We’re starting a Lebônê blog to keep you updated on our progress in bringing low cost, environmentally friendly, locally sustainable lighting to Africa. We’ll also be posting about broader development issues and technologies that interest us.
To get started: is it possible to power America entirely by renewable energy by 2020? Al Gore thinks so.
So what are the chances of this actually happening? We’re not talking about a space race or a Manhattan project–that is, there is no way that a government sponsored effort will accomplish this–but what about those “10,000 inventors working in 10,000 companies and 10,000 garages” that people like Tom Friedman keep talking about?
We are proud to be one of those 10,000.
I will preface my optimism with some well founded cynicism. Al Gore is partner of venture capital firm KPCB which years ago retired from internet investment to focus almost solely on renewable energy solutions. He was hired strictly to promote these views, gain favorable legislation, and protect hundreds of millions of invested dollars. Thomas Friedman is an American nationalist who has no original ideas, and wants to sell millions of books. He is merely a green celebrity who cares more about restoring America’s place in the world than lifting billions to a higher standard of living.
With that out of the way, no it is not possible to power America entirely by renewable energy by 2020. At best we can hope to make it no longer a “hobby”. However, that will require government intervention, and the ethanol debacle gives me confidence that lobbyists will continue to prevail over science and reason. There is so much money at stake these problems will be solved. Time will tell if Silicon Valley takes the prize.
Mexico shares many of the African problems. I would be extremely interested in learning about your off-the-grid lighting technology. Can you send me information?
I was wondering if you could write a section of your webpage that could inform citizens about what government incentives we could call for from our representatives. I basically would just like an answer to the question, in a perfect world, what sort of economic incentives could increase US export of microbial fuel cells to Africa. My friends and I feel this is a very important issue and would like to see if there is another way to promote it.