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!e* b+t "el)om "eem able to wor, together on the "ame $""+e* however cr+c$al $t $"* even when )ee! m$"ery or arme) con-l$ct" en"+e. Cl$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 $n"tance* that the 0orl) Ban, ha" "tarte) to recon"$)er $t" -+n)$ng o- coal !lant"* an) the Internat$onal Energy %gency $" at la"t ma,$ng wave" a" $t !romote" energy e--$c$ency wh$le other agenc$e" are "t$ll !+"h$ng the "earch -or more o$l re"erve". Cl$mate )e"tab$l$"at$on ha" been ac,nowle)ge) a" the "$ngle mo"t cr+c$al concern threaten$ng l$-e a" we ,now $t. everthele""* ( 1CCC negot$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$ve the -loor to tho"e re"!on"$ble -or creat$ng the )amage. 'oo o-ten the "earch -or energy ha" been a""oc$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 con-l$ct" $n the 2$))le Ea"t are )$rectly or $n)$rectly l$n,e) to the owner"h$! 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$r energy 3 an om$""$on that a))" to the )$"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$ce* more o-ten than not !er!et+at$ng an en)le"" cycle o- !overty. Proc+r$ng energy )oe" not nee) to be "o br+tal. %genc$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 wel-are. 'he latter* when mea"+re) not $n term" o- the tra)$t$onal an) $na)e5+ate 6ro"" Dome"t$c Pro)+ct 76DP8 b+t rather $n term" o- the 6en+$ne Progre"" 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* began e/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+r ecolog$cal )ebt. 'he -$nanc$al an) other co"t" o- )o$ng "o are re-lecte) $n the !re"ent "tate oboth the env$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$ll want more acce"" to -o""$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 o-ten l$m$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 the nee) to $ncrea"e "+!!ly at all co"t". B+t grabb$ng more re"o+rce" $" not the way. 4n the contrary* "+ch an a!!roach $ncrea"e" +nacce!table r$"," at $ncalc+lable co"t". 2oreover* $t

$" +neth$cal* con"$)er$ng that $t $" o-ten -ore$gn com!an$e" that )evelo! energy re"o+rce" $n co+ntr$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 $m!rove global h+man wel-are. &lowly b+t "+rely* we m+"t !ha"e o+t energy "o+rce" "+ch a" -o""$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) that goe" 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) $nto a very com-ortable mater$al worl)* b+t th$" bene-$t "ho+l) not have rema$ne) +n"hare). Renewable energy can be energy -or all "$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 can enjoy w$tho+t harm$ng other". 6overnment" an) $ntergovernmental agenc$e" "ho+l) jo$n the gra""root" @ye" $n my bac,yar)= 7>I2B>8 movement $n the ma,$ng* wh$ch a""ert" that o+r energy "y"tem" can br$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$th -ewer re"o+rce con-l$ct"* !art$c+larly $n relat$on to energy. 'h$" co+l) al"o contr$b+te to worl) !eaceB what a bon+"C *Dr. Hlne Connor-Lajambe* -ormer 4ECD a)m$n$"trator* $" the -o+n)er an) honorary !re"$)ent o- HELI4 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 $" ta,en -rom &ta,ehol)er 1or+m=" magaD$ne 4+treach wh$ch too, $t -rom I""+e EFGH9E o- @&ec+r$ty Comm+n$ty=* the magaD$ne o- the 4rgan$"at$on -or &ec+r$ty Comm+n$ty $n E+ro!e 74&CE8. IID -InDe!th ew" 3 ovember 9J* GH9EK GH9E ID -InDe!th ew" | %naly"$" '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,A htt!AFFtw$tter.comFInDe!th ew" htt!AFFwww.-aceboo,.comFID .6o$ngDee!er