6. There were also other objections: a. dangerous environmental impact of microwaves; b. military use of SPS either to deprive or to destroy an enemy country; c. massive utilization of land for antennas which would affect agricultural productivity; d. the highly centralized SPS system would be impractical for the majority of the population in the Third World, which is dispersed in villages; e. SPS, being a mega-technology, would be unacceptable to those who would like to preserve the pristine earth. Despite these objections, a majority of conference participants decided to set up a chapter of the SUNSAT Energy Council in Bombay, and seek financing from industrialists to conduct research on SPS feasibility and applicability. Since the cost of research in the Third World is hardly one-fifth of that in western industrialized countries, it was suggested that some areas of research, such as antenna location, types and sizes of antennas, the type of distribution system, the environmental impact, the economics of energy distribution and other terrestrial studies be conducted in India and other Third World countries, such as Indonesia, Brazil, Kenya, Nigeria, and Mexico. Some of the social organizations such as the International Jaycees and industries like the Shri Ram Mills are willing to support SPS activities in India. Because of the growing energy demands in the world, and the seriousness of the energy crisis in less-developed countries, SPS offers a challenge and an opportunity, which, if ignored, would mean the loss of a significant energy alternative.
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