Transcript Energy and the Environent Outline 1. Introduction -- What is the challenge? 2.

Energy and the Environent
Outline
1. Introduction
-- What is the challenge?
2. Problems of energy
3. Impetus/context to renewable energy
regime/drive :
4. Energy resources
5. Conclusion
Introduction
What is the challenge
- Dependence on fossil fuels. vs. desire low-carbon
- The problem of political will?
Energy Problems I
The Environmental Dimension
Transport- oil spills eg. 1989, 10 million gallons of
crude oil leaked from Exxon Valdez tanker
off Alaska.
use -Greenhouse gas effects, from carbon dioxide
produced in the burning of fuels has effect on
climate change
Disposal- fuel rods used in nuclear plants disposed of
as radioactive wastes [high exposure to
humans can cause birth defects, cancer, death]
Energy Problems II
The Economic Dimension
Industrial economy,
Social conveniences
The National Security Dimenion
Rise of militant nationalism in world’s gas
stations
Vulnerability among world’s leading oil
consumers
Impact 1973 OPEC embargo
Energy Problems III
Depletion/supply concerns
- Oil-rich nations using more energy
and cutting imports
- Not shortage
- Political sources: energy indep.
Sources of Energy
Coal
Uses: electricity, heating, cooking, industry?
Advantages: abundant, cheap.
Environmental impacts of Coal
[the high cost of cheap coal; i.e. the politics of costing: who counts]
Air pollution
SO2, NOx,
CO2 emissions
Most carbon intensive fuel
High percentage of global CO2 emissions
Mining impacts
Safety.
Health – water around the mines
Disposal of byproducts
“Clean coal:” technology = Carbon sequestration
Issues: Cost; escape and safety, diverts resources
Natural Gas
Cleanest burning of all fossil fuels
Most efficient
World production and reserves continue to rise
Largest reservoirs: Russia [former Soviet] 31%, Mid. East
31%.
Known reserves – 60 year supply at current use rates
Dependence on foreign countries
Environmental Impacts of Natural Gas
-Pipeline construction and leaks
-Emissions of greenhouse gas:
- Flares
Nuclear Power
About 5% global energy consumption.
Problems in its development
- Decline in public acceptance
- High cost [U.S., govt heavy subsidy, especially insurance liability]
Env. impacts of Nuclear Energy
Does not emit NOx, SO2, CO2
Accidents:
-Three Mile Island plant, PA (1979)
- Chernobyl (1989)
- Proponents: 19th C. Britain over 100,000 died in coal mines.
Nuclear Waste [big debate, but also, source of revenue to some]
On site storage
Russia’s Far East
Yucca Mountain site?
Nuclear waste trade
Oil
% Global world production
e.g.- Saudi Arabi 25; Iraq 9; UAE 9;Iran 9
Kuwait 10; Venezuela 7; US 2.8; Mexico 4.7
Environmental Impacts of oil
Gas flaring
Pipeline leaks
CO2 emissions
Air pollution: SO2, NOx, O3
Oil spills: Exxon Valdez [1989]
- almost assured because of distributional
conflicts – e.g. Niger Delta Oil
Alternative Energy Sources/Practices
Demand Side: Logic of efficiency
-renewable energy + energy efficiency improvements,
could provide up to 50 % of U.S. electricity needs by
2030.
- Energy efficiency would account for about 57 % of national
emissions reductions required by 2030 (renewables would
provide the rest).
- 40 % of efficiency-related reductions be from
buildings,
-30 percent from both the industry and
transportation sectors.
Energy Efficiency
Constraints on Energy Efficiency
Policy Failures
- Subsidies and artificially low prices
- Not regulating externalities: e.g. pollution
- Electoral politics-special interests problem
Limited access to ICT [Information, Communication,
and Technology]
- Income/markets, information flow
Collective action problems
-hence policy failures persist
Alternative Energy/practices cont.
