Dossier Océan et énergie - Énergie Thermique des Mers

Sommaire IOA News Letters

About the IOA in general and the Newsletter in particular.
An Open Letter from Michel Gauthier.

by Michel Gauthier, IOA Acting Chairman.

Dear friends and IOA Members,

I have received the news from our IOA secretariat that Taiwanese authorities would change from editing papers issues of the IOA Newsletter as they have been doing for the past 13 years, but the plan to maintain the publication in an e-mail format, and on the IOA Web site. This inspired me to set down the following thoughts.

This decision marked the end of one important feature of an old adventure launched 13 years ago thanks to the visionary interest of Dr. C.Y Li for promoting worldwide both OTEC development and Taiwan international influence. During that past period I know hundreds of people have enjoyed receiving these beautifully printed and interesting publications that linked the OTEC/DOWA world community. For those men like me that are born B.C, I mean Before Computer era, it was not only an intellectual pleasure to read the IOA Newsletter quarterly issues but also a physical one to touch its glazed paper and look at its colorful illustrations. It was also a publication I was proud to show (and recommend for subscription...) to new or potential "members" of the OTEC/DOWA community. Let me add this gave me many opportunities to tell people it was made possible because of Taiwanese generous funding.

There is a French proverb that says " Best things cannot last for ever " ! Well the best I can do with the old IOA Newsletters I have carefully stored at home is to have them nicely bound and saved for future generations of nostalgic "paper" books lovers.

But the present world does not leave much room to nostalgia. It stresses more on being Positive than Romantic. And surely, as the proponents of one of the most beneficial marine renewable energies, we should be looking ahead in every way -and that's what e-mail is about. Moreover, it gives us the opportunity to have more flexibility in the quarterly newsletter - full color photographs for example. And this suggests to me other thoughts which I briefly address to conclude this open letter.

Since our Taiwanese friends have announced they would maintain funding the IOA secretariat and the IOA Web site including an e-mail quarterly IOA Newsletter I strongly feel we do have to be grateful to them for keeping on and carrying the burden alone. I also believe we should think more about the future we envision for IOA and how our - still too small community - could be enlarged, strengthened and more involved in supporting IOA activities and helping the secretariat, both practically ( supplying articles to the secretariat being one way but probably not the only one to be considered ) and financially.

From many directions I received signals that Solar Energy is gradually imposing itself on public opinion as evidence that it is an indispensable, if not the only, resource enabling sustainable social & economic development for future generations. It would be dramatic if IOA, by lacking our support, does not benefit from the same ascending acknowledgement to increase its momentum and its international influence. New ideas and new blood are necessary to adapt IOA to future evolution.

My ultimate message in this last paper copy of the IOA Newsletter is to call for candidates to contribute and take responsibilities in IOA actions. Please send your ideas, comments and candidacy proposals to the secretariat.

Thank you in advance.

Tres cordialement

Michel Gauthier