Back to solar energy

From Merdeka

Since the industrial revolution in the 18th century, humanity has "abandoned the sun". Now on the threshold of the third millennium, there seems to be a "movement back to the sun", the only source of energy which will never be depleted, also wind, water (hydrogen) and geo-thermal heat. That is part of the introduction to the translation of the book by Christopher Flavin and Nicholas Lensen (Revolusi Energi, Yayasan Obor Indonesia, 1995).

The two authors state that the industrial revolution swept away almost completely humanity's dependence on solar energy. Large-scale exploitation of fossil fuel started. Now, toward the end of the 20th century, humanity realizes that his dependence on fossil fuel will destroy the earth.

For some decades, nuclear power has seemed attractive because of its great capacity to generate electric power. However, there is plenty of proof of its economic, technical and safety failures. The cases of nuclear accidents like Three Mile Island and the most spectacular one, Chernobyl, have resulted in the growth of the movement rejecting nuclear power.

In my opinion there are two main reasons for pushing humanity "back to the sun". First, the pragmatic and most pressing reason to save life on earth as a result of environmental destruction. Second, human religiosity, the awakening of man's desire to leave the next generation a place that is not too bad to live in, and the awareness that God has given us many choices, thus inviting man to make wise choices based on common sense.

So far, modern society has neglected the potential of solar energy and other sources which are renewable, clean and abundant. Solar energy on earth amounts to 2.5 million exajoules a year, which is 6,000 times the energy consumed by humankind in 1990, while global wind energy is five times the supply of global power now.

ANDREAS ISWINARTO

Central Jakarta