2. Supply side: Renewable Sources
- Includes
- Hydropower, biomass, solar PV, Wind, Hydrogen,
Tidal, geothermal, waste
-Services
- electricity, heat, motive power, and water pumping
for millions in dev. countries.
- Sectors
-agriculture, small industry, homes, schools, and
other community needs.
Renewable Energy in Developing Countries
40 % existing renewable power capacity,
- 70 % existing solar hot water capacity,
- 45 % biofuels production.
Policy to promote renewable Energy growing.
- At least 60 countries
- 37 developed and transition countries
-23 developing countries
Polices to Promote Renewable Energy
Most common policies:
1.Feed-in law [producers guaranteed sale to electric network].
- By 2007, at least 37 countries and 9
states/provinces, more than half enacted
since 2002.
2. Renewable portfolio standards (RPS)/ renewable obligations or
quota [a % of generation sold or capacity installed is
provided by renewable energy
- United States, Canada, India, Australia, China, Italy,
Japan, Poland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
- U. S., five states enacted new RPS policies during 2006/2007
(Illinois, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oregon, and
Washington State), total US = 25 + D.C (four states have policy
goals).
- 9 U.S. states revised existing RPS targets, including California,
which accelerated to 2010 an existing target of 20 % by 2017.
Other Forms of Policy Support
Capital investment subsidies or rebates,
Tax incentives and credits,
Sales tax and value-added tax exemptions,
Energy production payments or tax credits,
Public investment or financing.
Mandates for incorporating solar hot water into new construction.
Germany:
All new residential buildings (2009), 14 % of household
heating and hot water energy from renewables
Existing German buildings be retrofitted to meet 10 % of
their heating energy from renewables.
Allocation of $490 million in 2008 for capital grants to
homeowners.
Cape Town, South Africa,
- Draft 2007 bylaw undergoing review: solar hot water in new
houses for middle- and high-income groups.
Wind
Fastest growing world’s renewable energy resource
- 28 % worldwide in 2007.
- Annual capacity additions increased: 40 % higher in
2007 cf to 2006.
- Europe leads world in installed capacity
- 1991 US DOE – three states: N. Dakota, Kansas, and
Texas had enough to satisfy national electricity needs.
Advance in turbine tech. suggests more [not just
electricity]
-
Issues and Impacts in Wind power
- No air emissions
- Impact on birds: mountain ridges
- Cost competitive
Biofuels: Ethanol and Biodiesel
Power and heating
- expanding in Austria, Denmark, Finland,
Sweden,
and the Baltic countries, and
provides substantial shares (5–50
percent) of district heating fuel.
Developing countries, small-scale power and heat production from
agricultural waste is common, for example from rice or coconut
husks.
The use of bagasse (sugar cane after juice extraction) in
countries with large sugar industry,
[Australia, Brazil, China,Colombia,
Cuba, India, the Philippines, and Thailand].
- Corn
The United States
By 2007, gasoline blended with some share
of ethanol.
Production of ethanol less than demand
(2006).
- U.S. Energy Bill.
- Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS), set
goals for the U.S. biofuels industry.
- production of 36 million gallons of
biofuels—
mainly ethanol and
biodiesel—annually by 2022.
Criticism/Fears of Biofuels
Long-term effects on
agriculture.
And the environment
- process of producing biofuels —
cultivation, fertilisation, harvesting,
transportation — could introduce parallel
carbon emissions.
What could a price war with fossil fuel mean?
Promising trends
Provisions in US Energy Bill.
- meet certain greenhouse gas emissions requirements.
-emission reductions have to be based on lifecycle studies
- administrator should “re-evaluate” conditions annually
and adjust the fuel mandate and
emissions requirements
Similar views elsewhere mirror U.S. view
eg. Brazil Forum consensus
Other Example
- Jatropha
Conclusions
What policies are needed to
advance renewable energy?
- reduce subsidies for
conventional energy and
incorporate external costs
(leveling the playing field)
Question of Political will and the right policies [who
is the problem?].
- Promising examples
- Tanzanial Fuel briquettes.
- China’s cow-dung
methane power plant