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1、ECO-IMPERIALISM:GreenPower-BlackDeathExcerptsfromChapters(Note:Allendnotesandcitationsinoriginaltexthavebeendeleted;asterisksdenotemissingtext.)7.RenewableEnergyMirages*****Thenotionthatwearerunningoutofenergy(andmetal)resourcesalsoreflectsanabysmalgraspofbasicmineraleconomicprinciples.“
2、Provenreserves”isnotastaticnumber.Itreflectswhatwecanexpecttoextractfromknowndepositsataparticularcommoditypriceandwithexistingtechnology.Asmoredepositsarediscovered,pricesincrease,andtechnologiesimprove,provenreservenumbersalsorise,oftendramatically.InMay2003,tocitejustoneexample,Canada
3、increaseditsprovenoilreservefiguresfrom4billionbarrelsto180billionbarrels!Literallyovernight,withthestrokeofapen,itbecameaglobalpetroleumpowerhouse,behindonlySaudiArabiaandIraqintotalreserves.Canadawasabletodothissimplybyrecognizingthat,atjust$15perbarrel,itsvasttarsandreserveswerecommer
4、ciallyandtechnologicallyproducible.Moreover,societalneedsandscientificbreakthroughsconstantlychangethekindsandamountsofenergy,metallicandnon-metallicresourcesweneed.Becauseofincrementalimprovementsinextrusiontechnology,aluminumbeveragecansarenow30percentlighterthantheywereinthe1960s,dram
5、aticallyreducingtheamountofmetalneededtomakeabillioncans.Improvementsintensilestrengthandarchitecturaldesignmeanmodernhigh-risebuildingsrequire35percentlesssteelthandidtheircounterpartsamere20yearsago.Andtoday,asinglefiber-opticcablemadefrom60poundsofsilicasand(themostabundantelementonea
6、rth)carrieshundredsoftimesmoreinformationthandidan“old-fashioned”cablemadeifrom2,000poundsofcopper.Thirdandmostimportant,forNorthernHemisphereNGOsandpolicymakerstotellThirdWorldnationsthattheymustrelyonwindandsolarpower–andforegohydroelectricorfossilfuelprojects–istodeprivetheworld’spoor
7、estcitizensofreliable,affordableenergy.Itcondemnsbillionsofpeopletocontinuedpovertyandmisery.Anditdoessofornovalidreason–butonlytopromotetheideologiesofvocalactivistswhoseindifferencetothisabjectpovertywilleventuallyprovetheirundoing.iLynnScarlettandJaneShaw,Environmental
