$4B Needed from Bill Gates & al-Waleed bin Talal to Reduce Poverty Worldwide

Hasan A. Yahya, Ph.Ds

 They say in traditional cultures proverbs: “The blind man needs a basket full of eyes.” Meaning, a needy person needs help in any way possible. The poor nations have millions of poor districts without electricity, water, and usable lands to survive. And may other districts lack management of using these resources. In this article, I want to ask two billionaires, namely Bill Gates and al-Waleed bin Talal [others are not excluded] to give attention to this idea: In short to electrify the poor countries where poor families have no generators, and live on candles, kerosene lamps, and firewood. And where energy poverty constitutes a small slice of the poverty pie, probably about 5% if measured by annual expenditure by the poor on their most pressing needs.

 While rich landlords and big companies in Africa, Asia and Latin America seem to get most of their electricity from generators, or from building their own power plants,  millions of poor communities around the world do not have even the least power of electricity. In much of Africa, for example, blackouts force shops to close early, schools to cancel classes, and hospitals to turn away patients. In India and Nigeria, one of the many hurdles to generating more energy is the protests that often stall construction of power plants and hydroelectric dams to protect local communities from government and corporate land grabs and potential ecological hazards  by global environmental groups. In Pakistan, massive power shortfalls are a result of years of neglect, Power stations are outdated, more and more electricity is being hijacked from power lines by ordinary people, and the government is often too preoccupied with the security threats.

 Many Latin American and Asian countries want to avoid legally binding limits on greenhouse gas emissions, blamed for global warming. While their emissions are well below those of the developed world and that such limits would hinder their efforts to lift hundreds of millions of people out of poverty.  even though economic growth would inevitably expand the nations’ carbon footprints as more of the poor gain access to electricity, water supply, air conditioners, refrigerators and automobiles. In South Africa, demand so outstripped supply in late 2007 that a state-owned power company, began rationing, plunging cities into occasional darkness and causing temporary shutdowns in one of the world’s major mining sectors, where mining output send gold and platinum prices to record highs. But who benefit from gold and platinum? Sure, it’s not the poor!

 While some concerned environmentalists see a chance for Asian and African countries to take the lead in developing renewable energy technologies such as solar and wind power, bypassing Western energy models based largely on coal and oil, rich countries like the United States and Europe have had the energy they needed to grow and develop.  Poor countries, however,  burn Billions ($38B) every year in kerosene lighting, and disposable battery use. This means that almost half of all development aid from rich countries is spoiled without return.

 What am I calling is a humanitarian noble cause, to establish independent Non-Profit for profit companies supported by the world billionaires to start projects to help millions  of people to gain access to clean, efficient electricity led by the intelligence and generosity of the two men Gates and al-Waleed, I believe their counselors may explain this idea more so they can contribute in reducing poverty through electrifying poor communities. Especially with the advent  of white LED lighting, which requires less than 1 watt of power to produce useful light, where the entry point to electricity it’s becoming possible in many developing countries where the blind has the basket full of eyes at last, as they say. (635 words) www.hasanyahya.com