GLOBAL WARMING DENIERS CLUB
By Anton Antonio
November 14, 2015
A lot of
people really entertain doubts if there are people who still believe that
climate change is unreal and just the product of the minds of environmental
advocates and activists who simply are against “big oil and coal”. Here is a researched material on this
matter…
“WHAT DO FOSSIL FUEL COMPANIES REALLY KNOW ABOUT CLIMATE
CHANGE?
By Rodgers Phiri, Lusaka, Zambia
Renewable energy is now seen by many people around the world
as a cost-effective development solution for Zambia. A report released last week by international
development organization, Oxfam, argued that renewable energy is, in fact, a
more affordable energy source than coal for poor people in developing countries
around the world. For instance, to start
accessing power from Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO), a customer
needs about $1875 for both installation of electric wires and paying the
company to start supplying a given house hold with power. It is a rare case that a poor citizen in
Zambia can afford to pay this amount in order to start accessing power. The report argues that as a result of the
changing energy landscape around the world, the decreasing price of renewable
energies, and the often remote location of the majority of people who don’t
have access to electricity, renewable energy may actually offer a more reliable
and effective energy source. This is
real in Zambia with the current electricity load shading making it more
expensive, because those who have enough resources use solar energy as well as
generators, unlike those who cannot afford to acquire equipment that use
renewable energy. Instead of relying on
buying electricity units, the poor can actually use solar energy, which is
abundant in Zambia and at no cost.
According to report author, Dr. Simon Bradshaw, “Four out of five people
without electricity live in rural areas that are often not connected to a
centralized energy grid, so local, renewable energy solutions offer a much more
affordable, practical, and healthy solution than coal.” As already stated above, renewable energy is a
cheaper way of surviving for the poor, because they reduce their spending for
home consumption. For instance, Emerging
Cooking Solutions (ECS) in Zambia deals in cooking utensils that use renewable
energy and at a very cost effective rate.
The pallets, which are made from sawdust, are usually sold together with
the brazier to the poor families. This
is much more affordable for the poor people who cannot afford to buy
electricity or acquire expensive machinery to survive with the current
electricity load shading. “But as well
as failing to improve energy access for the world’s poorest people, burning
coal contributes to hundreds of thousands of premature deaths each year due to
air pollution and is the single biggest contributor to climate change.” As stated in my first article Call4climate
Change, most communities suffer various environmental and social challenges
including repeated pollution or contamination of their domestic water and land
resources; unclean air, causing a variety of lasting respiratory complications;
and damaged or run down social and economic infrastructure, such as recreation
facilities and roads, due to the heavy traffic or trucks carrying copper. The major communities suffering the effects
of pollutions are Mufulira, Kankoyo and Chilanga. This supports statements made this year by
the World Bank, IMF and former UN Security Chief, Kofi Annan, who have all
argued that renewable energy and not fossil fuels is the key to improving
energy access and reducing inequity, especially in developing countries. Earlier this year, it was revealed by the
Union of Concerned Scientists that some of the world’s largest fossil fuel
companies have been purposely spreading misinformation about climate
change. Some of the fossil fuel
companies included in the report are Kobil, BP. Chevron, Conoco, ExxonMobile,
Peabody Energy, Phillips, and Shell. In
fact, environmental group, Green peace, estimates that Exxon have spent about
30 million dollars on research and activist groups simply to promote
disinformation about global warming since 1981, according to a tally kept by
the campaign group, Greenpeace. However,
in spite of the best efforts of fossil fuel companies to spread climate denial
and prevent the spread of renewable energies, they have begun to grow at an
incredible speed around the world. This
is evident in Zambia, with the establishment of many filling stations in the
country. They say climate change is not
real, but these words fight them back, especially during a fuel shortage, which
is not a rare scenario in the country.
Some people are encouraged to use bicycles as a mode of transportation
and a climate change adapting measure. For
instance, in the Eastern province of Zambia, people have resorted to the use of
bicycles for transportation, because they will always survive the effects of
climate change. In fact, according to
Christine Lins, Executive Secretary of the Renewable Energy Network for the 21st
Century, “Last year, for the first time in 40 years, economic and emissions
growth have decoupled.” The Renewable
Energy Network was recently responsible for producing a global study of
renewable energy growth over the last 10 years.
What they found was quite surprising, even to its authors. “If you look back 10 years ago, Renewable
energies were providing 3 per cent of global energy, and now, they provide
something close to 22 per cent, so that has really sky-rocketed,” noted
Christine. In the last 30 years, the number
of climate change activists, environmental organizations, and firms offering
climate change solutions in Zambia has increased. The efforts of these environmental activists
are seen by the increase in the number of people using renewable energy. For instance, SNV and other organizations in
Zambia are encouraging the use of bio-gas obtained from toilet matter. This biogas can be used for all home
consumption. It is something very rare,
but gaining popularity, in terms of usage in Zambia. Zambia is learning from countries like
Uruguay, which aims to generate 90% of its electricity from renewable sources
by 2015, and Costa Rica, which has maintained 100% renewable energy generation
for the first 100 days of this year.
Public institutions, such as city councils in the country, have resorted
to renewable energy as a result of increased electricity charges. The Lusaka city council has started using
solar energy to power the street lights.
This is even reducing the council’s expenditure, because they will be
using free solar energy, which is also renewable. These countries are not alone and are fast
becoming the norm, rather than the “alternative.” Even small developing countries, such as
Burundi, Jordan and Kenya, are leading the world by investing in renewable
energies as a percentage of GDP. This is
important for Zambia and other countries embracing renewable energy, because
these renewable energies are releasing less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere,
thereby contributing less to change in climatic conditions. Fossil fuel companies don’t really know about
climate change, because their main interest is making money and more
profit. Other fossil fuel companies know
about it, but they turn a blind eye and are being attracted by the increase in
the number of fossil fuel motor vehicles.
It is encouraging to know that the Eastern province of Zambia has
prioritized the use of bicycles. This is
helping to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide being released into the
atmosphere. The life span of
non-renewable resources in being extended by the continued use of renewable
energy. For instance, the use of solar
energy extends other non-renewable resources, such as fuel and coal.”
Extending the life span and availability may not auger well
with big fossil fuel business. There is
only one word to describe their intention: profit, profit and more profit now
and not later. This is the interest and
mindset of the global warming deniers club.
Thoughts to
promote positive action…
REFERENCE:
