Energetic models between approval and political fight
The year 2005, as expected, has been a crucial year for
global environmental issues. Important events were the ratification
of the Kyoto Protocol and the tragedies related to the tropical
hurricanes that devastated the Caribbean area and some territory
in the United States. All of these events are related to
energy problems and global warming.
After the recent Conference of the Parties
in Montreal (Cop 11) for the application of the Kyoto protocol,
a general satisfaction of the conclusions and the final
standpoints of the USA has been reported. Many (political)
commentators have mentioned the hurricane Katerina disaster
and its management by central and local American authorities
to explain this satisfactory USA standpoint. The fact that
it is impossible for the USA to support further international
isolation, after the war in Iraq, might play a role as well
according to these commentators. This may be partly true,
but according to us, four specific factors have been of
significant importance:
1. The growing support for the principles
of Kyoto by many American local administrations, and by
entire states, with the application of the consequent measures;
2. The strategies of a significant part
of Americans Companies that operate on a global scale;
these groups foresee a long-term economic return of investment
in sustainable energy systems (effective, efficient and
renewable);
3. The growing influence in the USA of the
Green Power movement, with the militant involvement
of the most important showbiz personalities;
4. The medium- and long-term analyses that
the best and most dynamic American research centres - including
the Pentagon itself are conducting.
Information about all of this can be found
on our website.
New scenarios are beginning to take shape
observing with attention the fast economic growth of some
countries (particularly India, China and Brazil) and the
renewed role of others (Russia).
Our hope is that the people making the future
decisions about questions of environment and energy in our
country will learn from passed experiences. We have to avoid
making the same mistakes as the ones made in the conference
of the Parties in November 2000 (Cop 6). In that occasion
the mediation of Clintons Administration, agreeing
immediately to the Kyoto protocol and anticipating it by
5 years, wasnt accepted. Equally we have to limit
fundamentalist temptations of looking for easy consents
by isolating todays or tomorrows bad guys.
The role that Europe, but also Italy, could
have in supporting the implementation of renewable energy
politics in countries that are growing rapidly, also with
the use of renewable sources, is fundamental and must be
played as additional instead of alternative politics of
necessary local innovation. It should be clear that these
innovations for Italy dont mean a resumption of the
nuclear program. While for the other European countries
the innovation must be understood as persisting, perfecting
and planning the escape from the nuclear system.