[an error occurred while processing this directive]

LATEST SUBMISSIONS

Support Our Troops - with 200,000 Iraqi Solar Energy Technicians

Tuesday, January 30 at 9:53 AM

This Speakout has not been edited

By Jason Spellberg, Boulder, and Laura Hagg

During Tuesday's State of the Union address, President Bush urged support for his "new" Iraq strategy. But most Americans don't regard sending 20,000 more troops to be much of a policy shift. Indeed, the Bush Administration seems to be following the same game plan that has, so far, failed to control Iraq's spiraling violence. And even if these troop reinforcements do stabilize Baghdad - which is far from certain - the victory is sure to be fleeting, because the Sunni Triangle remains deeply divided along sectarian lines. It's hard to imagine that even a reinforced U.S. military can appreciably transform the destructive mindsets of so many Iraqis. And with most Iraqis now blaming U.S. forces for enflaming the violence, simply sending more troops might even make the situation worse.

In order to maximize the chances that our military succeeds, the Bush Administration should recognize that Iraq's problems cannot fundamentally be resolved via force alone - especially not an occupying one. Because widespread community involvement is the most effective way to get Iraqis to cooperate in building rather than destroying, U.S. policymakers should consider an entirely new approach to the reconstruction itself. Specifically what is needed is a large-scale, grassroots development effort that effectively galvanizes "ordinary" Iraqis to eagerly participate, en masse, in the reconstruction of their country. A nationwide, community-based solar electrification program, coordinated centrally but implemented locally, may be just the support our troops need.

Why solar? Well, there are actually many compelling reasons, but here are four:

First, Iraq's sun, unlike its oil, is a collective, inexhaustible, and uniformly distributed resource (i.e., no sectarian group has a geographic monopoly), meaning that it can be harnessed and distributed without instigating further conflict.

Second, because solar arrays require no fuel, their ability to generate electricity cannot be compromised by attacking fuel distribution infrastructure. Thus, solar power is harder to sabotage than fossil-fuelled energy - a key plus in war-torn, electricity-starved Iraq.

Third, solar panels are very easy to install and maintain, enabling masses of underemployed Iraqis to be quickly trained as photovoltaic technicians. This ease of deployment aspect, combined with the undeniable life-improving benefits associated with solar energy, could impart average Iraqis a powerful incentive to get involved by helping to install more panels. After all, electricity to light and air-condition one's home - and to refrigerate one's food - represents a valuable commodity in Iraq's harsh desert environment. Solar electrification thus offers Iraqis an immediate, tangible reward for doing something positive about their frustration with the paltry reconstruction progress.

Finally, a solar electrification campaign has enormous public relations potential. With some shrewd leadership on the part of Iraq's central and/or regional governments, such a program could be hyped-up into a clever "Power to the People" initiative that further entices Iraqis to set aside sectarian differences in favor of modernizing their country - community-by-community. And because Iraqi masses would be doing all the work, radicalists might find sabotage increasingly difficult to execute without instigating intense popular backlash. Solar electrification is therefore one of the few reconstruction proposals that has a decent chance of weakening the insurgency and shifting Iraq's public opinion more towards U.S. favor.

Contrast this multitude of benefits with the stark disadvantages of conventional, "top-down"-oriented development projects - such as the $27 billion network of diesel generators the Iraqi government has proposed installing in Baghdad. While solar power can help liberate Iraq from its horrible civil conflict by invigorating the reconstruction via widespread community implementation of a plentiful, securable energy source, conventional projects like diesel electrification just reinforce the status quo by doling more money out to large, multinational contractors - who then eschew grassroots participation in favor of exclusive, specialized work teams. Hence, conventional development does little to encourage the cross-sectarian collaboration and widespread employment upon which Iraqi unity ultimately depends.

Of course, to make a truly formidable nationwide impact, Iraq needs solar energy on a grand scale: scores of giant, megawatt-sized arrays that really help bolster the country's feeble electrical services by harnessing lots of that infamous desert sun. Only a large-scale public works program offering powerful socio-economic incentives can align the entire nation towards a steadfast, singular objective - no security force could ever impose such a profound transformation entirely on its own.

How much will all this cost? Well, a five-megawatt solar energy program implemented in a few select communities might run about $25 million. But this investment could reap astonishing returns. Not only would it electrify thousands of Iraqi homes - most of which currently endure deplorable basic services - it would also promote a durable, environmentally-friendly technology that, unlike petroleum-based energy, is ideally suited to encourage essential community involvement in the reconstruction. If successful, this pilot program could then be expanded into a nationwide campaign perhaps 100-times larger, thereby proliferating the stability upon which more conventional aspects of the reconstruction so crucially depend.

But the most compelling grounds for considering this proposal might be that it offers enormous potential reward at minimal cost. Indeed, a mere $25 million can establish the efficacy of a truly original development plan - one that can lend critical support to our military as it struggles to finish an extremely arduous mission. We owe it to our troops to try.

READER COMMENTS

I think this is a SPLENDID idea! It is very well thought out and presented! You need to send this to everyone you can think of in the Senate and the Administration, especially President Bush. I bet Al Gore would be intrigued by this. This is a very positive and proactive way to bring the Iraqi people together for a common cause. It would also be a way for Americans to feel that we are doing something that is constructive and affirmative. A national project like this would help bring peace and could have a real impact on the lives of the people of Iraqi AND Americans. Well done!

Posted by Laurelanne on February 2, 2007 11:42 AM