Walter Hickel, Chairman of the Northern Forum, Discussing his UN address Why war? Why not big projects? with UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali.

• Photo of Walter Hickel and Boutros Boutros-Ghali
  
  
• Dear GENI Friend;
  
  
• Why War? Why not big Projects
  
  
• Quotes:
• President Dwight D. Eisenhower
• Margaret Mead
  
  
• Africa-Europe Electrical Interconnection and the prospects for Worldwide Interconnections
  
  
• Electricity Reduces Population Growth and Enables Sustainable Development
  • Graphs:
  • Life expectancy vs. Electricity
  • Infant Mortality vs. Electricity
  • Key to Graphs
  • Literacy vs. Electricity
  • Safe Drinking Water vs. Electricity
    
    
• Photo of a GENI exhibit

Every gun that it made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. President Dwight D. Eisenhower

The following is an excerpt of a presentation delivered by Walter Hickel, ex-Governor of Alaska and Secretary General of the Northern Forum.

Today I bring you a proposal for the next century. I commend it to all nations and NGO's for their best thinking and creativity.

Philosophers have talked for centuries about building a new world. Today we are meeting to discuss building peace. My conclusion is that to build a new world--to build peace--we must literally build it.

Historically, the world's most cynical leaders have used war as an economic strategy. War puts people to work and gives them a purpose. War concentrates the thoughts of a nation, making it think and act as one.

But why war? Why not big projects? After all, war is just a big project.

My idea is not new. It's as old as the pyramids and aqueducts of Rome.

The late inventor Buckminster Fuller conceived of a global energy network, linking the industrial and developing world with an energy grid. Existing electrical generators, unused during the night in the North, can be tapped--at the speed of light--to bring poverty fighting power to the South.

Two billion people live without electricity today. Show me any area in the world where there is a lack of energy, and I'll show you basic poverty. There is a direct tie-in between energy and poverty, energy and war, energy and peace.

While Fuller's global concept may seem like science fiction, electrical interconnections between regions--and even continents--can and must be tackled now. This can be a vast and visionary undertaking--worthy of our generation.

Some people may ask, Where will the money come from? I say money is not the problem. There's always enough money to go to war. It all depends on our priorities.

In some quarters, big projects today are notpolitically correct. Many sincere people believe small is beautifuland wilderness is the world. But we in the Far North understand the power of a big project to change society. Russia did it with the 6,500 mile trans-Siberian Railway. Alaska did it when we built the largest project in the history of free enterprise, the trans-Alaska oil pipeline. It mobilized our people, gave them a challenge, and a goal.

So, al we approach the end of this century, let's agree on some big projects and build them. Let's link up the world's excess electrical generating capacity with those most in need."

Eng. M. Maher Abaza, Egypt's Minister of Electricity and Energy

The following conclusions are from the keynote presentation to the International Conference on Large High-Voltage Electric Systems (CIGRE)August 28, 1994.

1. There are abundant potentials of hydroelectric energy in several parts of the world which are not yet harnessed. It is estimated that these potentials are of the order of 13,000 TWh/year, only about 15% are in operation. Development of these potentials and transmitting their energy to needy load centers, may prove to be more economical, in certain cases, than generation by thermal power plants. It is worthy to mention that the total world electric energy consumption is estimated to be about 12,000 TWh (Terawatt hours) during the year 1990, which is less than the potential of hydro-energy.
   
   
2. The development of the world's hydroelectric potentials and the construction of long distance transmission lines for the transport of the bulk hydroelectric energy from its distant sources to the utilization center is the aim of environmentalists as well as hope for the people of developing countries. The clean hydroelectric energy would replace electric energy produced by burning fossil fuels. The revenues from the export of the renewable hydro-energy would contribute to the sustained development of the producing countries.
   
   
3. In Northern Africa, the first step towards the fulfillment of these aims and hopes has started by the ratification of the agreement between Zaire and Egypt for the utilization of the potentials of the Zaire River for the benefit of some African countries. Exporting the excess energy to Europe is also considered.
   
   
4. It is proposed that successive steps should be taken for the development of the exploitable hydroelectric potentials in Northern Africa, which are estimated at about 1000 TWh per year. A strong high voltage transmission system is to be built to interconnect the hydroelectric projects together, as well as to provide strong ties to neighboring continents, (Europe and Asia) for the export of blocks of electric energy. Through the collective generation and export of hydroelectric energy, sustained development of countries in Northern Africa would be achieved. The revenues from electricity exports would pay back the investments in the power projects and also provide financing for sustained economic and social development.
   
   
5. Environmental issues caused by the combustion of fossil fuels are the present concern of the world. With the encouraging results of the Egypt-Zaire Interconnection study, it has become interesting to extend the interconnection to Europe for the import of clean hydroelectric energy to replace fossil fuel burning power plants.
   
   
6. The idea of the power pool of the Mediterranean Sea countries represents the first step in the integration of the European electricity system with the developing system of the countries of Northern Africa. The fulfillment of this integration will make it possible for increasing imports of clean electricity from Africa.
   
   
7. It is proposed that the electric utilities in the two continents of Europe and Africa should work closely and cooperate in the implementation of the hydroelectric projects in Northern Africa and the integration of the power system of the two continents.
   
