Week 9

In this week’s lesson, we were introduced to the issue of energy and world change, which I feel is an issue that is pertinent to virtually anyone as we are currently living in a world faced with an energy crisis. The issue of fossil fuels and alternative energy sources has been much discussed in the recent years.  We discussed the drivers for global energy change, the key considerations in the energy landscape and policy tools for facilitating change to a green economy.

An interesting idea that was brought up during the lesson was the fact that Singapore have nearly zero capability to produce its own energy due to a lack of natural resource. Prof Shahi suggested that we should be spending more effort to look into solar and tidal energy sources as Singapore has the suitable environment for it. Furthermore, in one of the oral presentations, osmotic energy was also introduced and was identified as being suitable for Singapore due to our coastal surroundings. It is evident from all this information that a lot can be developed further for the energy industry in Singapore.

Another interesting point that was mentioned was that renewable energy source was actually the primary source of energy some 300 years ago. Only 150 years ago, the human race discovered coal and other forms of fossil fuels, began burning them and eventually leading to our reliance on it today. Even though it is a much more efficient source of energy, looking at the bigger picture, it does not make sense that we are burning a valuable resource that took millions of years to produce which could be used in many other applications.

The key takeaway today was that there is a rising global energy consumption which is inevitable due to economic progression. As such, there is a dire need for sustainability in the realm of energy. In addition, fossil fuels also have an impact on the environment in contributing to carbon emission. We must be open to new technologies and approaches to increase efficiency and reduce pollution in order to overcome the energy crisis.

I guess an issue that I felt deserved further discussion was whether we should focus our effort on one promising alternative energy source or continue to diversify our choices. In the oral presentations, many different energy technologies such as osmotic pressure, algae and nuclear fusion was brought up. With so many choices, should we eliminate those we deem less effective and expand on those we believe to have a better future?

Personal rating for this lesson would be 7.5/10. We found ourselves rushing for time at the end of the lesson.