renewable energy to eliminate energy poverty and mitigate a climate catastrophe stalactites of soot...

Renewable Energy to Eliminate Energy Poverty and

Mitigate a Climate Catastrophe

Stalactites of soot from an indoor cook stove

Name____________

Peace Corps______

Date______________

Module A 1. Challenges: Energy Poverty & Rapid Climate Change

2. Solution: Renewable Energy

Module B 1. Steps to developing a renewable energy project

Module C 1. Examples of Successful Renewable Energy Projects

Agenda

Challenges

photo by PowerMundo

Rapid Climate Change

Whiteearth.org

Energy Access & A Climate Catastrophe

http://www.masterresource.org/2009/12/electricity-for-the-poor-what-they-really-ought-to-focus-on-in-copenhagen/

1.4 Billion People Without Electricity* & 3 Billion Cooking on Biomass**

*http://www.iea.org/weo/electricity.asp, **http://cleancookstoves.org

Consider Impacts of More Energy from Fossil Fuel or Renewable Energy

"Most of the observed increase in globally averaged temperature since the mid-20th century is very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic [human-caused] greenhouse gas concentrations," the IPCC 207 4th Assessment Report

“Hundreds of climate experts and government representatives from 113 countries labored …to reach unanimous agreement on the wording of each sentence in the 20-page summary for policymakers.”

Humans and Climate Change

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/02/070202-global-warming.html/

“Very likely” translates to 90% probability* Humans “very likely” responsible for climate change

Discuss: What are the reasons that people contest the science?

* photo: http://rst.gsfc.nasa.gov/Sect16/Sect16_1.html,

Survival - Extinctions Happen

About health & survival for people, life, & ecosystems

‘Earth will be just fine…..its the life on earth that may suffer’

Energy Poverty: “The lack of adequate, accessible and affordable energy to promote economic growth and satisfy basic human needs*

Energy Poverty & Development

**http://www.ofid.org/publications/PDF/EN_Energy_Poverty.pdf / ** Ambuj D. Sagar "Alleviating Energy Poverty for the World's Poor“ Journal Article, Energy Policy, volume 33, issue 11, pages 1367-1372

“Improving energy services for poor households in developing countries remains one of the most pressing challenges facing the development community.”**

Number of people without access to electricity

*earthtrends.wri.org/text/energy-resources/variable-1379.html

Number of People Without Access to Electricity

0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000

Peru

Mexico

Guatemala

Bolivia

Honduras

Nicaragua

Ecuador

El Salvador

Paraguay

Panama

Costa Rica

People in 1000's

Data not found for Suriname

Guyana

http://www.estandardsforum.org/system/briefs/262/original/brief-Guyana.pdf?1254987843

Number of people using biomass fuel for cooking

0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000 12,000 14,000

Mexico

Peru

Guatemala

Honduras

Paraguay

Nicaragua

Bolivia

El Salvador

Panama

Costa Rica

Ecuador

people in 1000's

Number of people cooking with biomass

Data not found for Suriname

Guyana

www.ehponline.org/docs/2006/8603/abstract.html

Electrification in Peace Corps Communities

* Taken from Peace Corps Regional offices response to survey Jan 2011

Country Electrification*

Costa Rica 99%

Peru 95%

Nicaragua 95%

Suriname 90%

Dominican Republic

89% rural / 99% urban

Panama 60%

Personal Impacts of Energy Poverty

Story Corps Activity

Energy Poverty

Impacts of Energy Poverty

Planet(Environmental)

Profit(Economic)

People(Social)

Impacts Activity

Planet(Environmental)

Profit(Economic)

People(Social)

- Increased deforestation rates- Indoor Air Pollution- Dirty living environment

- Disease, illness and death- Less time at night to study- Unable to see hazards (wild animals, criminals) - Lack of access to modern health services vaccines- Leads to migration to cities- exacerbates gender inequality- no access to information technology

- less work hours - no access to electrical tools- decrease in agriculture yields- decrease in worker productivity- correlation to poverty

Impacts of Energy Poverty

354 MW Luz SEGS Built 1984-1991

A Solution: Renewable Energy

photo- http://www.ashdenawards.org/winners/TECNOSOL10

photo by PowerMundo

Benefits of Renewable Energy in Developing Countries

Planet(Environmental)

Profit(Economic)

People(Social)

Benefits Activity

Potential Benefits of Renewable Energy

Planet(Environmental)

Profit(Economic)

People(Social)

- Decreased CO2 emissions- Decreased deforestation rates- Climate Change prevention

- Population stabilization- Reduce fossil fuel resource conflicts or wars - Promote equal opportunities- Improve educational opportunities- Reduced illness and accidents from fossil fuels- Illumination for Safety- Urban to rural migration

- New jobs, more jobs- New industries- Energy cost savings- Greater wage potential- Increased worker productivity- Energy Security- More working hours- Improve existing businesses

Additional Slides

Potential Impacts of Rapid Climate Change (Will Vary)

Planet(Environmental)

Profit(Economic)

People(Social)

Impacts Activity

Potential Impacts of Rapid Climate Change (will vary)

- Increase in agricultural cost and risk- Increase water and food costs- Increase in property damage and loses- Increase health cost- Higher energy cost (more AC)- Infrastructure cost- Decrease in ecotourism

- Soil degradation- Rising seas, lakes, oceans- Increase of natural disaster intensity- Extreme weather- Floods- Ocean Acidification- Increase in weeds, pests, pathogens- Decrease in Biodiversity

- Population migration- Wars for Resources and land- Increase morbidity and mortality- exacerbate inequalities within countries*- Food shortages, hunger 

Deminish Natural Capital

Source: United Nations Development Programme, 'Fighting climate change—human solidarity in a divided world', Human Development Report 2007–08, UNDP, 2008, p. 8.http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/hdr_20072008_summary_english.pdf.

Planet(Environmental)

Profit(Economic)

People(Social)