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L’A

TLAS

DU

M

ONDE

DIPLOMATIQUE

I

21

It is consequently unrealistic to

claim that off-grid solar panels will

save the world from under-develop-

ment. It is already possible to supply

the necessary energy straight away and

more cheaply, but in other ways. On

the other hand it is obviously tempting

for firms and governments in indus-

trialised countries, with the blessing

of public opinion, to use development

grants to boost funding for research

in this field.

It looks very much as if countries

in the North, concerned about green-

house gas emissions, are advocating

massive use of renewable energies

everywhere but at home, despite the

fact that the main markets are located

there, along with the essential finan-

cial, technical and industrial resources.

If we really want renewable energies

to achieve their full potential, we must

make several changes:

- saving energy must become a

genuine priority. Otherwise, if energy

consumption continues to increase,

no production technique, sustainable

or otherwise, will be efficient enough

in the immediate future to prevent a

climatic disaster;

- richcountriesmust finallymakeup

their minds to capitalise on the consi-

derable potential they have in this field,

leaving oil, at its current price, to the

developing countries rather than impo-

sing policies that are often ill suited to

their short-termneeds. Some countries,

such as Germany, have already got the

message, launching large-scale, grid-

connected wind or solar-powered sche-

mes. Others, in particular, France, are

doing all they can to resist the trend;

- we must help countries in the

South with significant biomass,

hydraulic or solar-power potential to

concentrate their own R&D resour-

ces on projects that use such potential

wisely and capitalise on it locally.

>

International Institute for Applied Systems

Analysis (IIASA):

www.iiasa.ac.at

>

World Energy Council (WEC):

www.worldenergy.org

>

Les cahiers de Global Chance:

www.agora21.org/editiona21.html

>

Observatoire des énergies renouvelables:

www.energies-renouvelables.org

>

French national energy debate:

www.debat-energie.gouv.fr

On the web

Source:

La Production d’ lectricit d’origine

renouvelable dans le monde, sixi me

inventaire

, Observatoire des énergies

renouvelables (Observ'ER) - EDF, 2004.

renewable

conventional (fossil or nuclear)

In Terawatt hours

3 840

17

1 000

2 000

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Electricity output from renewable energy sources still marginal

Research budget

World potential for 2020

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