On a day when I read about a massive new oil field in Australia capable of supplying as much oil as Saudia Arabia —
This massive discovery has put the Saudis into a panic
— I think to myself, is there any hope? Or will we just scarf all that oil up too, continue to heat the planet up even more and even longer with our addiction to the Military/Pharmaceutical/Medical/Surveillance/Corporate Governmental INDUSTRIAL Complex and put off the day of reckoning to the third generation rather than the second?
On the other hand, according to OPEC, it takes three to ten years to develop an oil field. That’s three to ten years of transition that we could be making to renewable energy sources, and, as usual, South America is leading the way, this time combining solar energy with social equity.
Those of us who talk about “peak oil” also speak of a “hard” or “soft” landing. Let’s hope we can create a soft landing. Of course, this kind of talk doesn’t count on ETs to save us with free energy; nor does it mention all the tinkerers in garages busy with all sorts of free or nearly-free energy inventions that then get bought up by giants and put on the shelf or their inventors assassinated . . .
Peru To Provide Free Solar Power To 2 Million Of Its Poorest Residents
July 18, 2013
by Mandy Adwell
Peru has initiated a new solar panel program that will provide electricity to more than 2 million of its poorest residents, Don Lieber over at Planetsave has reported.Currently, only 66% of Peru’s 24 million people has access to electricity, according to the country’s Energy and Mining Minister Jorge Merino. By 2016, the plan is to provide electricity to 95% of residents through The National Photovoltaic Household Electrification Program.“This program is aimed at the poorest people, those who lack access to electric lighting and still use oil lamps, spending their own resources to pay for fuels that harm their health,” he said.
The first phase will install 1,601 solar panels in the Contumaza province, enough to power 126 communities throughout Cupisnique, San Benito, Chilete, Tantarica, Yonan, San Luis, and Contai. The second phase of the project will involve 12,500 PV systems to provide 500,000 households, about 2 million people, with free electricity. The overall cost will be around $200 million.
Peru has incredible access to sunlight, so this is the perfect way to take advantage of natural resources while providing a valuable service to residents of all income levels. Makes you wonder why more countries can’t do the same, doesn’t it?
Image CC licensed by Julia Manzerova: Solar panels in Peru.
Via Inhabitat via Planetsave
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