tricity and for the purification and distillation of water. Other uses, such as water heating, irrigation, timber and crop drying and drop protection, are also being tested in various countries. Solar power does not pose the danger of nuclear power plants whose wastes must be buried for thousands of years. It is a clean course of energy. Technically, the strength and constancy of the sun's rays in outer space as compared to their condition upon reaching Earth is of considerable importance. Each square meter of Earth’s surface exposed to sunlight at noon receives a total potential power input 100,000 times larger than the power produced in all the world’s electrical generating plants together. A solar power satellite placed in the geostationary orbit receives sunlight approximately 30% stronger than that received upon the ground and can provide a predictable supply of energy despite weather disturbances or interruptions by the diurnal cycle on Earth. As a result, it has been estimated that a satellite solar power system in the geostationary orbit could collect at least four times the solar energy which would be received on Earth. The SPS is one of the most promising power generation options which could contribute to meeting global energy demands in the 21st century. Its successful implementation (together with terrestrial solar energy conversion methods) could lead to the elimination of energy-related concerns. The successful development of the SPS would counteract the trends toward a stagnant society with prescribed limits to growth, and an aversion to risk taking. Therefore, in a broader sense, the development of the SPS goes counter to the frame of mind where every new technological development is “viewed with alarm” rather than "pointed to with pride” as an accomplishment. Our civilization has successfully unlocked the last frontier — space — which promises to lead to the extension of peaceful human activities beyond the confines of the Earth’s surface. On the basis of the increasing confidence in the feasibility and promise of the SPS, this option deserves serious consideration as humanity faces the challenges posed by the inevitable transition to renewable sources of energy. It seems altogether appropriate that the sun, which was the source of life, should continue as a fountain of energy for as long as it continues to shine. A satellite solar power system offers a single and general solution for global supply. Once such a system is in place, receiving stations could be constructed on a country or regional basis, offering a variety of methods for the supply of energy. Several countries might join together in constructing such a station, each slowly developing its own network of energy supply lines sustained by that primary regional energy source. Other nations might construct their own such stations and supply interested countries on a commercial basis. The commitment required to implement such a system would be unprecedented and yet its potential for energy supply is equally beyond the limited means of any single national energy programme. In terms of a global debate concerning the merits of a satellite solar power system, the developing countries would initially receive the most striking benefits. For example, the cost of one watt of electricity is higher in the developing countries, particularly in rural areas, than in the developed nations. As a result, the sudden availability of electricity in a developing country at a cost of $1-2 a watt may make solar energy highly competitive with other energy sources. In contrast, the cost of one watt in a developed country might have to drop as low as 50 cents in order to compete with established lower energy costs. One further benefit which developing countries, in particular, would enjoy is the availability of energy for rural populations. The World Bank has estimated that “electricity reaches only 4, 15 and 23 percent of the rural populations of Africa, Asia
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