With all the writing about sustainability trends, there is one topic that just won’t go away. To the contrary. The discussion about the future of energy generation – and consumption – is getting a sense of urgency difficult to ignore. Just a few days ago, the International Energy Agency warned that “without a bold change of policy direction, the world will lock itself into an insecure, inefficient and high-carbon energy system”. Although there may be still time to act, the window of opportunity is closing, the say. “Growth, prosperity and rising population will inevitably push up energy needs over the coming decades. But we cannot continue to rely on insecure and environmentally unsustainable uses of energy,” said IEA Executive Director Maria van der Hoeven. “Governments need to introduce stronger measures to drive investment in efficient and low-carbon technologies. The Fukushima nuclear accident, the turmoil in parts of the Middle East and North Africa and a sharp rebound in energy demand in 2010 which pushed CO2 emissions to a record high, highlight the urgency and the scale of the challenge.” (see World Energy Outlook is Unsustainable Says International Energy Agency | Celsias.co.nz for more).
Particularly in the far east, things are changing, though, and changing fast. Despite its reputation as a blocker of global climate change mitigation negotiations (the latest in Durban, South Africa), on a domestic level China is working hard to overcome its pollution issues. Dispraised as the world’s biggest carbon emitter, the capitalist-communist country is rapidly gaining momentum as world’s leading supporter of green technology. For instance, China invested $54 billion in low-carbon energy technology in 2010, compared to the United States’ $34 billion, according to the U.S. Pew Environment Group. Its latest 5 year plan to clean up water and air pollution is widely considered “a very serious commitment to environmental remediation and repair and creates massive investment in clean technologies”, Celsias writes.
Meanwhile in New Zealand, clean energy developments are doomed to proceed on a local and regional level, braving the apparent lack of interest of Prime Minister John Key’s conservative government to lead the transition towards a low-carbon energy future. Nelson-based solar power company SolarCity, for instance, strives for nothing less than making New Zealand 100 percent solar by 2020, according to Idealog magazine. Negociations with city councils and Meridian Energy, New Zealand’s leading renewable energy supplier, are well under way.
Facit: No doubt, our energy situation is far from rosy. Still, there’s hope that the future won’t be as dark as some have us believe. The tide has changed and, just like new leaders have emerged, old politics and paradigms are doomed to drown.
Picture credit: Orin Zebest Creative Commons, Flickr
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Energy autonomy – watch out for the 4th revolution!
Energy autonomy – the 4. revolution made it into ARD, Germany’s public TV station. Don’t let anyone tell you that renewables won’t be able to do the trick. Check it out if you haven’t already – or see below for an English version (20 May 2011).
Amazing web site! The content material is magnificent. Very enlightening indeed.
Posted by Logan | January 24, 2012, 14:27Local energy initiatives are the way to go. It may comfort us if the Beloved Leader is on-side but this is one issue that must be lead from below otherwise the Nuclear Option will be forced on someone for the sake of the nation. Proponents of the N.O. say that renewables can’t give us the amount of energy we need. But the problem with that is that fossil fuels have fed a wasteful energy system that burns far more joules than we end up using. Local energy systems feeding local energy needs will be attuned to what we have vs. what we need and can fine tune inputs and outputs. Perhaps a handful of coal dust now and then might boost the system for a period of exceptionally high energy requirement, but to have the system every day blasting out enough energy to cover the one day per year when all the air conditioners are turned on at once is expensive and ridiculous especially if we build our homes to obviate air conditioning with low energy requirements
Posted by Sue Ni | January 24, 2012, 14:29I do think it is very important to think about the future. Where I live they have recently built a swimming pool and they are heating it using heat from the local crematorium. There has been as massive out cry at this saying it is wrong. Personally I think it is a great idea as the energy being used to heat the pool would only go to waste otherwise. I would be interested to hear what other people think of this idea?
Posted by Celebrity Cruises | January 25, 2012, 05:31