Environmental problems are also inseparable from the problems of development. Those in developing countries faced with limited resources, high rates of population growth and the need for energy for development are often forced to compromise the environment in their quest for growth. Current options each come with a cost. Dams often dislocate people, flood land and may create health hazards through water borne disease. Coal mining disrupts the environment and coal-fired power plants pollute the atmosphere and the land while heating rivers and lakes with the discharge from the plant’s cooling system. Tables 2 and 3 are a qualitative summary of cost elements (many of which are often externalized in determining the cost of power) and environmental and safety risks for various forms of power generation. Table 4 is the beginning of a quantitative statement about the cost of emissions. A great deal more work needs to be done to complete this table in a through and unbiased manner. There are, however, some additional qualitative statements which can be made about the benefits of energy from space (The data on carbon emission was taken from Amagai, 1991 while the cost of six dollars per ton for carbon emissions was taken from a Wall Street Journal article). SPS and the Industrialized Nations The industrialized nations, with 24% of the world’s population, generate about 80% of the world’s electricity (Starr and Searl, 1990). As a result they release the
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