8/14/2019 Renewable Energy Can Pave the Path to Peace

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Renewable Energy Can Pave the Path to Peace

By Hlne Connor-Lajambe* | ID-InDe!th ew"#$ew!o$nt

P%RI& - 'he (n$te) at$on" an) other worl) agenc$e" are geogra!h$cally global $n "co!eb+t "el)om "eem able to wor, together on the "ame $""+e however cr+c$al $t $" even when

)ee! m$"ery or arme) conl$ct" en"+e.

Cl$mate change $" the be"t e/am!le o the "$lo mental$ty w$th$n o+r h$ghe"t $n"t$t+t$on" an)mo"t o o+r "oc$et$e". It $" only lately or $n"tance that the 0orl) Ban,ha" "tarte) torecon"$)er $t" +n)$ng o coal !lant" an) the Internat$onal Energy %gency$" at la"t ma,$ngwave" a" $t !romote" energy e$c$ency wh$le other agenc$e" are "t$ll !+"h$ng the "earch ormore o$l re"erve".

Cl$mate )e"tab$l$"at$on ha" been ac,nowle)ge) a" the "$ngle mo"t cr+c$al concernthreaten$ng l$e a" we ,now $t. everthele""(1CCCnegot$at$on" "t$ll a$l to g$ve!rece)ence to the ma$n co+ntr$e" $m!acte) by )ra"t$c change" $n cl$mate an) g$ve the loorto tho"e re"!on"$ble or creat$ng the )amage.

'oo oten the "earch or energy ha" been a""oc$ate) w$th lan) grabb$ng a""a""$nat$on",$)na!!$ng" an) other act" o v$olence to "ec+re acce"" to "toc," o o""$l-+el re"o+rce".2any o the rec+rrent conl$ct" $n the 2$))le Ea"t are )$rectly or $n)$rectly l$n,e) to theowner"h$! o o$l-r$ch lan)" an) the co"t" $n term" o money an) h+man l$ve" are h+ge.

'he"e co"t" have never been co+nte) $n the !r$ce +"er" !ay or the$r energy 3 an om$""$onthat a))" to the )$"tort$on" alrea)y !re"ent $n the energy mar,et $n the orm o var$o+""+b"$)$e" or $n"tance an) wh$ch avo+r" an over+"e o energy.

B+t they are tall$e) on another tab. 4ne way or another "oc$ety ha" to !ay the !r$ce more

oten than not !er!et+at$ng an en)le"" cycle o !overty. Proc+r$ng energy )oe" not nee) tobe "o br+tal. %genc$e" wor,$ng $n $"olat$on to re!a$r the )amage w$ll never be +! to the ta",.&o let +" try to be "en"$ble an) ace the !roblem "5+arely.

Genuine Progress Indicator

Energy $" a "trateg$c tool not an en) $n $t"el. 0hat co+nt" $" not the "heer 5+ant$ty oenergy b+t rather $t" e$c$ency at ren)er$ng "erv$ce". Energy "erv$ce" are very )$ver"e an)are geare) to $m!rov$ng h+man welare. 'he latter when mea"+re) not $n term" o thetra)$t$onal an) $na)e5+ate 6ro"" Dome"t$c Pro)+ct 76DP8 b+t rather $n term" o the 6en+$neProgre"" In)$cator 76PI8 wh$ch acco+nt" or "oc$al actor" an) env$ronmental co"t" !ea,e)aro+n) 9:;< an) ha" been )ecl$n$ng "$nce. % recent "t+)y ha" "hown that 9:;< wa" al"o the

year $n wh$ch o+r ecolog$cal oot!r$nt o+r )eman) on the earth=" eco"y"tem begane/cee)$ng $t" ca!ac$ty to !ro)+ce re"o+rce" an) ab"orb wa"te.

1or the !a"t th$rty year" we have been "$m+ltaneo+"ly $ncrea"$ng o+r +"e o energy an) o+recolog$cal )ebt. 'he $nanc$al an) other co"t" o )o$ng "o are relecte) $n the !re"ent "tate oboth the env$ronment an) the economy. Re"o+rce war" an) other !ower "tr+ggle" cont$n+e+nabate) $n "everal reg$on" o the worl). >et )e"!$te the )$"a"ter" engen)ere) "ome "t$llwant more acce"" to o""$l-+el )er$ve) energy an) are rea)y to ,$ll or $t +nlea"h$ng the)emon" o terror$"m $n the$r wa,e.

