. We just cannot afford to.

The major car manufacturers in Asia and Europe make some very comfortable and economical cars that give good mileage which is easier on the environment. Cars such as Toyota, Honda and Volkswagen provide all the features that the consumer needs, most of which are standard.

Damage to our fragile roads

With Jamaica's narrow roads, especially in the rural areas, the country does not have the road infrastructure to accommodate these big eight-cylinder gas-guzzlers and sport utility vehicles. In addition, their size and weight can do a lot of damage to the fragile Jamaican roads than their smaller counterparts. The emissions from these vehicles with their high levels of carbon monoxide (greenhouse gases) when released in the atmosphere can be dangerous to the environment and may contribute greatly to global warming. Former U.S.Vice-President Al Gore's award-winning documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, will give you an idea of what I am talking about - in terms of climate change and other dangers to the environment. In Europe where the price of gasolene averages around US$3 per gallon, they did the right and prudent thing.

If you should tour Europe, you would see a multitude of small four-cylinder vehicles throughout the continent. Yet, their economy is much stronger than that of Jamaica and they for the most part have the proper road infrastructure, and are more affluent.

Large eight-cylinder passenger vehicles such as light trucks, big vans, limousines and SUVs should be limited to official use only - except in cases that require people to travel in large groups as in the tourist industry.

I am, etc.,

NOEL MITCHELL

Nlmworld@yahoo.com

Westchester, New York.

Via Go-Jamaica