The Gleaner AND Observer editorials rightly remind us that prudent governments ignore warning signs at their peril. For Jamaica, however, one warning deserves to be added to the discussion.

Unlike many countries, we inhabit one of the Caribbean’s most seismically active regions. The Enriquillo–Plantain Garden fault system has produced devastating earthquakes in the past and will do so again. The uncertainty lies not in whether another major earthquake will occur, but only in when.

That geological reality should influence every major infrastructure decision we make, especially those involving critical national energy systems. Good engineering is not merely about average performance; it is about resilience under extreme conditions. It therefore seems wise to favour technologies whose failures are localised, recoverable and readily repaired, rather than those whose worst-case consequences could extend across generations.

This is not an argument against scientific progress or advanced technology. It is an argument for matching technology to geography. Jamaica’s location places a permanent premium on resilience, redundancy and rapid recovery.

The editorials’ warning about instability abroad is timely. Yet nature has already issued Jamaica a standing warning of its own. The Enriquillo–Plantain Garden fault is a rather unsteady stool on which to build complacency. Prudence, not optimism, should guide our long-term energy choices away from Mr Lee-Chin’s or Mr Holness’ terrible dream of local Small Modular Reactors—SMRs.