4ver the year" however we have learne) that o+r act$v$t$e" an) o+r ha!!$ne"" are otenl$m$te) not "o m+ch by a lac, o energy b+t rather by the $m!act" o the energy "ector $t"el.

'he nee) or energy "ec+r$ty ha" to )ate been m$"+n)er"too) by many analy"t" to mean thenee) to $ncrea"e "+!!ly at all co"t". B+t grabb$ng more re"o+rce" $" not the way. 4n thecontrary "+ch an a!!roach $ncrea"e" +nacce!table r$"," at $ncalc+lable co"t". 2oreover $t

http://www.worldbank.org/http://www.iea.org/http://unfccc.int/2860.phphttp://unfccc.int/2860.phphttp://www.worldbank.org/http://www.iea.org/http://unfccc.int/2860.php

8/14/2019 Renewable Energy Can Pave the Path to Peace

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$" +neth$cal con"$)er$ng that $t $" oten ore$gn com!an$e" that )evelo! energy re"o+rce" $nco+ntr$e" where the !o!+lat$on ha" not been con"+lte) an) may not even be aware o what$" go$ng on.

2ore energy $" not the way to tr$gger !rogre"" or $m!rove global h+man welare. &lowly b+t"+rely we m+"t !ha"e o+t energy "o+rce" "+ch a" o""$l an) ra)$oact$ve +el" wh$ch$rrever"$bly )amage the env$ronment an) h+man,$n)?" health an) genet$c !ool.

Energetician

Renewable energy !rov$)e" a ree)om 3 w$th$n the "tr$ct ramewor, "et by the law" onat+re. 'he new @energet$c$an= m+"t be "mart an) have an +n)er"tan)$ng o the worl) thatgoe" beyon) mechan$c". He or "he )eal" w$th l$v$ng ent$t$e" an) wor," or h+man be$ng".'h$" can be more com!le/ than )$gg$ng or blac, "tone" or e/tract$ng l$5+$) matter rom the"o$l.

Certa$nly the"e +n)ergro+n) "+b"tance" have !romote) !art o man,$n) $nto a verycomortable mater$al worl) b+t th$" bene$t "ho+l) not have rema$ne) +n"hare). Renewableenergy can be energy or all "$nce $t $" the !ro!erty o none. &o let +" )ro! the aggre""$ve"earch or o""$l +el" an) t+rn to the energy !re"ent $n o+r own bac,yar) wh$ch we canenjoy w$tho+t harm$ng other".

6overnment" an) $ntergovernmental agenc$e" "ho+l) jo$n the gra""root" @ye" $n mybac,yar)= 7>I2B>8 movement $n the ma,$ng wh$ch a""ert" that o+r energy "y"tem" canbr$ng local bene$t" an) !romote !eace w$tho+t ront$er".

'h$" >I2B> new wave ha" to "+ccee) an) we w$ll +nw$tt$ngly get more than we barga$ne)orA better energy !ol$c$e" or one an) a))$t$onally a la"t$ng comm$tment to a worl) w$thewer re"o+rce conl$ct" !art$c+larly $n relat$on to energy. 'h$" co+l) al"o contr$b+te to worl)

!eace what a bon+"

*Dr. Hlne Connor-Lajambe ormer 4ECD a)m$n$"trator $" the o+n)er an) honorary!re"$)ent oHELI4 Internat$onal. 1o+n)e) $n 9::; HELI4 $" an $n)e!en)ent non-!ro$t$nternat$onal th$n,-tan, an) networ, o lea)$ng energy analy"t" who $)ent$y a""e""mea"+re an) !+bl$c$"e the contr$b+t$on o energy "y"tem" an) !ol$c$e" to "+"ta$nable an)e5+$table )evelo!ment. 'h$" art$cle $" ta,en rom &ta,ehol)er 1or+m=" maga$ne 4+treachwh$ch too, $t rom I""+e FG9 o @&ec+r$ty Comm+n$ty= the maga$ne o the 4rgan$"at$onor &ec+r$ty Comm+n$ty $n E+ro!e 74&CE8. ID-InDe!thew" 3 ovember 9J G9K

G9 ID-InDe!thew" | %naly"$" 'hat 2atter"

ImageA &olar tower" $n %n)al+"$a $n &!a$n | Cre)$tA 0$,$me)$a Common"

&en) yo+r comment| &+b"cr$be to ID new"letter

1ollow +" on 'w$tter an) 1aceboo,Ahtt!AFFtw$tter.comFInDe!thew"htt!AFFwww.aceboo,.comFID.6o$ngDee!er

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