Desarrollo energético en América Latina y la economía mundial

DESARROLLO ENERGÉTICO EN AMÉRICA LATINA y LA ECONOMíA MUNDIAL regionallines where there are economies of scale. For strategic reasons, they wiU cooperate only partIy in exploratíon or nuclear energy deve. Iopment, and are more likely to cooperate in final use (electricity) in regard both to technology and to development of a uniform grid with the same cycles, and use of long distance direct current transmi– ssion. It is possible that developing nations wiU therefore attempt to achieve more efficient energy development. None of the aboye arguments address a central moral question, which is that the developed countries have had a high standard of living; less developed nations have noto Unitl they have achieved it, sorne argue, they should not conserve· raw materials and energy, as this is properly the rich, developed nations' burden. Similarly, po– Ilution control and conservatíon are expensive; they may be so ¡den– tified with rich nations' interests that people in developing nations will be alienated from these concepts. INTERNATIONAL POLICY PROBLEM.S OF ENERGY RESOURCES OTHER THAt'\" OIL The international policy problems of energy resources are not res– tricted to oil. The most important oil substitute is nuclear energy. Rere the problem is moral in complex ways. Developing nations expect to be forced to sell oil, in extremis, 50 they develop all other 50urces of energy regardless of costo The result may be nuclear acd– dents in developing nations and clean oil in rich ones. The main result oI Three Mile Island is an increase in developíng nations; purchases of nuclear control room simulators, not cancellation oI demand for nuclear power. The problems developing nations' deve. lopment of nuclear power plants create in internationaI relations are: 1) The problem of spent fue!. The IUnited States' worries are exaggerated-alI spent fuel goes to Israel, and there are too many sources of enrichment .servÍces for the United States to control world access to enriched uranium. 2) The problem OI the development of too many kinds 01 reactors by developing nations. This arises from concern over secure supply lines for energy. There are a number of supplíers of enrichment, arid of heavy water, for various kínds oI reactors. Flexibility dicta tes that each developing natíon have each kind of reactor. so that sorne its expansive nuclear reactors stay operative in case oI supply breakdown. Given military considerations, there is littIe possibility of joint develo- 124