5.5 External Relations In 1972, Gerard K. O'Neill experienced an event which would change his life forever. O'Neill was met with strict opposition by the academic publication community in his search to publish his first works on space colonization and manufacturing. Brian O'Leary, a close friend and a space enthusiast, encouraged O'Neill to bypass the traditional process and suggested to “Take it to the people”. That simple but eloquent phrase led to the first of many successful lectures given to space enthusiasts throughout the United States. Space conferences soon followed and received considerable attention from the media. Within three years of the first lecture, the idea of space colonization and manufacturing was investigated by top NASA scientists and research in this area has continued ever since. ISU and the space solar power program are indirectly linked to this effort. Two important points should be noted in this discussion. The first is the power received from approaching the people. The second is the will to search for alternatives. External relations plays a key role in the promotion, education and acceptance of the space solar power program and the following section will discuss these issues in relation to governments, industry, international organizations, the scientific community and the general public. 5.5.1 External Relations with Governments, Industry and International Organizations The founding conference of the ISPO and ongoing activities thereafter will require a great deal of interaction between the relevant players. It is essential that these groups receive the information required on the goals of the space solar power program and the benefits that it provides. Every group, however, will be approached differently. A strategy must be developed to address each group differently with well-defined objectives for each. The public relations branch of the organization will have the mandate of identifying the potential members, developing and executing the various strategies and providing the relevant material for each member. Approaching Governments One of the main objectives of any legitimate government involves the national interest of the people which includes maintaining or increasing the standard of living for their citizens. Energy is an integral part of the standard of living. A method for increasing and, at the very least, maintaining a standard of living is the space solar power program. A project of this magnitude, however, will need the political will and support, both in terms of financing and financial liability. Governments must therefore receive information on the space solar power program which relates to their national interests. In particular, the goals of the developing countries will differ significantly from those of developed countries. This section will present the different approaches used for both developed and developing countries. Developed Countries The developed countries have a well-developed energy infrastructure and the future energy demand in these countries is assumed to be less than those in developing countries. Therefore, a strategy based solely on energy demand would not convince developed countries to participate in the space solar power program at a level necessary to complete the project. The space solar power program should aid developed countries from multiple viewpoints. The following is a list of possible reasons why developed countries would participate in the space solar power program. • Non-sustainable energy sources will eventually dwindle; • Countries who do not have energy self-sufficiency loose a certain amount of sovereignty; • A great deal of funds are spent each year in protecting existing energy supplies. An example is the US military presence in the Persian Gulf for consistent continuous supplies of oil from the Middle East; • There exists increasing opposition to existing energy supplies from environmental groups and the general public; and • Developed countries are given leadership roles in the pursuit of world stability and harmony.
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