Week 9

After our recess week, we delved into the vast sector of Energy, from the different sources of energy, to the energy consumption patterns. Modern life as we know it, obviously cannot go on without energy, and it is unsurprising that much controversy and debate surrounds this issue. One of the things that really caught my attention was that despite all the innovations and talk on implementing renewable sources of energy, 78% of global energy consumption as of 2008 is still dependent on fossil fuels. This is worrisome since coal and oil are running out very quickly, (oil is estimated to be depleted in about 42 years, according to the US Energy Information Administration).

In the wake of the IPCC report, one of the key takeaway messages was that the technology for renewable and clean sources of energy is already available and only needs the will and drive to be implemented on a wide-scale, and quickly too. One of the mind-boggling ambitious projects that Professor Shahi shared with us was the Desertec Project that aimed to harness solar energy from solar farms across the Sahara Desert. In other words, technology is easy but people are hard.

Yet it is very interesting to see the myriad of creative ways of creating and saving energy. Even our waste can be used as sources of energy. Benedict Leong showed how Sweden is burning its trash (even to the extent of importing trash from other countries) to generate energy and Sam Lim showed us how excrement can be broken down into biofuel. I felt that instead of just filling landfills with waste and allowing methane to seep out and into the atmosphere, which can trap heat in the atmosphere far worst than carbon dioxide, it is far better to use it to meet our energy needs.

Grace Tay's presentation on Chevron's environmental disaster in Ecuador really caught my attention, especially for the people and biodiversity affected by Chevron's actions in Ecuador, and at the same time, outrage at the indifference Chevron had simply for the pursuit of profit. Large energy companies like Chevron should obviously adhere to stronger ethical practices, and not be allowed to exploit weaker vulnerable countries.

We touched on many past sources of energy but I wished we touched more on Nuclear Energy, a topic of much controversy, especially with the recent fallout from the Fukushima Nuclear Reactor. I would rate today's session an overall 9. We had a very animated discussion with a lot of new technologies, harnessing very creative processes, yet using materials already present in the world, such as Hemp, to make materials such has Hempcrete and using for Biofuels.