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Renewable Energy and Poverty Alleviation, Not a Half Baked Idea
By Danielle Knight
Hoping to demonstrate the benefits of renewable energy to NGO panelists and journalists, Joachim Pilz had planned to cook food using a solar steam cooking system outside the Convention Centre Wednesday .
Unfortunately, the damp weather rained on his parade and he will have to wait for the sun to come out before demonstrating his solar powered device .
Despite the minor set-back, Pilz, a renewable energy expert from Rajasthan, India, is determined to show visitors at the Geneva 2000 Forum that small-scale renewable energy, like solar and wind power, is not a half-baked idea .
He said solar heaters and cookers, among other small-scale renewable energy devices, can be part of the solution to alleviate poverty .
“You give hope to the people when they can produce the energy themselves,” said Pilz. “It makes them self-reliant and not dependent on large multinational companies for their energy needs.” In many developing countries the rural poor often cannot afford energy from the grid or they may not be hooked up to or live near an energy grid. Often, the poor rely on firewood or burning other organic wastes for fuel, said Pilz .
“But this puts toxins in the air and can lead to cutting down needed greenery,” he said. Burning wood also produces heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions that most scientists believe cause global warming, although far less than the amount of emissions caused by the burning of oil and coal. An alternative to these options, Pilz has been helping distribute solar cooking systems to the poor in India. About 100 of these solar cookers, developed originally by Wolfgang Scheffler of Switzerland, have been installed in communities throughout India, he said. The cookers Pilz helps distribute are currently produced locally by Deepak Ghadia, a manager of Eco Centre in Valsad, Gujarat. “These solar cooking systems are one way to encourage micro-industry,” he said.
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Has the world lived up to its 1996 commitments..?
Solidarity 2000 starting 17th of June!
MS's big summer event Solidarity 2000 will start very soon now, with a week-long variety of debates and arrangements. The activities range from encounters between young people from Balkan, Africa and Central America to big conferences on the planet's social development and environment.
Judge by yourself:
The 1996 Copenhagen Social Summit final report in English, French and Spanish.