May the Sun Shine On The World: Solar Energy To Rival Nuclear Energy

May the Sun Shine On The World:Solar Energy To Rival Nuclear Energy DT Barki www.solarnest.net

Mahatma Gandhi’s Observation “Wildlife is decreasing in the forests and they are increasing in the cities” Man has become like wild animals in the midst of the concrete and vehicular jungle

Maxim Gorky’s Assessment The modern technologies have taught man how to fly like bird in the sky, and how to swim like fish in the water. But none of the technologies have taught man how to live like man on the earth

Every Technology Has Taken Toll of the Earth • And, no scientist has ever provided the details of ‘repercussions’ of the technology he has invented • Alfred Nobel, for example, Instituted Nobel peace Awards to wash off the sins of his inventions…. that left the world under the constant threat of deadly ‘explosives’

Man Used the Technologies Just as a Child is excited to ‘use’ Toys Automobiles! • Think of the air pollution • Think of the traffic snarls in the cities • Think of road-rage Ford did not anticipate all these problems when he invented his V8 engine (the first car of the world)

What about the Mobile Phones? • We were so excited when they entered the world… • Now, after a decade of ruthless use of these wonder devices, we hear that there are deadly ‘repercussions’ on the brain due to prolonged use. • And, • The beautiful sparrows have gone out of sight…

Every Man-made Thing has come with extreme Side Effects • Including the medical technologies… • They have their own ill-effects… But we do not worry, because • We seem to be enjoying what’s known as the ‘Itch-Scratch’ syndrome!

Fossil Fuels!? • Least said the better…. • Oil and coal have left their DINOSAURcarbon-footprints on the earth • No scientist, nor a technologist, nor an engineer warned the world of the ‘repercussions’ of their use, in the beginning • Today, we are saying NO to them because they are SHORTLY going to exhaust and they have already caused ‘something’ called Global Warming… • If it’s ‘inconvenient’ to hear or read, we can seek the ‘truth’ from the latest Nobel Laureate, Al Gore!

What Next?!?!?!?.... • Emmanuel Kant’s thoughts can now be remembered “Extract maximum from the earth with minimum pain to it and its inhabitants”

But… • Historically, man has been in hurry to use the ‘technologies’ before he learned their side-effects • We have ‘digged’ (read dug) and ‘drilled’ the earth so much …. • That these pits have become the ‘graveyards’ for the man and other living beings

Let’s NOT use the Nuclear Energy, now, until we ‘perfect’ the handling of nuclear waste • Let’s not commit the same mistakes of the past, in understanding the deadly repercussions

Let’s be Wise!!!

Let’s NOT repeat the mistake of the past Let’s NOT be in a hurry to embrace technologies without knowing their side effects

Then Let’s say NO to Nuclear Energy option Because no one has really proved comprehensively as to how to handle the nuclear wastage

All the fossil fuel based technologies have ‘ultimately’ failed I am not saying that Nuclear Energy option will be wrong But we are not yet ready to take-off from the nuclear runway…

Otherwise, we have the danger of CRASH LANDING

Remember, nuclear waste is NOT easy to handle • Radioactive elements take 100000 years to lose their life

Let us see Why People Scare Nuclear Energy • Nuclear power is costly, toxic and not 'emission free'. • It does not add substantial energy into the total energy portfolio. By 2020, it is expected to increase to a meager 7% from the present 2%! • Nuclear Energy is the offshoot of the US defense technology, where it was developed only for atomic bombs. People have NOT forgotten the Hiroshima and Nagasaki killings • Nuclear means ‘atom bomb’ of massive and enormous explosion ability

Nuclear power is still unsafe and cannot help the world meet its pollution targets. • It’s Expensive • It produces dangerous waste • Environmentally unfriendly • Security threat • Real alternatives available

EXPENSIVE • Costs more than wind - In 2002 the UK Cabinet Office estimated that nuclear could cost over 40% more per kWh than on/off-shore wind. • Waste of money - Construction costs are large and unpredictable with delays causing greater losses. Windfarm costs are known, smaller and falling. • Hits taxpayers - Disposal of existing waste will cost around £56 billion. More reactors mean more waste, with no guarantee that costs won't be passed on to the public.

Dangerous waste • Highly radioactive - Nuclear waste can remain dangerous for tens of thousands of years. • Deadly inheritance - No one has yet demonstrated a safe way of disposing of it . • Accidents do happen - Leaks and near misses cannot be ruled out.

Environmentally unfriendly • Way off target - Doubling nuclear power would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at most eight per cent. • Not emission free - Mining and transporting uranium, building nuclear plants and storage of nuclear waste all produce carbon dioxide emissions. • Only electricity - It will not replace petrol and diesel - currently responsible for around 30% world carbon emissions.

Security threat • Weapons - Uranium enrichment plants can be misused to make nuclear weapons. • Terrorists – It’s difficult to keep the nuclear technology from falling into the hands of terrorists • Vulnerable - No nuclear reactor could withstand a direct hit from a jumbo jet. • Nowhere to hide - A successful attack could have an impact 40 times worse than the explosion at Chernobyl. • US alone possesses nuclear 10,000 nuclear warheads that could destroy earth 100 times

The Power of Terrorism! …..Unmatched with the best military power of themost powerful country in the world!!

The Proof !?!? 9/11

The US with the highest military strength was a mute spectator along with the rest of the world on the fateful 9/11

Terrorism Vs Military Might America has 10000 nuclear warheads that can destroy the Earth 100 times! With such a military strength the US could not stop those two planes that hit the TWIN TOWERS and the PENTAGON!!

Real alternatives • No need for nuclear – World’s vast renewable resources at large and India’s in particular, combined with simple energy-saving tactics provide a safer, cleaner and more sensible solution. • Secure supply - Renewable energy sources could generate more than half our current electricity needs by 2025. • Quick technology - All the major renewable technologies can be implemented within three years. We'd be waiting at least ten years for full-pledged nuclear infrastructure. • Bright idea - A programme to phase out inefficient light bulbs could save a whole reactor's worth of electricity by 2020. CFLs have contributed already in this direction. And, LED technology is the recent brightest idea to tackle lighting issues • Forward thinking - We could save fifteen reactor's worth by investing in the potential of using waste heat to generate electricity.

Real Renewable Energy Options • Wind • Solar • Biomass

Nature • “Nature does nothing useless” thus said Aristotle • There’s great wisdom in following the NATURE (but the same cannot be said when you follow the MAN!)

= Electricity from the Sun energy captured within 60 minutes World energy requirement for entire one year

“I would put my money on the Sun and solar energy” – Thomas Edison

May the Sun Shine On The World: Solar Energy To Rival Nuclear Energy