The Commons of Atmosphere

A developing society, such as India and other countries still needing electrification with citizens unserved or underserved, is in a different position. In developing countries, the policy makers are faced with the question of priorities. Specifically, the question is one of whether full electrification in the near term is a higher priority than reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. As India and some other developing countries have determined the lowest cost power for electrification comes from mining their own coal and developing their own fossil fuel facilities rather than renewable sources. Thus, India and other developing countries have chosen full electrification as a higher priority. (This is of course, without a carbon tax or price on carbon included in the cost benefit analysis.)

India’s Coal Secretary Amrit Lal Meena explains the decision in terms of “Our energy needs are first and foremost. The share of other sectors, like renewable energy is not keeping up with our energy demand. Therefore, our dependence on coal is established.”

Yes, I am aware that it would be preferable to electrify previously unserved communities with wind or solar. However, multiple governments have concluded that this is not feasible if the level of power (kilowatts of capacity) needed is commensurate with customer expectations and demand. Scientific American reported a while back that Villagers with new solar installations in India called the new electric service “fake” electricity when power levels were not adequate to operate refrigeration, rice cookers and other larger domestic applications.

The UN’s former energy head Dr. Kandeh Umkella has called solar in Africa “men’s power” as it operated cell phones, video games, TVs and DVDs but not the sewing machines, washing machines and dryers that mother’s needed.

Complicating the calculation of “net” greenhouse gas emissions is the issue of how emissions are calculated in developing countries. If emissions are only estimated from existing power plants without recognition of emissions from personal use - open fires and home ovens - then net estimates of additional new central station power plants, needed for full electrification - will be incorrect. In an interview Dr. Yumkella stated “…the World Health Organization and also some people at the University of Berkeley have estimated that globally every year we have 4 million premature deaths a year due to pulmonary related to indoor air pollution arising from the use of charcoal, firewood and other sources of bio mass.” 

Therefore, to the estimated 759 million people on earth still without access to electricity the reality is that they can, in the short run, only be supplied by fossil fuels. This means that the developed world must reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to compensate for the newly electrified as well to correct for our own emissions. The atmosphere is common to us all and yet our ability to contribute to solving the problem is not equally distributed. We in developed countries, disproportionately benefiting from the industrial and digital age must also disproportionately address the problem.