I wish we could put to better use the vast amount of wind power or wind energy that goes to waste in Jamaica.

The Wigton Wind Farm located on the Don Figueroa Mountains in south Manchester, and the Munro wind farms on the peak of the Santa Cruz Mountains at Malvern are commendable projects providing electricity to the national grid, but still significantly short of what full capacity harnessing of wind power could do for Jamaica.

The first commercial wind turbine was installed at Munro as far back as 1996, largely through the efforts of the old boys’ association, the Environment Association of Jamaica, and other agencies. The JPS added another four turbines in 2010, tapping into the tremendous potential for wind energy from that region 2,500 feet above the Pedro Plains.

Wigton, at 1,000 feet above sea level, was commissioned in 2004 with 23 turbines, and has since then been expanded to 32.

The Wigton Farm, with its windmills turning in line across the ridge of the mountain, is quite a spectacular sight from the main road that borders St Elizabeth and south Manchester. Perhaps Wigton could consider lighting up the field at nights — solar lights, of course — to make it an attraction for that section of the south coast for miles around.

Munro College was ideal for the first wind turbine. The Munro breeze is legendary and is incorporated into one of the famous school football cheers of earlier days: “Munro boys get rice and peas. Munro boys get dust and breeze.” Indeed, the breeze and the fog were the downfall of many a visiting football team in the 1950s and 60s when Munro and Cornwall College held sway over the daCosta Cup competition.

In those early days the school relied on a large Delco plant providing electricity for only four hours per day, from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm. I have no doubt, on reflection, that if that generation had known the value of wind power, the extra wind resources needed to charge the Delco for an additional eight hours per day would have been no problem.

This brings me back to the question of wasted energy in Jamaica, and what to do about it. With new discoveries unfolding every day on the effectiveness of wind power, I am surprised that we have not built more windmills in Jamaica. We can do a much better job by taking advantage of our innate ability to shoot the breeze and to talk up a lot of hot air. Just think, a windmill installed over wherever the Energy Savings Committee is meeting would do wonders.

Or, better yet, install two or three over Gordon House. Just think of how one Budget Debate alone, if properly harnessed, could light up half of Jamaica.

There are enough committee meetings taking place across Jamaica to light up the other half.

The Gordon House windmills, of course, should be installed out of reach of the members of parliament, and in particular our ministers. Some have already shown an alarming propensity, like Don Quixote of old, to tackle any windmill within sight.

During the 1970s, Prime Minister Michael Manley, after one of his marathon speeches in Parliament, was referred to in an article as a windbag by well-known columnist Morris Cargill. For days the talk shows were inundated with calls expressing anger and outrage at the audacity of the journalist.

This only added fuel to the fire: “I call him a windbag because he is a windbag,” insisted Cargill in a further column. Argument done. This, of course, did not go down well with the Comrades of the day, but the country was greatly amused.

Incidentally the argument was reopened some weeks later when a minister of government, in a light and conversational mood while hosting a dinner, was reflecting on the musical talents within the Cabinet. Listeners were reminded that Seymour Mullings was a fine pianist, Dudley Thompson blew the trumpet at times, and the minister himself played a mean guitar. “That means we could have a Cabinet orchestra,” piped up a voice at the end of the table. “Yes!” chimed in another, “because we also have someone who plays a wind instrument”. Needless to say, the function broke up in disharmony.

Night noise

Speaking of music and noise — the two go together quite well in Jamaica — here’s hoping that, in 2015, the Government can blow some wind at the present Noise Abatement Act and put some teeth into it. Contrary to popular belief, the Act does not confine itself to excessive partying, dancehall, merrymaking, loud music, or DJ belching noises at night. It applies to any kind of noise that is deliberately caused and amplified in such a manner that the sound is audible beyond 100 metres from the source and is capable of causing annoyance to persons who are trapped in that vicinity.

The law clearly states that where noise is audible beyond a distance of 100 metres it will be automatically presumed a social annoyance. But if complaints are lodged within the 100 metres, the police are still obliged to intervene and turn down or turn off the source.

We who are victims of night noise are not calling for the cessation of dances and parties and other musical events. We are first of all asking only that due consideration be given to those people who want to sleep, people who have aged and infirmed citizens to care for in the home, people who suffer broken windows or doors from the heavy bass, and people who suffer from headaches and hearing ailments as a result of the excessive sound. If no compliance, then turn it off and let the penalties apply.

But, while on the Night Noise Act, blow a little wind this year too, dear Parliamentarians, at the Motor Vehicle Noise Abatement Act which is being blatantly ignored. Ask the people who live close to the road and wherever there are steep inclines requiring engine compression about these bestial sounds they have to put up with.

The law says that no person should be allowed to modify the exhaust system of a motor vehicle or remove any other noise abatement device in such a manner that the noise is disturbing. Yet the perpetrators are allowed to drive by police stations, churches, hospitals, residential areas, and terrorise whole communities. Mr Commissioner of Police, surely it should not be too difficult to enforce the traffic noise abatement policy and prosecute these road abusers who continue to give us hell as they remove mufflers and blast us with their ‘heavy foot’ change-down gear movements.

So my 2015 wish list continues to grow. Last week I wished for the powers that be to make George Headley a national hero in 2015. Now I have added a poke at the Noise Abatement Act. May I add a third one, which I have mentioned before in other spaces.

This is one for the Jamaica Tourist Board and National Heritage Trust. The trains may not be running, and unfortunately may not run again. But, if properly promoted, our railway system could be a fascinating point of interest for the thousands of Railway Society members all over the world who would be tickled to learn that Jamaica’s rail system, built in 1845, is the third oldest outside of Europe — Cuba beat us to it with the second.

The Old Harbour station seen from the south coast highway lends itself for a Jamaica Railway Museum stop. Repeating what I wrote in an original piece several years ago, “conjure up in the mind one of the old Barry Street locomotives parked beside the 19th century building, one of the most picturesque stations on the line.

“Imagine a replica of the old ticket office, platform and waiting room with photos and legends of our railroad history, the engine cranking up, uniformed conductors, and the fried fish and bammy vendors with their offers for sale, and you could recreate an experience for tourists and Jamaicans to see what the railway was like in the early days.”

What an experience to add to our tourist attraction menu. It’s only 20 minutes’ drive from Kingston. An idea in the waiting room.

Your seats, please.

Lance Neita is a community and public relations consultant. Comments to the Observer or to lanceneita@hotmail.com