“African villagers used to spend their days and evenings sewing clothes for their neighbors, on foot peddle powered sewing machines. Once they get electricity they will spend too much time watching television and listening to the radio.” - Gar Smith, Earth Island Institute 1“It's just not possible for people to have the material lifestyle of the average American. I'm proud that we've been able to block almost 300 hydroelectric projects in developing countries.” - Brent Blackwelder, president of Friend of the Earth. 1
These comments are examples of eco-imperialism—policies that seek to protect the environment but deny impoverished people the chance for better lives. It violates the rights of mostly poor, desperate Africans, Asians and Latin Americans, denying them economic opportunities and the chance for better lives. 2
Paul Driessen notes, “Eco-alarmists tell impoverished Africans that global warming is the greatest threat they face. Those people rarely or never have electricity and must burn wood and animal dung, resulting in lung diseases that cause millions of deaths annually. Yet alarmists oppose fossil fuel power plants, as well as nuclear and hydroelectric projects—guaranteed that Africa's poverty and death toll will continue.” 3
Poverty is the world's most critical environmental problem. Reducing poverty throughout the world should be a top priority for everyone.
Energy has been a key factor in lifting people out of poverty. With the invention of ingenious methods to harness fuel resources, the energy extracted from naturally available resources like fossil fuels increased rapidly in the past two centuries. As a result, economies grew and people rose out of poverty. However, the energy revolution and industrialization occurred largely in Europe, North America, and a few Asian countries. 4
Most countries in South America, Asia and Africa remained either undeveloped or underdeveloped. Late arrival of industrialization meant the countries lag far behind the western world economically.
If there ever was a time in history when the developing nations needed fossil fuels, it is now reports Vijay Jayaraj. 4
In the 19th and 20th centuries, because of fossil fuel powered industrial growth, life expectancy in the United Kingdom and other Western countries grew rapidly For example, in the UK, it improved from 71 in 1960 to 81 in 2011.
Meanwhile in underdeveloped countries like India and Indonesia life expectancy was only 41 and 48 respectively in the 1960s and by 2011 reached only about 66 and 68 respectively—still way behind that in the UK and US in the 1960s. In Africa in 1960, life expectancy was 40, and in 2011 it was 58.
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Developed countries—like the US and UK—use highly efficient technologies and have a higher per capita energy consumption. Developing countries cannot transition to a highly productive, technology-dominated phase like that in developed nations without greatly increased per capita electricity consumption. This increase in electricity demand, especially in highly populous countries like Africa, India, China, and Brazil, cannot be met without fossil fuels. Why? Because other energy generation methods like renewables are incapable of providing reliable and affordable electricity. 4
The use of fossil fuels has been the major pathway for economic success in the West. The only alternative system of energy sources available are the renewable dominated energy grids in places like California and Germany, which have now proved to be disastrous in terms of grid stability and affordability. Here are examples:
California Governor Gavin Newsom said that the state's transition away from fossil fuels is a contributing factor to the state's rolling blackouts. The elimination of fossil fuel products as a major form of energy production and the shift to solar power and other forms of green energy has led to what Newsom called 'gaps' in the energy grid's reliability. 5
In 2017 German families and businesses were pummeled by 172,000 localized blackouts. In 2019, some 350,000 German families had their electricity cut off because they couldn't pay their power bills. 6
In spite of the eco-imperialism comments mentioned earlier, Africa is expected to increase its coal use by 2040 by almost 70 percent. 7
Another alternative: economic, environmental and practical reasons make nuclear power Africa's best option.
Nuclear is most certainly a source of sustainable clean energy. At least seven African countries have signed agreements with the Russian nuclear company Rosatom to develop nuclear capabilities. Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are currently being developed, which are ideal for deployment in virtually any location. Large conventional nuclear can be 3000 megawatts (MW) in output, whereas SMR is only about 100 MW. 8
South Africa's Department of Mineral Resources and Energy said in May 2020 it wants a plan to procure as much as 2.5 GW of nuclear generation capacity within the next five years.
China is South Africa's most important trading partner, an important source of investment, and has been making inroads there for a while. Yet, though China may have an edge in trade with South Africa, Russia is actively pursuing export of its nuclear technology across the continent, as it is doing around the globe. 9
So, even though Africa will increase its coal use in the future, nuclear is a viable option on the horizon.
References
Deroy Murdock, “Killing people and dreams,” nationalreview.com, February 3, 2004
Paul Driessen, Eco-Imperialism, (Bellevue, Washington, Free Enterprise Press, 2003)
Paul Driessen, “Leader of none,” townhall.com, September 5, 2009
Vijay Jayaraj, “Yes, we need more fossil fuels in the developing world,” stream.org, December 11, 2020
Chris White, “Gaps in renewable energy led to blackouts for millions of Californians, Gov Newsom says,” dailycaller.com, August 17, 2020
Paul Driessen, “How exactly do they plan to replace fossil fuels?”, wattsupwiththat.com, March 16, 2020
Institute for Energy Research, “Over 60% of Africans without power-will build coal power plants,” Canada Free Press, August 12, 2014
Kelvin Kemm and Knox Msebenzi, “Sensible, sustainable nuclear power for Africa,” wattsupwiththat.com, January 20, 2021
Darrell Proctor, “Russia, China drive Africa's plan for nuclear expansion,” powermag.com, July 1, 2020
Jack Dini is author of Challenging Environmental Mythology. He has also written for American Council on Science and Health, Environment & Climate News, and Hawaii Reporter.
