Session 8 – Energy and World Change

It is old news that traditional growth methods via fossil fuel and coal energy sources cannot be used anymore.

Equity is needed to ensure that developing and up-and-rising countries like China and India can achieve same rate of growth like the developed countries had using lesser amount of energy or using renewable energy sources. I find it commendable that China is the world’s largest investor in green technology, because many developing countries based their mindset on “developing first, thinking about global world crisis” later. Sure, China has had its share of pollution and harm-causing to the Earth, but stomping out that old thinking and investing in green technology sure shows her repentance in this area!

The poor also need energy sources of their own. Which led to the invention of biomass stoves, solar refrigerators.

Here are some interesting takeaways from the lesson:

1. “Below and Above” energy sources. Most energy sources above the ground are mostly renewable, whereas those below ground tend to be nonrenewable. I think it’s pretty…..symbolic? Seems to me like digging more to satisfy your own greed always lead to some sort of catastrophe consequence!

2. 200 years of coal still available at current consumption rate. 200 years is equivalent to 5 generations. This is why I’m always in awe of environmentalists. Not only do they have a strong determination to practise what they preach, they’re not doing what they do for themselves. They’re doing this for the people they won’t even get the chance to meet or know, and these people might not even be appreciative of their efforts!

3. 3850000EJ worth of Solar energy enough for all our needs, but we insist on fossil fuels for our growth. Photovoltaics – best use of land resources but only used in 0.7% of total energy consumption, among with other energy resources like thermal and wind.

Germany – invested big time in Solar energy. Government lets Germans pay for the solar panels, but for every 20cents of electricity they buy, they can sell it for 50cents. Anyone who puts up solar panels get cash incentives, will almost always get a profit by using solar panels. Farmers are turning into power producers. The hunger for electricity is now bigger than hunger for food, and these German farmers can earn so much more if they were to invest in Solar energy panels. Pretty smart idea if you ask me.

Several years ago, my mum wanted to have a solar panel installed onto the roof. We were told that it would take 20 odd years till we gain a profit from it, and the energy generated is so little it could probably only power the water heater. With technological advances these recent years, I’m sure this situation would have improved, but the mindsets of our people and the government has not changed. We are still reliant on non-renewable resources, our most famous environmental-saving attempt was the No-Plastic-Bag-Wednesday, which is honestly a pathetic attempt to make our profit-thirsty souls feel good about ourselves.

In class, I raised the issue about how Singapore’s government is improving our public transport which is a good effort in saving the environment because as more people switch from driving cars to taking public transport, our carbon footprint could be reduced immensely. However, as some of my classmates pointed out, saving the environment probably wasn’t at the top of their minds when they planned the Downtown line and increased bus lanes, but rather an effort to increase the efficiency and ease heavy traffic on the roads. I wouldn’t say Singaporeans don’t treat environment-saving seriously, but it’s just that several preconceived social norms and cultures have been so deeply ingrained into us. The 5 Cs of the Singaporean Dream is something almost every Singaporean (including me) lusts after, and these 5 Cs certainly do not encourage less consumption and caring for the environment.

Prof suggested that we could have cycling lanes in Singapore which I fully agree with, because it would make travelling to nearby places so much easier. I live at Upper Bukit Timah, and it is such a silly idea to waste $0.71 on a bus trip to Bukit Panjang! I could cycle, save money AND burn calories at the same time.

I see the potential of cycling lanes in Singapore. Cycling lanes shouldn’t be only restricted to areas near parks, they should be everywhere in Singapore! It is so inconvenient to cycle in Singapore because of how the roads are built. It is in fact, illegal to cycle cross  pedestrian crossings and from a traffic light to another. If only some land could be put aside for cycling lanes, especially around neighbourhood areas, this would aid in Singapore’s efforts to save the environment.

Besides, cycling generates kinetic energy, which could somehow, someway, probably be stored for further uses! Like powering the bicycle lights or playing music. The possibilities are endless, and I really hope to see more cycling lanes being set up in Singapore. Perhaps petitions could be held? Or we could have a Cycle Your Way Day?

I’d rate this lesson a 8/10. This is such a relevant topic in today’s society, because of the sheer truth it contains. It shook me up hard because I realised that this environmental problem thingy isn’t as far away as I thought it would be.

 

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