Hello Taran,
I think we have to shift our focus. Solar energy should not be view as powering
up computers ONLY to resolve DD issue.
To me Solar energy = ELECTRICITY. Why should we care whether it is use for
computer or refrigerator? Or a light source where a child can read/study at
night? Or electricity for hospitals, street-lights?
Yes. Initial cost is high BUT long term benefits (or woes) are even higher.
What I see here is short-sightedness in planning and allocation of priority.
Buidling a dam is expensive too. But which one can solved power supply quickly
and effectively? Dam or solar panel or wind energy? In the developed world we
have the choice of green energy or 'regular' energy therefore we are comparing
prices in dollar and cent. And we use 'cheap' gasoline because we no longer
have to pay for the 'the initial costly expenses'. The infrastructures are
there. The choice for the developing world is what can deployed quickly so as
to solve some of the more pressing problems cause by lack of reliable supply of
electricity, or no supply of electricity.
If we look at why wireless telephony advances so fast in the developed world
(at least in the early 80s), we can parallel what solar energy can create the
same phenomena for the developing world. We know satellite transmissions are
more sensitive to atmospheric changes yet we have no problem to invest millions
on them. Why? Why then it is less attractive to spend millions in setting up a
solar power 'electricity' plant (I am no EE person, do forgive my layman way of
explaining things).
We, the people of this DDN, want to look at DD as something that 'if we
provide them with computers they will become digitally UNdivide'. Problme is,
if one has no food in the stomach, if one has no education at all, if one's
only light source in the house is oil-lamp ... what is digital divide to these
people? Giving these people a computer would be like giving them the roof of a
house without first building the 4 walls to support the roof?
Cindy
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