Protests without solutions only add to the problem. Solutions without the voice and support of media and activists, toil in obscurity.
February 20, 2017 (Tony Cartalucci - ATN) - The people of Thailand's southern province of Krabi attempting to prevent the construction of a coal power plant, have been let down by both the government and the professional protesters that have attached themselves to their cause.
For the government's part, they have inherited a system racked by years of turmoil, inefficiency, corruption, and lack of vision. They've been left few choices for expanding much needed power production for Thailand's southern provinces beyond coal, oil, and gas.
The Ministry of Energy could have and should have done more to promote the expansion of alternative energy, the decentralization of energy production, and invested in education and development programs to expand the pool of human resources required for an alternative energy revolution in Thailand.
Amid the few programs the Ministry of Energy is assisting in, the impact has been very positive.
At the very least, the government could have and should have eliminated regulatory obstacles standing in the way of individuals and communities seeking to decentralize power production and switch over to alternative energy themselves. They can now, and should.
For the professional protesters who have attached themselves to the people of Krabi and their opposition to the new coal power plant, they have failed utterly to communicate the larger context the Krabi protest fits into, or present solutions and alternatives to both the public and policymakers.
The protests have dragged on for years and consumed massive amounts of energy and resources - years, energy, and resources that could have been used by these professional protesters to promote solutions and alternatives, to create models and demonstrations of these alternatives, and to build up pragmatic networks of alternative energy activists across the provinces the Krabi coal plant is meant to eventually power.
Ultimately, the expansion of power production must move forward. Power production is the key to economic development, something the people of Thailand's southern provinces need much more urgently than a single tourist attraction in Krabi.
A Lost Battle Does Not Necessarily Mean Losing the War
In wars, the wise strategist knows when to cut their losses, retreat, and retrench. Investing everything into a single lost battle, or a Pyrrhic victory, only ensures that the war itself is ultimately lost.
February 20, 2017 (Tony Cartalucci - ATN) - The people of Thailand's southern province of Krabi attempting to prevent the construction of a coal power plant, have been let down by both the government and the professional protesters that have attached themselves to their cause.
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| Image: Coal is not the answer, but what is the answer? Greenpeace's campaigns fall short of answering that question. While they have done much to raise awareness, their organization's influence and resources would be better utilized in creating solutions, rather than endlessly enumerating problems. |
The Ministry of Energy could have and should have done more to promote the expansion of alternative energy, the decentralization of energy production, and invested in education and development programs to expand the pool of human resources required for an alternative energy revolution in Thailand.
Amid the few programs the Ministry of Energy is assisting in, the impact has been very positive.
At the very least, the government could have and should have eliminated regulatory obstacles standing in the way of individuals and communities seeking to decentralize power production and switch over to alternative energy themselves. They can now, and should.
For the professional protesters who have attached themselves to the people of Krabi and their opposition to the new coal power plant, they have failed utterly to communicate the larger context the Krabi protest fits into, or present solutions and alternatives to both the public and policymakers.
The protests have dragged on for years and consumed massive amounts of energy and resources - years, energy, and resources that could have been used by these professional protesters to promote solutions and alternatives, to create models and demonstrations of these alternatives, and to build up pragmatic networks of alternative energy activists across the provinces the Krabi coal plant is meant to eventually power.
Ultimately, the expansion of power production must move forward. Power production is the key to economic development, something the people of Thailand's southern provinces need much more urgently than a single tourist attraction in Krabi.
A Lost Battle Does Not Necessarily Mean Losing the War
In wars, the wise strategist knows when to cut their losses, retreat, and retrench. Investing everything into a single lost battle, or a Pyrrhic victory, only ensures that the war itself is ultimately lost.
