Alternative Energy Supplies
Workshop Report by John Otranto-Semmler
John Otranto-Semmler, Fed. Rep. of Germany. Executive Director of Global Care.
Ladies and Gentlemen! About half of our
time was spent discussing alternative energy --
wind, hydro, wave, biomasse, solar and solar-hydrogen
-- and about half composing a report to you
which is pragmatic and useful now.
Existing large-scale energy systems like
hydro, nuclear and fossil fuels are criminal. They
destroy health and nature. Industrialized nations
produce an excess of energy, and we want to give
you some examples. Germany, for example: One
third of Germany's energy source, of course,
comes from nuclear power. Germany presently
has a 45-percent over-capacity, they can produce
45 percent more than it needs. And studies have
shown that it can reduce its present energy consumption
by 50 percent if it were only used more efficiently,
and that's without significantly affecting the quality
of anyone's life. And there have been studies done in
the United States, for example by the Rocky Mountain
Institute and by Professor Barry Commoner that show that
the United States could reduce its energy consumption by
60 to 70 percent, simply by a more efficient use of the
energy that it's now using. It's possible to stop the
use of nuclear energy in Germany and perhaps in the
United States right now. Without a significant change
in anyone's life.
We found that there is an urgent need to:
1. change the global energy policy to one
of decentralization;
2. for industrial nations to conserve
energy and to use energy more efficiently;
3. to increase research and development
funds spent on alternative energy with the goal to
reduce alternative energy costs, making it more
widely available; and
4. to prohibit the export of nuclear
technology to developing nations and redirect those
resources into sustainable small-scale technologies,
especially solar.
One fifth of the world's population uses
four fifths of the world's energy, while four fifths of
the global population has the greatest potential
to use alternative energy without affecting global
warming. Information on alternative energy and
these technologies, especially solar, need to be
made directly available to the people and their
governments in developing nations. Those of us
living in industrialized nations need to be more
conscious about the energy we use, we need to
commit to conserve energy and use alternative
energy -- especially solar -- in our daily private and
professional lives now, not later. And the greatest
source of all energy -- love -- is available always to
all.
Thank you.