   
8. CIGRE, being the most important organization for large electric systems, would adopt the subject of the integration of the power systems with and between continents for the transport of the hydroelectric energy from it far sources to the load centers. The objectives would be the alleviation some of the world's environmental problems. The sustained development of countries in Africa, Latin American and Asia, where hydro potentials are available and could be exported to the industrialized countries, can be achieved.

GENI's participation at the United Nations Conference on Population and Development (UNCPD) in Cairo Egypt, September 1994

While the issues of family planning, women's rights and abortion took center stage at the Population and Development conference, many global leaders recognized that many of their action plans could not be implemented without electricity. World Bank President Lewis Preston stated that over two million people today have no clean water or electricity.

Life Expectancy Vs Electricity Click here to get a full size image

GENI's research into the correlation between electricity and quality of life opened the eyes of many development experts. The charts below reveal a clear relationship between living standards and electricity consumption.

Increasing availability and use of electricity is generally associated with a higherquality of life. While different people and cultures disagree on how to define quality of life, several measures are commonly used. Here we will examine four of these--life expectancy, infant mortality (the number of children per 1000 live births who die in their first year), adult literacy rate, and the availability of safe drinking water.

Dot sizes represent the population in millions. The top 11 named countries comprise two thirds of the world's population. Thanks to Walt Venable for this research and graphics presentation.

Life expectancy definitely increases with energy consumption. Once a nation reaches 2000 kWh per capita, the average life expectancy is about 75 years. China's emphasis on controlling birth rates and improving health care has resulted in a higher than average life expectancy based on their energy consumption. The SE Asian nations could significantly improve life expectancy with increased availability of energy.

The pattern is the same for each chart--those people having less than 1000 Kilowatt-hours/capita/year remain in daily survival. Today, this constitutes 60% of the world's population. Approximately 20% of the population falls between 1000 and 2000 kWh/capita/year, and these people live in many of the newly industrialized economies of Latin America, Middle East and Southeast Asia.

Infant Mortality vs. Electricity Click here to get a full size image

Only 20% of the world (1.1 billion people) have more than 2000 kWh/capita/year, which appears to be a clear threshold between developing and developed societies.

Dr. Graeme Edwards, a medical doctor and GENI Board member, emphasized the need of electricity for the educational programs of women and children, and better health care services (i.e. refrigeration of vaccines and running diagnostic equipment). From sun-up to sundown people are spending their time handling basic survival needs of fetching water, collecting firewood, and feeding their families. In developed countries, electrical energy provides these services.

The World Health Organization and many hunger response groups have identified an Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) of 50 as the "point of no return" to a hungry nation status. No country which has achieved this level has ever gone back to an IMR of 50+. China's emphasis on controlling birth rates and improving health care has resulted in a lower than average IMR based on their electricity consumption. Many nations could significantly decrease their IMR with increased availability of electricity. Electricity provides the essential infrastructure for clean water, food preparation and refrigeration, and waste disposal.

Literacy Vs Electricity Click here to get a full size image

The situation becomes critical when you consider that in 10 years, projected population data suggests that over half of the world's population will be living in cities--and in many cases severely straining already overburdened infrastructures,Dr. Edwards emphasized.

These people will need electricity for schools, health services, transportation and communications as well as business and industry. This is a huge requirement in places where local renewable sources of energy is not easily tapped. Fortunately the electricity industry already has the technology to transfer the bulk quantities of power we are talking about to the places where you and I choose to live and work. Clearly, small and medium size energy projects are also required to meet the demands of rural populations. Research and history show that as living standards increase, insurance births of developing nations decrease.

Safe Drinking Water Vs Electricity Click here to get a full size image

When you realize that we are now adding 250,000 people per day to the planet, it becomes essential that we examine solutions that can meet the growing societal demands at a scale that is required. The linking of renewable energy resources around the world can meet that need.

As energy consumption reaches 1000 kWh per capita, it appears that nations can anticipate at least a 50% literacy rate. At 2000 kWh per capita, they can expect over 85% literacy rate, and at 4000 kWh per capita, virtually 100%.

Many countries did not report information on safe drinking water, hence some primary nations are missing from this chart. However, it is evident that an increase in energy consumption per capita brings sewage disposal and a greater ability to store, pump and filter water. Once a country reaches 2000 kWh per capita, they can expect that over 90% of the population will have potable water.

GENI's Peter Meisen and Dr. Graeme Edwards discussed the GENI mission with Vice President Al Gore and U.S. Undersecretary Tim Wirth in Egypt. They were also interviewed by the BBC, Middle Eastern Times, Nile TV, and had coverage on CNN, Globe and Mail, and many others.

A Buck-A-Day for Bucky

1995 is the 100th year since the birth of Dr. R. Buckminster "Bucky" Fuller on July 12, 1895.

Buckminster Fuller's Vision of "Spaceship Earth" is the inspiration for GENI's work.

GENI's vision is: For all people to have access to ecologically sustainable energy.

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"How do we make the world work for 100% of humanity inthe shortest possible time without ecological damage or the disadvantage to anyone?" Fuller's World Game™ Purpose Statement

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