A few days ago, Al Gore published an article about China and renewable energies, which makes reference to another article in the New York Times. The giant Asian is on the top of the renewable energies business, as it becomes the world’s most important producer of wind turbines, leaving Denmark, Germany, Spain and the USA behind.
The article points out that some of the advantages that China has over other countries are its high domestic demand (which escalates at 15% a year) and its advanced energetic equipment. Besides, the working costs are very low and the state property banks provide financing.
It is clear that there is a need to start taking into consideration the inconveniences of climate change, as well as the measures that can be taken, the legislation that can be promoted, the habbits that can be changed, etc. This presents us with opportunities in new industries, very littled explored by Latin America, but that can provide great benefits if we know how to profit from them. How can we capitalise these needs?
China is investing large sums of money in renewable energies, and has created a National Energy Comission; USA and other European countries are providing financial incentives to develop these industries. In Argentina, for instance, the private sector is the one investing in renewable energies; some wind energy projects are promoted by companies like Impsa Wind in Rio Negro and Emgasud Renovables in Chubut and Puerto Madryn. Even though this is good, the **joint action between the private sector and the Government **is going to be necessary for the industry to have enough strenght to become competitive. As for Chile, the Government created this month the Energy Ministry and opened a Renewable Energy Centre to promote and develop alternative energy sources.
I invite you to enrich this article with more information about other countries and to discuss these 3 topics:
1 – Why can’t we be where China, USA, Germany or Denmark are?
2 – Shouldn’t we receive help from those countries?
3 – How can Latin America work syergistically in order to make a grater profit?
