Conflict with Iran is something that can and should be avoided. Of course, we are somewhat at the will of the leader of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and whether or not his nuclear program is an attempt to repower the country or build nuclear weapons. For this article, I’m going to make the assumption that Ahmadinejad is being truthful that his nuclear program is to power the country, not build nuclear weapons. As things are going right now, it doesn’t matter whether the nuclear program is for electricity or weapons, the rest of the world is getting more and more uncomfortable with Iran as it moves closer to achieving its nuclear goals.
So how can war with Iran be avoided? The world should make it very attractive for Iran to develop renewable energy power rather than nuclear power. In depth analysis of renewable potential and assistance in development from foreign countries is one way to make renewables more attractive for Iran. As I reported in a recent article, it is true that renewable energy doesn’t have nearly the capacity for power generation as nuclear, but lucky for Iran, there is an abundance of renewable power existing within its borders. Wind, solar, geothermal, and hydroelectric has the potential to generate much energy for Iran. Examining wind capacity in Iran alone, the country boasts more than 6,500 megawatts (MW) of power. This is more than six-times greater than the 1,000 MW nuclear reactor Iran announced it will begin building next year.
If Iran abandons its nuclear power program in favor of renewables, then the true intentions of its nuclear program will be known. Should Iran continue to develop nuclear capacities even with renewable energy providing the necessary energy generation increase, then the purpose of the nuclear program will be obvious. In this way, rather than continuing to have to decipher Iran’s intentions, they can be known for sure and appropriate action can then be taken.
